Story
The world will never realise 100 per cent of its goals if 50% of its people cannot realise their full potential. When we unleash the power of women, we can secure the future for all.
OUR BACKGROUND
Our founder, British-born Nigerian Lily Nwamaraihe, began her journey to discover her ethnic roots in 2012. Upon her journey, she discovered a beautiful country filled with a rich culture coupled with a devastatingly failing education system where children were not receiving their basic right to a free and effective education.
Lily was particularly moved by the plight of girls both in the home and at school, such as the lack of importance girls’ education has compared to their male siblings/peers; the fear of being physically and sexually abused at school and the lack of provisions for girls at school once they started menstruating.
With her ambition to make a difference in the world, Project Girl Foundation was born, with an aim to transform girls’ education and empower them by providing them with sufficient skills and resources to enrich their lives and the lives of their families.
Globally, 2/3 of those who have no access to education are female. 65 million girls and women have never even started school, and around 100 million do not complete primary education. 4/10 girls in Nigeria do not complete primary school education and the national literacy rate in Nigeria for females is only 48% compared to 73% for males, with certain states having even lower rates of female literacy, enrolment and education. Illiteracy in Nigeria is both a cause and a consequence of poverty, deprivation, ignorance and underdevelopment, with illiterate young girls being particularly at risk to child marriages and maternal mortality. Girls out of school are also more vulnerable to diseases such as HIV, and are more likely to die young. This doesn't sit right with us, and we need your help to change this.
OUR GOAL: THE FUNCTIONAL LITERACY PROGRAMME
The functional literacy programme, which will run for 12 months, is aimed at women, children and local communities to increase literacy rates and close the gender gap between males and females in rural areas such as Nkanu-East. The programme also aims to teach and support local communities to become and continue to be self-reliant as well as increasing their income so that they can live above the poverty line. The programme also aims to educate women in health matters that affect women and become empowered women so that they may pass on this knowledge to their children, especially their daughters. Although Project Girl Foundation was set up to empower girls and women in rural Nigeria, we will not turn away from others who need our help. We welcome those who show an interest in finding the best version of themselves. We particularly welcome adults and children who have additional needs such as special educational needs which may be physical difficulties; hearing difficulties; visual impairments; mental health difficulties; emotional or behavioural difficulties; autistic spectrum disorder and any other additional needs.
OUR VISION
Empower, educate and inspire the future leaders of tomorrow
We want ‘our women’ to support ‘our girls’, which will not only empower them but also their families. We firmly believe that girls and women alike should read together, learn together and work together. This is why we are implementing functional literacy programmes for members of the local community, paying particular emphasis on women and their children. After-all, an old African proverb says, “it takes a village to raise a child.” Our vision is to empower girls from poor and deprived areas in rural Nigeria via education by building schools, providing effective family planning, teaching and implementing self-reliance and continuous professional development for all teaching staff - but we can't achieve this without your support.
HOW CAN YOU HELP?
You can help to invest in the future of girls by donating to the cause - all donations made to Project Girl Foundation will be used to implement and develop the functional literacy programme, which is vital for liberating vulnerable young girls in rural Nigeria. Similarly, following our social media accounts helps to promote awareness, which is much appreciated!
Instagram: instagram.com/projectgirlfoundation
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/projectgirlfoundation/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/projectgirl-foundation-757946162/
Twitter: twitter.com/projectGF1
Visit our site: www.projectgirlfoundation.com
