Former First Lady Michelle Obama It puts new power behind efforts to ensure girls overcome educational barriers in some of the world’s most economically disadvantaged regions.
The Obama Foundation’s Girls’ Opportunities Coalition on Saturday pledged to mobilize $2.5 million for dozens of grassroots groups working to advance teenage girls’ education by covering school-related costs, challenging patriarchal practices like child marriage, counseling survivors of sexual assault, and providing other forms of support.
“These groups are changing the way girls see themselves in their communities and in our world, helping to create the leaders we need for the brighter future we all deserve,” Obama said in a video released on October 11, marking the International Day of the Girl. “Because when our girls succeed, we all succeed.”
According to the United Nations Children’s Fund, nearly three-quarters of the 119 million out-of-school girls worldwide are of secondary school age. The Girls’ Opportunities Coalition — an outgrowth of an Obama White House initiative that invested $1 billion in U.S. government programs to promote teenage girls’ education abroad — launched in 2018 with a focus on helping the 10- to 19-year-old population graduate.
But the latest announcement comes amidst Stark warnings International aid groups believe the budget cuts will undo recent progress. UNICEF predicts that a 24% drop in global funding for education in rich countries will push six million girls out of school by the end of next year.
“I think the need now, more than ever, is critical,” said Executive Director of the Girls Opportunity Alliance Tiffany Drake said. “We were just in Mauritius and we heard over and over again that organizations need funding. They need support.”
The meeting held by the Girls’ Opportunities Alliance in early October in Mauritius brought together members of its network of Asians and Africans. The high demands placed on local leaders doing tireless work with few resources made this, in Drake’s view, perhaps the most poignant gathering they had ever hosted.
But Jackie Popuma, founder of the Strong Young Mothers Foundation in Tanzania, said connecting with other strong women there encouraged her to know she was not alone. A recent GOA grantee, she said the Obama Foundation’s endorsement not only brings financial support, but increases the trust of the international community and additional channels for resources.
Buboma, who grew up without a mother and survived a teenage pregnancy, said Obama’s example instilled confidence in her and the girls she serves. Her nonprofit provides psychological services, vocational training, entrepreneurship skills development, and sexual health classes to hundreds of girls at risk of child marriage, teen pregnancy, and school dropout.
“We call ourselves Watoto wa Michelle Obama, which means ‘Children of Michelle Obama,’” she said. “So, everyone feels very proud to have such a very strong, very strong and very loving mother.”
The Girls Opportunity Alliance Fund is intentionally designed to provide a range of support. Drake said anyone can apply for up to $50,000. The grant does not support general operations but instead goes toward a specific project identified by the recipient.
Once in the network, community leaders have access to monthly online training sessions and in-person gatherings, where they share strategies and learn from larger NGOs like UNICEF and Save the Children.
The Girls Opportunity Alliance is funding an undisclosed amount and then using its reach to help organizations raise the rest GoFundMe Pages. Campaigns are promoted publicly on social media accounts and via a network of celebrity and corporate donors.
The idea, according to Drake, was to use their “megaphone” to attract more attention and garner more support for organizations that often struggle to survive in remote locations. Girls Opportunity Alliance hopes everyday people will be inspired to join them.
“We didn’t want to tell people and just say.”Google “How can you help,” Drake said. “We wanted to give them a place where they can take action.”
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