My name is Jawaria Khan, and I am an 8th grade student. Our family consists of four sisters, one brother and our father, who used to be a prosperous farmer in our village. The importance of education was instilled in all of us by our father who unfortunately suffered a severe leg injury a few years ago. This injury not only hindered his ability to walk but also brought unexpected financial challenges to our once-thriving household. With all five siblings attending school, the struggle intensified as our village only had a primary school. Beyond primary education, we had to commute to another ..read more

At Girls Education International, we empower young women in Tanzania to achieve their educational goals. We are thrilled to share Mariselina's story with you. Mariselina studies at Mwange Catholic University in the Kilimanjaro region of northern Tanzania. Her story is an example of the power of investing in girls' education. “In five years, I will be a lawyer,” Mariselina proudly explains. She is currently studying to obtain a Bachelor of Law degree. In the Spring, she completed courses in torts, land law, administrative law, evidence, public international law, refugee law, and moot court. Th ..read more

By Kate Schelbe - Executive Director There’s a lake near my house that I often hike to with my dog. As she chews on sticks near the water’s edge, I toss small rocks into the middle of the clear mountain water and watch ripples radiate out. So it is with girls’ education. Research shows that investing in girls’ education causes a ripple effect that transforms the individual, as well as her family and her community (UNICEF). We generally focus on the epicenter, the positive impact education has on the individual young woman, but it is easy to imagine the ripple effect of each of our students.&nb ..read more

As a young girl, I loved reading choose your own adventure books. The children’s books are written in second-person and allow the reader to assume the role of the protagonist. Thus the reader makes choices that determine the outcome of the story. I relished the freedom to make decisions and see their impact. It made me feel empowered.   The young women of Girls Education International have autonomy over their choices, as a result they pursue a variety of academic and professional paths. We’re excited to highlight the progress of the young women in Tanzania on the adventures they’ve ..read more

Zehra is from the Chakwal district of Pakistan. She has one sister and a mother. Her father divorced her mother when she was in fourth grade because he wanted sons and not the responsibilities of daughters. Eventually, they were driven out of their home to live with one of their aunts. To support the household, her mother works as a cleaner at a school in the village and washes dishes in various houses. It pays for their house. Because inflation is so high, her mother struggles to meet her family's needs.  In the face of these challenges, it seemed impossible for Zehra to continue her ed ..read more

Awatif wanted to go to school. She had big dreams. But because her parents could not afford to continue her education past primary school, they attempted to do what some families in rural, resource-constrained communities do. They tried to get her married. Awatif heard about a scholarship program - launched by Bedari and supported by Girls Education International - for girls who had completed their primary education in Awatif's village located in the Punjab province of Pakistan.  She applied for the program and was selected.  But that was not the most difficult hurdle Awatif had to ..read more

This Spring, with your support, Girls Ed funded the field experiences (internships) of students attending the Nyamidaho Vocation Education and Training Authority (VETA). Among the cohort of those completing their internships were Melania and Flora. They are each pursuing a certificate in design sewing and clothing technology.  Melania and Flora had the opportunity to be placed together at Sunflag, a textile and clothing company based in Arusha, Tanzania. While working for Sunflag, they learned from professionals in the factory about the machines, the process of turning cott ..read more

Small but Mighty! Girls Ed is a small but mighty organization, and we only grow stronger. During this past year, we have worked as a small board of directors to strengthen the organization through intentional and reflective strategic planning. Among many positive outcomes of recent organizational exercises, we have established a core set of pillars to guide our work and we have refined many of our processes and procedures to foster the sustainable growth of Girls Ed. Growing the Board of Directors We are currently interviewing for two open positions on the board of directors – Pakistan Project ..read more

In March, we were honored to be part of GlobalGiving’s International Women’s Week campaign. We always love to celebrate International Women's Day and our partnership with GlobalGiving ensures we can run a successful campaign so we can continue to fund our programs.  We are so grateful to everyone who donated. Your contributions up to $50 were matched at 50%. We have reached our fundraising goal for 2021 – a goal of $15,000 which will cover the fees associated with the education of all girls in our program, at their various levels. But as you can appreciate, it's already time to ..read more

“When I come home from school, I help my mother to sell vegetables in Gungu Market. While sitting at my mother’s table at the market, I saw many girls my age who are pregnant or already have a child. They seem to have so much trouble. I asked myself - if I do not get this supporter from Project Wezesha and Girls Education International, will I be the same like those girls?” — Edasta In her note of gratitude to Shelmina, Edasta wrote, “My promise to you is that from my heart, I will be studying hard so that to reach my dreams. Then after accomplishing my studies I will find the work from any c ..read more