Last week we told you about some amazing grassroots projects on GlobalGiving’s website working to support economic development for women.
Now, read on to learn about some more incredible GlobalGiving projects doing important work to empower women. You can give on your own—or, share this article on Twitter along with the organization that’s closest to your heart, and we’ll once again make a donation of our own to the one that receives the most votes. Read on to learn about five great organizations, and how you can vote your support for them!
The Cause: Giving Girls the Education They Deserve
We all remember the days of moaning and groaning about having to go to school, but it’s important to remember that getting an education is a privilege—one that many girls in developing countries don’t get.
Of course education is vital for imparting these girls with knowledge—but it does much more than that, too. It keeps them off the (often dangerous) streets. It keeps them from getting married off too young or, worse, sold into sex work. It gives them the power to make smart choices for their lives and to support themselves. And, more often than not, it allows them to use their success to give back to their community—tenfold. Check out these five organizations that are helping women get to school, in one way or another.
The Organizations
Lotus Outreach: Helping Girls Get to School in India
There is only a 2% literacy rate amongst girls in Mewat, Haryana, and one of the biggest obstacles is, well, getting to school. There are no big yellow school buses there, so unless there is a school in her village (which there most likely isn’t), a girl won’t be able to attend class. Lotus Outreach wants to help with the Blossom Buses, a fleet of 12 mini-busses that will transport 12 girls each to school every day.
For $10: Provide one girl with daily transportation to and from school for a month.
For $50: Cover the cost of one mini-bus for a week, which means rides for 12 girls.
More Than Me Foundation: Help a Girl in Liberia Out of the Slums and into School
Over 80% of the children in Liberia who are denied an education are girls. And without schooling, these girls end up on the streets in one of the worlds most notorious slums, often sexually exploited and without proper income. The More Than Me Foundation aims to improve girls’ educational opportunities by providing them with the money and materials they need to succeed.
For $10: Give one girl a backpack and some school supplies.
For $25: Give two girls school supplies.
For $50: Give three girls school uniforms for a year.
These Numbers Have Faces: Send Women in South Africa to University
When it comes to closing the gender gap, South Africa is behind—which means the loss of many brilliant minds and economic opportunity for women. These Numbers Have Faces offers scholarships and support for underserved women to attend university, with the goal of changing this unfortunate reality. In return, they ask these women to pay it forward through community service, mentoring, and tutoring, and eventually paying one year of tuition to help another girl.
For $10: Provide a month’s worth of printing and copying costs.
For $30: Provide safe transportation to and from university for one month.
For $50: Help a woman succeed in school by providing a weekly tutor for a month.
Afghan Institute of Learning: Fast Track Education for Afghan Women and Girls
Under the Taliban, women in Afghanistan were largely deprived of education. Now that they once again have the opportunity to learn, many of them would like to catch up quickly. The Afghan Institute of Learning offers women offers fast-track classes, allowing them to finish multiple grades in a single year and learn everything from language and math to human rights and peace.
For $10: Provide one girl with the books and supplies needed for one fast-track class.
For $50: Pay for a fast-track class teacher for one day, educating 600 women.
Karama Organization: Give Kids in Palestine a Chance to be Kids
We all know that one of the best things about going to school as a kid was the fun stuff—like craft time. But children in the Deheishe Refugee Camp in Palestine don’t often get this opportunity. The Karama Organization for Women and Children Development wants to give them an education—including classes in English, IT, and leadership—while also giving them a place to have fun with workshops in crafts, drama, and dance.
For $10: Buy one week of craft material for 15 children.
For $22: Provide one week of English classes to 7 children.
For $30: Pay for one month of drama workshop for 12 children.
For $49: Provide one month of leadership training to 18 teenagers.