Warm greetings. 

We are more than halfway through the term / semester and we are happy to report that all the girls are making steady progress in school.  We consistently keep an eye on their progress and this is a requirement for provision of a scholarship / support.  The most recent distribution took place in September and the parents were so appreciative to receive the support.

The photos show some of the girls that are being sponsored by this and other projects.  In one of the photos, the girls are holding "thank you GlobalGiving" signs.  In the other photo, the 3 girls are wearing t-shirts donated by Plastic Jungle, a company that got in touch with us through GlobalGiving. 

Study after study confirms the essential role of a girl and woman in her family, community and nation.  Everywhere, in the news, we hear more and more about their influence.  Significant progress has been made over the past years and momentum is building in the consciousness of people worldwide that girls and women need to be given their right place and opportunity.  We are so very excited for the opportunity to help transform lives.  You are helping to make this happen and we continue to be grateful for your support.

Education, as you know is a game-changer and an enabler.  In each of our personal lives we can attest to the doors that education opened and the opportunities it provided access to.  Well, we are helping to provide access to opportunities for these future leaders.  We have a truly influential role - simple but effective.

One of our other projects here on GlobalGiving that similarly focuses on girls is taking part in a special challenge.  The project focuses on providing enhanced educational opportunities to girls through a computer lab at an all-girls school.  We would be so grateful if you could help us win this challenge by making a donation here.

Super-size your donation: Tomorrow Tuesday, November 8th is Bonus Day. Starting at 12:01AM EST November 8, GlobalGiving will be matching all donations (up to $1,000 per donor, per project) at 30%. $5,000 is available in matching funds. Matching will last until funds run out (or until 11:59PM EST).

Thanks for your on-going support and best wishes

Girls wearing donated t-shirts

Links:

• Empower Girls, Provide Computer Training

It was a rare delight to meet Nchumalen.  Nchumalen is one of the girls that are receiving scholarships, books and school supplies through this project. I had seen photos of her but this was the first time I had the opportunity to meet her. Phillip Sholes and I had the opportunity to travel to Freetown, Sierra Leone in May this year and meet a number of the children - beneficiaries of this project.  It was a true delight to see their smiling, happy faces.

It was my pleasure to convey greetings directly to Nchumalen and her mother from a GlobalGiving donor (initial of first name is D.).  I brought back a photo I took with Nchulamen - which is included in this report. I was also able to bring back a personal greeting of thanks and appreciation. 

While in Sierra Leone, I was vividly reminded of the importance of this project "educating girls".   This is crucial as we work towards reversing the trend and giving girls the best chance possible.  The support we are providing to Nchumalen and the other girls represent a definite step in the right direction ad I brought back their appreciation to all donors who are helping make their education a reality.  Thanks for your tremendous support!

Recently, I ran into a news article that affirms our commitment to supporting education in Africa:

"Look at how Asia’s extraordinary growth in recent decades was fueled by a determination to invest in “human capital".  It is widely understood that Africa’s children will not own the 21st century until their leaders put more emphasis on educating them. Poor, barely literate 18 year olds in a rural area cannot compete for jobs. Neither can they take advantage of the investments being made on the continent.

It seems the critical investment of this century will be how Africa’s children are equipped to prepare for the challenges and chances ahead. There is no time to waste."

Our focus is in place.  We are definitely on the right track - investing into the future of Africa's children. Our continual investment is truly raising the future female leaders of Sierra Leone.  Thank again much for your on-going support!

Nchumalen - seated in fron row in blue

Sylvester, Phillip and some children beneficiaries

Links:

• Africa’s crucial investment – education

Dear friends

Just a few days ago, on March 8th, the world celebrated the 100th anniversary of International Women’s Day.  Most of us were not around 100 years ago - and those of us who were - do not remember very much of those days.  One thing is sure - we have come a very long way in terms of women's rights and fulfillment in 100 years.

We have come a long way not just in 100 years, but also in the last 20 years – which a good number of us can remember.  And to bring it closer home - not just in 20 years, but in the last couple years - since this project was added to GlobalGiving - and since you joined us in supporting girls in Africa.

In order to ensure that your funds invested into the education of these girls are not wasted, we follow up regularly with their academic and overall progress.  They are required to maintain good grades and maintain academic progress - in order to receive on-going support. They provide their academic report cards to us on a regular basis.  This has helped motivate them to work hard at school - to ensure they can maintain the scholarship.  The benefit to this is that good grades and progress in school directly helps their individual growth and development.

Linked below is a copy of Thomasia's academic report card.   Thanks to your support, as you can see, Thomasia is doing well in school and maintaining good grades - and you can see proof of it here. 

Here is a thank you video message from Thomasia - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e75IGMYbJj8 (recorded last year) and a recent thank you message from one pf thr parents - on behalf of other parents - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u5N-uqPy1AM.  Your support is definitely making life less difficult for a good number of people!

We would like to encourage you to consider supporting this project monthly.  By doing this, together with your support, we can make education attainable for a whole lot more.  Thanks for your on-going support!

Thomasia has something to smile about...

Links:

• International Women's Day
• Thank You Video From Parent
• Message from Thomasia

Greetings

We are delighted to share with you a brief, heart-warming Youtube video of one of the scholarship beneficiaries called Janet.  To access the video, please click on the video link -"Girl Scholarship Beneficiary Says Thanks to GlobalGiving Donors" below.  

Getting the scholarship has been a dream come true for Janet.  This scholarship, she says in the video, is making her and other beneficiaries realize their educational dreams. On behalf of the other beneficiaries she voices their commitment to study hard "because we want to be somebody in the future". In Janet's photo you can see her holding a GlobalGiving sticker.

How simple is that!  Your donations are helping other realize their educational dreams - which will be a stepping stone to the realization of even greater dreams.  At this season of giving, it’s heart-warming to realize that we are making dreams come true for others. Thank you so much for helping to make these scholarships available. We deeply appreciate your involvement.

The number of applications for scholarships has increased and we would like to extend assistance to many more.  Could you help us do this by making a generous year-end donation today?  This would help us do so much more.  We welcome your on-going support to empower many more lives. 

Be sure to watch the video to see how we are impacting lives together.  Go now...  Then make a donation and help us do even more!

Best wishes and Happy Holidays!

Links:

• Girl Scholarship Beneficiary Says Thanks to GlobalGiving Donors

Thanks for taking the time to read this project update and donating towards gender equality and empowerment of women. Develop Africa and The United Nations Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) acknowledge that promoting equal access to education is the foundation for all other development goals. "Until equal numbers of girls and boys are in school, it will be impossible to build the knowledge necessary to eradicate poverty and hunger, combat disease and ensure environmental sustainability." This project is focused on supporting / ensuring gender equality by ensuring that girls receive support towards educational expenses through their schooling.

September 9th, 2010 was a joyous day in the lives of our scholarship recipients as it was Scholarship Award Ceremony Day. The simple award ceremony took place at the rented basement CIA hall in Freetown.

The children and there parents were overjoyed to receive the scholarships. The funds are that we are providing together are helping to ensure that these children continue in school. Even in these days we continue to receive reports of children dropping out of school because their parents are unable to maintain them in school. The additional benefit of what we are doing together is that we are bringing educational stability into the lives of these children.

The children were admonished to continue to work hard and excel in school. In the vote of thanks, Adelaide Thomas, one of the beneficiaries, expressed her appreciation to GlobalGiving and Develop Africa donors for providing this scholarship that is "motivating her to excel in school". Adelaide is a star pupil and doing exceptionally well.

Thank you donors and friends for helping to bring educational stability to the lives of these children. We welcome your on-going support as we plan our next shipment of books and school supplies.

Cordially and best wishes

Some of Primary School Recipients

Some of Secondary School Recipients

Links:

• United Nations: Promote gender equality and empower women

Dear friends,

Excerpts From a Recent Speech: We would like to share with you excerpts of a recent, relevant speech on "Women as Agents of Change: Advancing the Role of Women in Politics and Civil Society" by Esther Brimmer, Assistant Secretary, Bureau of International Organization Affairs - USA. (The link to full speech is provided below).

"In March at the UN Commission on the Status of Woman Secretary Clinton said, “The status of the world’s women is not only a matter of morality and justice. It is also a political, economic, and social imperative. Put simply, the world cannot make lasting progress if women and girls in the 21st century are denied their rights and left behind.”

We believe that investing in the education of women and girls is not only the “right thing to do; but it is the smart thing to do.” That is why we are committed to working with the United Nations and the international community in the lead up to 2015 to promote gender equality and the global empowerment of women and the education-related Millennium Development Goals."

What We are Accomplishing Together: * Here are the specific things mentioned in this speech that we are accomplishing together:

1. We are helping girls to stay in school

2. We are helping ensure their literacy. This is a critical first step for acquiring the skills needed to participate fully in one’s society. Of the 759 million adults who lack basic literacy skills around the world, two-thirds are women.

Together, we are a powerful force for change, helping to shape their lives! These girls are the future leaders of Sierra Leone. By investing into their lives, we are helping to advance the role of women in politics and civil society.

GlobalGiving Visit: On another note, on May 5th, scholarship beneficiaries had the unique opportunity to meet Britt Lake, the Program Operations Manager of GlobalGiving. Britt spent a day visiting Develop Africa's projects in Sierra Leone. A picture of Britt with a few of the beneficiaries is provided below.

Janet and the Sierra Leonean team were honored to host Britt. The visit involved a review and general monitoring of the different projects that Develop Africa has on GlobalGiving. We are happy to report that Britt was happy to see the progress being made and the work that we are doing with your support.

Thanks / Feedback / Upcoming Matching Opportunity: We continue grateful to you for your support which means more to these girls than you would ever imagine. We would appreciate hearing from you and receiving additional support from you in the next month as we plan towards the new academic year. And don't forget that June 16 is GlobalGiving's Matching Day, where they are matching all donations at 50% up to $1000 per donor per project. Thanks for your support.

cordially and best wishes

Sylvester

Scholarship recipient with her mother

Links:

• Women as Agents of Change: Advancing the Role of Women

International Women's Day (IWD) is marked on March 8 every year. It is a major day of global celebration for the economic, political and social achievements of women. A quote online says: "There is no Mother's Day without them. There is no Father's Day without them. There is no Children's Day without them. There will be no life without them. Yes, today is the day to celebrate Women!" As we celebrate the achievements of women worldwide, we are reminded that there are many more budding women – young girls who are earnestly seeking the opportunity to rise up and take their place on the world stage and in history. They are great women "in the making". Your donations are helping enhance the education of these young girls. You are helping them complete their education. Your financial influence is shaping the lives of these girls – who may possibly invent something radically life-changing, become the President of a nation, find the cure for cancer – who knows? I also wanted to take the opportunity to share with you some additional photos that I just received in the past week from the FAWE school - an all-girls school in Freetown Sierra Leone. Students from this school are directly benefiting from the funds that you have donated and continue to donate through GlobalGiving. As you think over the influence of women in your life - on this International Women’s Day, join us in investing into the future of these young girls. Please invite your friends and family to donate towards this project in your honor or in honor of a special woman, mother in your life. Once again – thanks for your on-going support. It means more to us and the beneficiaries than you will ever realize. We welcome your feedback and comments. Best wishes as you celebrate the special women in your life. Sylvester

Students at FAWE school

Links:

• Flickr Photos - FAWE School

Kofi Annan, former secretary general of the United Nations has called the education of girls, "the single highest returning social investment in the world today."

Clearly we are together on the right track – investing into the future of these girls and Africa. Your investment in the girls benefiting from this project is already bringing returns in terms of their education, development and preparation for leadership and responsibility.

Thanks to your on-going support, Out of the 15 scholarships provided to children in Sierra Leone, the majority - 8 of them were girls. Your support helped make this happen!

The children were also provided with basic writing instruments, pending the arrival of our next shipment of school supplies, books which left the US in January 2010. Thanks for helping us provide these scholarships, books and school supplies

The scholarships were provided at a scholarship award ceremony that was graced by the parents, friends, teachers and staff of the school and the recipients of the scholarship award. The students and parents were delighted to receive the financial assistance that is making education a possibility for them. Together we are influential and effecting real change, one girl child at a time.

Marie Mansaray, one of the beneficiaries, gave a vote of thanks and asked local Develop Africa representatives to convey their heart-felt gratitude to GlobalGiving and other donors. Thank you Globalgiving partners, friends and family for helping further their education. We are together truly making a mark that cannot be erased.

Additional information and a link to photos taken at the award ceremony are available here - http://bit.ly/phs2009 .

Group - Scholarship Beneficiaries

Links:

• Additional Information about Scholarship Ceremony