December 2022
Thoughts of snow and the excitement for winter sports about to start – or a wish that the season is as short as possible? The yearly dilemma of many Canadians!!
As the year wraps up and thoughts turn to family and friends and Holiday gatherings and parties, why not consider a gift of education?
If you were able to join us for our annual conference, you will have heard Angeline Murimirwa, the CEO of CAMFED Africa, one of our partners this year, share the impact of receiving a bursary to high school. Without it, she would not have been able to continue her education despite being amongst the highest achieving students in primary school in her native Zimbabwe. Without it, she would not have been able to create CAMA with her colleagues, a 215,000 strong network of young women recipients of CAMFED support who each in turn today, support an average of 3 other children – that’s almost 750,000 children being supported in their education. Clearly, one more girl in school can have a huge ripple effect!
Your support of $100 can go towards providing a tablet as part of our Mobile Learning Lab: bringing up-to-date, interactive academic content to communities without electricity or access to the internet. $500 provides a RACHEL server to a high school to enable students to take advantage of exciting and customized learning, including STEM subjects, in some of the most hard-to-reach and fragile communities.
Every donation brings the transformative change of a quality basic education to yet another girl. And we know girls’ education means multiple positive impacts to each girl and her community.
Can you think of a better gift for the future of the planet?
In memory of Lesley
In late September, 60 million girls lost a dear friend, amazing volunteer and real champion of girls’ education, Lesley Stewart.
Many of you might have met Lesley at our annual conferences, spoken with her or been in contact with her through her multiple roles for the foundation. Lesley headed our communications team, was a member of our board, was on our management committee and was an integral part of our project evaluation team.
Lesley was a teacher by profession and was very well-respected by students and fellow teachers at the primary school where she taught Grade 6 for much of her career.
Lesley had always planned to be a teacher. Even as a little girl she knew she wanted to work with young people; teaching was her calling and Lesley dedicated herself to helping all her young students. She was strict but her students loved her because they knew that she was always available to help them if they needed extra support. Lesley encouraged her students to be the best they could be and still today, long after her retirement, she is remembered as a wonderful teacher.
Lesley devoted countless hours to her work as a volunteer with 60 million girls for over 15 years! Her thoughtfulness, caring, kindness and professionalism will be impossible to replace.
As a legacy to Lesley, her family and friends contributed to the Lesley H. Stewart Scholarship Fund which will enable 6 girls from Masai communities in Arusha, Tanzania to attend MWEDO Secondary School full time for four years. Food and lodging, school supplies and books as well as health and mentorship will be in place to support the girls in order that they have the best chance to complete high school. Lesley believed in MWEDO’s mission from the time 60 million girls supported a project there through the Stephen Lewis Foundation in 2017. Following covid-related school shutdowns, Lesley knew the need for support for adolescent girls was even greater.
The Fund is a wonderful testament to a woman who so deeply believed in the value of education for every girl around the world. We know the impact will be life-changing for these girls in Tanzania, just as Lesley would have wanted.
60 million girls appreciates the opportunity to meet first hand with our partners and their partners in the field. In November we had a great meeting with our partner CODE (Janet Phillips) to discuss the impact of the MLLs (Mobile Learning Labs) in Liberia for the GALI (Girls’ Accelerated Learning Initiative) program. It was a wonderful opportunity for us to speak with Yvonne Capehart Weah from WE-CARE Foundation, CODE’s partner in Liberia and get her insights on supporting and mentoring overaged girls in the accelerated program. 60 million girls funded this successful program twice and CODE has recently completed their research brief: The Impact of Mobile Learning Labs on Accelerated Learning and Life Skills of Over-age Primary School Girls in Liberia: An Evaluative Study. The brief will be published in the coming months.
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