Monthly Archives: June 2011

She’s the First @ White House Webinar

A screenshot of the web chat.

She’s the First was invited to the Young Africa online discussion panel with Tina Tchen and Jocelyn Frye (members of Michelle Obama’s special projects team) on Tuesday, June 28! Myself and She’s the First Researcher Maisy Page provided live Twitter coverage. The Young Africa initiative is an ongoing collaborative effort from the White House stemming from the First Lady’s recent travels to South Africa.

As a participant, it was phenomenal to hear what other organizations and women around the world are doing to change the glaring problems facing our generation. With every other post and with every single question directed at the panelists, a new idea popped into my head for She’s the First. I’m so enthused that Michelle Obama knows how to tackle massive problems with modern tools.

This webchat (my first!) made me feel as if my voice mattered. No voice has to be lost through the power of new media. Social media can connect people, young and old, male or female, and of whatever socioeconomic class to create the change in social and economic structure that so many communities are looking for. As the Obamas say, Yes we can!

Here’s what you missed!

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Recipe for Sweet Success: She’s the First Meets Cupcake Meg!

Ingredients:

1 smiling and sweet college business major

1 cup of creativity and 2 heaping tablespoons of passion

a dash of multimedia intuition

a belief in the power of education

a strong spirit of social enterprise

Yield: 1 Amazing Young Woman Building a School in Africa

Shea (She's the First Summer Creative Associate) and Cupcake Meg

This young woman is Cupcake Meg. Also known as 20-year-old Meg Schmidt, she is a junior at Hampton University. A great mentor to She’s the First named Shaunice Hawkins first told us about Meg, thinking we’d hit it off because She’s the First is famous for using cupcakes, especially tie-dye ones, to fundraise for girls’ education. She was right — Meg is our new role model for using the sweet power of cupcakes to change the world!

Meg’s cupcake business is exploding fast, but her treats have a grander goal than simply satisfying college students’ sweet tooth. Meg is saving up her profits to build a school in Togo, a poor West African nation.

Meg first discovered she had a knack for making cupcakes when she was in high school. She’d carry her batches to school and easily sell out her cupcakes for less than a dollar a piece.

Back then, the cupcakes were intended as a fundraiser for a youth empowerment clothing line that Meg wanted to create. She even received a $500 award from YouthVenture to help with the start-up costs. Entering freshman year at Hampton with sights set on launching her fashion line, everything changed when Meg moved into her dorm building only to find it had a vacant oven…so she got to baking.

Another twist of fate (or helping hand), Meg’s roommate had moved out and the dorm director never filled her spot…so Meg was able to turn the extra space in her room into storage space for baking supplies and a place for her cupcake customers to hang out. Originally advertising the fact that she sold cupcakes in her dorm room through flyers and a sign that glowed in her room window facing the cafeteria, Meg quickly realized that her venture needed to go digital.

Meg's dorm "advertising"

Starting with a Facebook page was key for reaching her college crowd. Before long, Meg’s Twitter and new blog helped her gain the attention of big companies like Mastercard. Her own web site explains her mission and will have an online shop up soon. The most intriguing aspect of her online media is the Cupcake Chronicles, videos which document her purpose and her passion on this journey to bake her way to building a school in West Africa.

Cupcakes for MasterCard!

 

Meg’s use of social media transformed her from an astoundingly successful bake sale queen to a nationally celebrated social entrepreneur, a concept that She’s the First thrives on. From dreams to meeting Cake Boss in New Jersey to updating her customers on the impact that they’ll have on children who need an education in Togo, Meg Schmidt’s alter ego as Cupcake Meg flourishes in both the physical and virtual worlds. As she puts it herself, she may just start sweating sweet-smelling frosting any day now.

Inspired to take action yourself? Sign up for the She’s the First Cupcake Coalition and you can help us make a huge difference this fall, as we launch a nationwide cupcake bake-off across high schools and colleges, that will send girls to school all over the world. Tie-dye cupcakes could be coming to a campus near you!

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Join the Ranks of Glamour’s 20 Amazing Young Women!

Some of the 20 young women honored last November -- you can be one in 2010!

If you’re supporting She’s the First, there’s a good chance you’re a “first” in some amazing way! She’s the First was recognized last year in Glamour‘s roundup of 20 Amazing Young Women at the Women of the Year Awards. Now’s your chance to be in the spotlight this year! Below is the call for nominations that Glamour sent us. We encourage you to apply by the June 30th deadline – good luck!

Glamour is looking for young women—age 25 or under—who are doing big things in their community. Tell us how you’re changing the world and you could be one of two lucky winners we’ll bring to Glamour’s Women of the Year Awards at New York City’s Carnegie Hall on November 7.

So…wanna come? Nominate yourself (or a friend!) by going to glamour.com—and attach a pic. Then check back in two months to meet the five finalists and vote for your favorites.

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New Documentary, Stopping Sexual Abuse in Schools

New Documentary Released to Promote Girls Education

It’s easy to get lost in the statistics and facts of how many children, especially girls, can’t go to school in developing countries.  However, sometimes it’s easier to understand the barriers that exist to accessing education when you can put a face to a fact.  To Educate a Girl, a documentary made by two filmmakers in partnership with UNICEF and UNGEI, was just released to promote girls’ education.  This documentary follows two young girls in Nepal and Uganda in their desire and struggle to receive an education. Read more about the film and the push to put more girls in school here.

Afghanistan Officials Report Decrease in Taliban School Attacks

Afghanistan officials reported that they have seen fewer Taliban attacks against schools in the country.  Although it is not entirely clear why the attacks have decreased, the country’s Minister of Education believes that it is due to the country’s efforts to influence elders and religious leaders that education is key to a better future.  To read the full New York Times article, click here.

Arrest Warrants Issued for Gadaffi and Two Relatives

An arrest warrant was placed today for Muammar el-Gaddafi, Seif al-Islam, Gaddafi’s son, and Abdullah Senussi, the Libyan Chief of Intelligence and Gadaffi’s brother-in-law, for crimes against humanity.  The arrest warrant, released by The International Criminal Court (ICC), is meant to ensure that the three suspects appear before the Court and refrain from obstructing Court proceedings.  The Court has issued the warrants on the grounds that from February 15 – February 28, 2011, the three suspects committed murder and persecution.  For more information, follow this link.

In Many Countries, Sexual Abuse in School Goes Unpunished

AllAfrica recently published an article that claims despite the numerous reports of sexual abuse in schools, few of the criminals are actually punished.  Although several laws have been made to crack down on teacher/student relationships, the punishment rarely matches the crime.  To read more about what’s being done to stop sexual abuse in school and why it occurs in such high frequency, read this article.

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Tweetups

 

We believe social media can create social change when online activity translates into meaningful offline relationships. That’s why we host free quarterly Tweetups in New York City, our headquarters, to bring our supporters together for face-to-face discussion that will inspire new ideas for improving girls’ education worldwide.

There is a special hash tag used, #CelebrateSTF, that allows the event to be broadcast through social media and involve anyone who wishes to participate remotely.

If you’d like to host a Tweetup in your city, by all means! Contact us with your ideas.

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White House Invites She’s the First to Web Chat — on Tuesday!

She’s the First received an honorable invite from the State Department to participate in a global web chat this Tuesday — will you join us?

The conversation is inspired by First Lady Michelle Obama’s trip to South Africa, where she gave the keynote at the US-sponsored Young African Women Leaders Forum. The goal of this web chat is to connect youth leaders in Africa & the US. Together, we can meet the world’s shared challenges — HIV/AIDS, education, and violence against women, to name a few.

To follow the First Lady’s trip, read the White House’s blog. Below, find the web chat details, and a video of her keynote address…we’ll be in the discussion, tweeting as it happens (use hash tag #YoungAfrica) — hope you can be there, too!

EVENT DETAILS
First Lady’s Young African Women Leaders Forum:
Global discussion with Tina Tchen and Jocelyn Frye

Tuesday, June 28 at 11:00 EST
Video webchat: https://statedept.connectsolutions.com/youngafrica
Audio-only: https://statedept.connectsolutions.com/audioonly

RSVP on our Facebook page!

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Kisa Scholars’ Surprise from STF & Arianna Huffington!

This past April, our blog was bursting with excitement over Arianna Huffington’s nationally publicized support of She’s the First.  Not only did The Huffington Post‘s Impact section declare Elizabeth David, a sponsored student in Tanzania, “Greatest Person of the Day,” but Ms. Huffington also sent us three signed copies of her autobiographic books to pass on to Elizabeth, Happiness, and Grace!  We are thrilled to announce that Ms. Huffington’s book On Becoming Fearless . . . in Love, Work, and Life has reached AfricAid’s Kisa Scholars! Ashley Shuyler of AfricAid sent us some photos to share of the students receiving their She’s the First yearbook and the copies of On Becoming Fearless. Have you read the book, too? We recommend it!

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Guest Post: Greetings from Shanti Bhavan!

Shanti Bhavan girls dress Meg in a sari

Greetings from Shanti Bhavan! My name is Meg VanDeusen, and I’m a volunteer at the Shanti Bhavan School in India, and I’m thrilled to keep you all updated on my experiences here through the Aspire blog! A little about me: I am from Baltimore, MD and am entering my second year at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill. Still undecided in my major, I am interested in anything that has to do with social justice. Although I have only been at Shanti Bhavan for 2 weeks, it already feels like another place I’ll be able to call “home.”

I hope that She’s the First’s readers will feel as included and as welcomed on this blog as I felt my first day here. I arrived at Shanti Bhavan at 3 in the morning, and just 3 hours later found myself cheering alongside half the school as we watched the graduating class play basketball. Coming from UNC, where basketball spirit boils through our blood, I could not have imagined a better way to kick off my 2 months in India. And I must say, the graduating girls dominated on the court!

The first few days I spent at Shanti Bhavan were during the graduation festivities (You can also read about STF Campus Coordinator Monica’s experience at SB’s graduation here!) The students got to show off their artistic skills with three evenings of performances.

Shanti Bhavan students perform a dance

One of my favorite performances was a Bhangra dance by the 6th and 7th grade girls. They were all dressed in beautiful, traditional clothing with colors you could not tear your eyes away from. And of course, they had the most contagious, sparkling smiles. Then, after days of celebration, the graduation ceremony finally arrived. The volunteers helped the graduating girls do their hair and makeup for the occasion. Then, the younger girls helped transform the volunteers by
dressing us in beautiful sarees, jewelry, and hairstyles.

The Bhangra dance was Meg's favorite

None of this remarkable work, however, can compare to how beautiful the ceremony was. One student’s father spoke in Tamil about how proud he was to watch his son, Manikatan, grow into a strong adult. In rough translation, he said, “People use to say ‘There is Selvam’s son,’ and now they say, ‘There is Manikatan’s father.’”  Then the founder of the school, Dr. George, spoke on the family that is Shanti Bhavan, and the commitment that each student and teacher has to one another.

Finally, the valedictorian spoke. Amrutha was chosen for her high academic achievements, her dedication to the arts, and her perseverance. She had just returned from campus after carrying her mother, who is dying of AIDS, to the hospital. Her father had intentionally infected her mother, and tried to harm Amrutha as well. However, none of this suffering came across in her speech. She spoke eloquently of how she and her classmates are able to overcome the pain they have had to endure. Her words inspired each one of us with hope for her class’s future.

I experience this humbleness and love on a daily basis. My students have a thirst for knowledge that can be seen everywhere from the classroom to the sports field to conversations at meals. I can’t wait to help you all get to know them through their creative writing, extracurricular activities, and individual interviews here on the blog. If there is anything specific you want to hear, please let me know in the comments and I will gladly update you about it!

Namaste,
Meg

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Shanti Bhavan’s Karthika is Off to Law School!

It’s been a great summer so far for She’s the First, but big things aren’t just happening here in NYC: our friend Karthika, a student at our partner school Shanti Bhavan in India, is headed to one of India’s top law schools, the West Bengal National University of Juridical Sciences! Karthika’s story is truly amazing: her mother works at a quarry breaking rocks to support her family. Karthika credits her Shanti Bhavan education with giving her such an amazing opportunity that normally isn’t possible for people in the Dalit (or “untouchable”) caste in India. She now has dreams of working for the United Nations and becoming prime minister one day!

Read more about Karthika’s major achievement and her story in The Times of India!

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We Saw Nicholas Kristof at Internet Week New York!

Nick Kristof @ IWNY 2011

Nick Kristof, the New York Times columnist, co-author of Half the Sky, and a huge role model of She’s the First, teaches us what it means to simultaneously be a journalist and a humanitarian. That’s why, next to the GIRLS WHO ROCK benefit concert on Friday, June 10th, he was our highlight of Internet Week New York!

Internet Week New York had a special first this year. For the first time in its four-year history, they hosted Fireside Chats, intimate discussions from its HQ at the Metropolitan Pavilion. Kristof was the honorable keynote on June 7th. He talked about his reporting experiences and discussed how the Internet can change a conflict, not in the sense of warfare, but in the spread of information. He poignantly stated that it is the job of media and IT companies to enforce ethical practices concerning malignant governments. Transparency of information in distressed areas is crucial to motivating change, he said.

“The more education, the more likely a change in government structure.”

Mr.Kristof with Opal Vadhan, GIRLS WHO ROCK creative operations assistant (and Class of 2011 grad from Archbishop Molloy High School!)

As a vocal supporter of girls’ education in his book Half the Sky, co-authored with his wife Sheryl WuDunn, Kristof has already taken a liking to She’s the First! GIRLS WHO ROCK intern Opal Vadhan and myself briefly spoke to Kristof after he spoke. His encouraging words left us with a sense of awe at his achievements and feeling more enthusiastic than ever. The cause of She’s the First will impact the experiences of these girls for the rest of their lives and the opportunities we provide them will affect their local community and, eventually, our global community.

The She’s the First team has had the privilege of meeting Mr. Kristof in the past as well. Co-founder Tammy Tibbetts exchanged a few words at a book signing in September of 2010, and the She’s the First*{Syracuse} chapter spoke with him in November of 2010 and January of this year!

You might enjoy seeing what Kristof’s talk looked like visually. Check out what master sketcher Craighton Berman created below, or download the sketchnotes here!

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Social media in Africa, Scholarships in Ghana, Dowry in Kenya

Africa’s new generation is using social media to push change

Enter the “Cheetah Generation,” a group of grassroots movers and shakers ready to reshape the state of their continent by utilizing the world of social media. Hungry for change, these young innovators are seeking to turn around the all-too-common story that gets told whenever Africa comes into conversation: a war-torn, impoverished continent. Opportunities are brewing as these young go getters make their voices heard via Twitter and other powerful social networking tools, standing up for the country they are proud to call home. Read more here…

School ‘pays dowry’ to save girls from childhood marriage

It is not uncommon for a girl born into a Kenyan tribe to be booked for an early marriage at birth. However, a school in Kenya’s Rift Valley is working to aid the destructive practice of child marriage to keep the Maasai girls in school longer. The Naning’oi Girls Boarding School, opened by Childfund International, offers to “pay the traditional dowry of livestock or gifts that is usually paid to a young girl’s father by her future husband.” The alternative dowry system is an attempt to prevent the girls from goin through things they are too young to handle: child marriage, early pregnancy, female genital mutilation and her becoming an outcast in her society when she becomes pregnant before marriage. Read more here…

WFP gives scholarship to 129 girls

A total of 129 girls from three regions in Ghana will benefit this year from a scholarship given out by the World Food Programme to prevent school drop-out rates. This initiative is meant to improve the state of equal access to education while closing in on Ghana’s completion of Millennium Development Goal 2, at the 80% mark in 2008. Part of the program includes a takeaway for girls who attend school over 85% of the time: a package of cereal, vegetable oil, and iodized salt for their family. Read more here…

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She’s the First*{Notre Dame} Goes Global!

Chapter Members Monica Townsend (2012), Lindsay Brown (2013), Maddie Fox (2013), Casey Kraft (2012)

Between Casey Kraft’s recent departure to volunteer in Peru and Monica Townsend’s return from Shanti Bhavan in India, our She’s the First*{Notre Dame} chapter has gone globe-trotting this summer!  Now, one more of their members joins our world traveling roster.  This week, Lindsay Brown, a sophomore at Notre Dame, arrived in Nepal to visit our partner school, the Kopila Valley Children’s Home.

As a member of the She’s the First*{Notre Dame}, Lindsay represented She’s the First at the Clinton Global Initiative University.  She is also one of the creators of the now iconic She’s the First tie-dyed cupcakes. As a national soccer champ, Lindsey and her Notre Dame teammates also sponsor three girls at Kopila Valley.  Lindsay is a star both on and off the field!

Make sure to check the Kopila Valley blog to see how Lindsay’s soccer team, “The Sagarmatha,” (Mt. Everest in Nepalese) does during her stay!

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Shanti Bhavan was on ABC News!

Just when we were coming down from the excitement of GIRLS WHO ROCK, we got even more great news—ABC News did an amazing piece on our partner school, Shanti Bhavan!

The piece focused on how Dr. George, the school’s founder, started the school 14 years ago to give children from India’s lowest caste, the Dalit caste—or “Untouchables”—a shot at a good education. We get to see a little about what life is like at Shanti Bhavan (which means “Haven of Peace”) meet some of the students from the very first Shanti Bhavan class (who are now college freshman!) and you even get to see Karthika, the graduating senior we Skyped with two weeks ago!

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Meet a ‘Glamorous’ STF Board Member: Shikha Vasaiwala

Shikha Vasaiwala, founder and CEO of Glamour Gone Good and STF supporter.

Shikha Vasaiwala, founder and CEO of Glamour Gone Good and STF Board Member.

By now you know that She’s the First is a collective effort. Our volunteers, campus chapters, team members, and Board of Directors help us keep the big endeavor that She’s the First is afloat. One of those incredible supporters is Board member and CEO of Glamour Gone Good, Shikha Vasaiwala. Here, she tells us a little more about her role in She’s the First’s success:

How did you get involved with She’s the First?

I worked for Do Something, an online organization that encourages teens and twenty-somethings to fundraise for the cause they care the most about. Tammy, She’s the First President and Founder, had been peripherally involved with Do Something. Do Something tweeted with Tammy, and at some point—about a year and a half ago—she mentioned She’s the First in one of her tweets. The name peaked my interest and I thought this could be a good organization to reach out to. I liked that their main goal was to empower women and girls around the world. I emailed Tammy and it turned out that she was a young woman, trying to set up She’s the First, who didn’t have professional non-profit experience; just a dream to create STF. I thought she could learn from my experience and decided to guide her in the steps—like getting together a board of directors or filling out legal paperwork. I had the experience and could help her.

What is your work with She’s the First now?

My focus is on getting She’s the First set up as a public charity and receive tax-exemption status. Right now, we are hosting a lot of board meetings, creating budget projections and drafting paperwork with attorneys. I help by making sure we are taking the necessary steps to get this status as soon as possible.

I’ve also been concentrating on getting a fundraising plan together for She’s the First. We’ve had a lot of great opportunities come our way, but now that STF is a year old, we need a more refined strategy. A big step to that long-term plan came with the development of a pretty impressive business plan. Now we’re setting up short-term goals and a budget, and trying to figure out how we can use our volunteers, donors and board members to reach those goals.

We’re also trying to secure a few corporate sponsors so that we can have an operating budget. It’s been hard because we don’t take money from donations, but still need some money for basic expenses. It’s a challenge that all start-ups go through.

Why did you decide to help She’s the First?

It was of particular interest to me because of their international background. I’m from India and education is a big problem there. People don’t have the money to go to school, so an organization that focuses on funding girls’ education there and other similar countries definitely struck a chord with me.

You are the founder and CEO of Glamour Gone Good. Can you tell Aspire readers what GGG does?

We are a non-profit organization that launched in January 2010. We encourage glamour industry professionals (spa and salon owners, makeup artists) to get involved in charity giving. We ask them to donate a part of their profits to one of three of our partners—Dress for Success Worldwide, Girls Educational and Mentoring Services, and Sister to Sister. Our goal this year is to donate $25,000 to each organization. We are also working on a charity online auction, Glamour Gone Good beauty products—we are starting with lip glosses in September—and the re-launch of our website.

Visit GlamourGoneGood.org for more information.

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Did You Miss GIRLS WHO ROCK? Catch Up & Donate Here!

John Wanda, founder of Arlington Academy of Hope in Uganda, took the stage to talk about girls' education.

Did GIRLS WHO ROCK actually happen?! It feels like a dream! At Gramercy Theatre, JoJo surprised us with the world premiere of her new title track, “Jumping Trains”; Nikki Jean, Eddy, and KimberlyNichole left an unforgettable first impression on the audience; Nina Sky got people dancing with their signature hits “Move Ya Body” and “Beautiful People”; Heather Knight showed us how a robot can rock out, too; DJ Kiss’ beats and Touré’s words kept the evening rockin’ and rolling. Their music made a difference!

More than $12,000 was raised – double last year’s concert — but don’t forget there’s still an online campaign to factor in: girlswhorock.causevox.com. We aim to raise $5,000 from GIRLS WHO ROCK online to add into a grand total – can you help?

$5,000 is the tuition for five secondary school students who are counting on us! There are 18 days remaining to reach our goal. Check out the photos & tweets below — even if you weren’t at Gramercy Theatre on Friday night, you can be part of this movement for girls’ education.

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She’s the First Attends Shanti Bhavan Graduation in India

Monica strikes the signature She's the First pose with the girls of Shanti Bhavan!

After a bumpy ride from the Bangalore airport through the villages and countryside of rural India, I arrived to Shanti Bhavan just in time for graduation weekend! (I’m one of the She’s the First Campus Coordinators — doing an internship in India this summer!)

Shanti Bhavan, our partner school in India, awarded their second graduating class ever diplomas the weekend of June 4th. It was a whirlwind of excitement and activity for the students, teachers and international volunteers. Though a new face on campus, I was welcomed with open arms, starting the morning with a tour by Shilpa, a graduating senior who is taking a sabbatical year to write her memoir before going on to college (she was on a Skype call with Christen and Arianna last week). She showed me to her very first bed, the cot she was assigned when she arrived at Shanti Bhavan at age 4, and it seemed hard to imagine the poised young lady sitting before me as a toddler getting her first hair cut and experiencing electricity and running water for the first time.

The Class of 2011 at Shanti Bhavan!

That is the magic of Shanti Bhavan that I was so lucky to be a part of for this past weekend: Every child comes from an impossibly difficult background and is given the chance to be successful academically, honing their unique talents and preparing for the future. As Breetha (grade 9), Vincia (grade 11), and I glued fervently to help Karthika’s artistic sign for the graduation, we talked about everything from Justin Bieber to the movie Moulin Rouge, and I was only a little embarrassed that these girls in remote India knew more American pop culture than I did!

My favorite part of the day’s events was sitting with the volunteer teachers and watching the student run performances. From hip hop dances to Usher to traditional Indian dance to a hysterical play put on by the seniors, the students radiated with the excitement of the weekend. I was almost as excited as they were this morning as I watched the girls do their hair and makeup and don the beautiful sarees they had received for the special occasion (I even borrowed one myself!)

The ceremony, in the courtyard of the open school building felt surprisingly similar to any other graduation: the proud parents, who had been driven in from their villages, watched their children walk across the stage and be congratulated for their accomplishments. The trials these students had endured to reach this point, however, made this day so much more powerful.

The class valedictorian, Amrutha, delivered her speech with grace despite the pain of not having a family member present; her mother, her only living relative, was dying of AIDS after having been purposely infected by Amrutha’s father. The boys and girls of the Shanti Bhavan class of 2011 will go onto college to become successful young people and improve the lives of themselves, their families and their villages because they have been given the opportunity of education. As Jancy, the rising 12th grader sponsored through the She’s the First soiree last November, helped lead the Indian national anthem to close the ceremony, I was smiling with the knowledge that she’d be in the next class of sparkling sarees, becoming the First in her family to take on the world.

To support Shanti Bhavan, visit their She’s the First directory page to understand the breakdown of a sponsorship and contribute towards one — donate here!

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Her Story: From Ugandan Schoolgirl to U.S. Photographer

Just Try: You Were Made for More
Guest post by Petronella

I was born in a tiny village in Uganda and immigrated with my family to the States when I was 10. I am the first in my family to attend high school and college in the United States. My parents were the first to attend graduate school in America.

The girl who rocks is my mother. When I was younger, she always told me that I could do anything I set my mind to do and she demonstrated that principle as a mother and as an inspiring, award-winning teacher.

Growing up in the States as a first generation family, we didn’t have much. My mother believed that education would open up doors to opportunities she didn’t have. So my parents enrolled my sister and I in a private school attended by the children of some of the wealthiest families in town. I never had any of the fancy clothes, cars or material things that my classmates had, but at Altamont, I was exposed to new and different people and experiences, which planted the seed inside me to dream a bigger life for myself. I was lucky to have teachers who saw things in me that I didn’t see in myself and encouraged me to work hard, study and try new things.

With every “try,” I took more risks and aspired for bigger dreams. I graduated college with an engineering degree, years later got my MBA and have had many amazing opportunities including travelling to various countries on 6 continents.

I’m so excited about attending the GIRLS WHO ROCK concert and supporting the girls at the Arlington Academy of Hope in Uganda. Partly because Uganda is a patriarchal society, most girls never dream of lives beyond working in the fields, getting married, having kids and working as maids or housekeepers.

Organizations like She’s the First and the AAHU are so amazing because by supporting girls education in developing countries, their efforts are making a statement to these girls that they are special and deserve the best. It takes just one person who believes in you, adequate learning resources and a good education to dream for a bigger, better life.

To all the AAHU girls, I am one example of a girl who was born in a tiny village in Uganda, dreamed big, studied and worked hard and am pursuing new experiences and dreams all the time. I know for sure that who you and what you desire for your life is special, valid and important. I hope every single girl graduates, goes on to college and pursues their dreams and passions.

I hope to meet you one day and hear your amazing stories.

[Petronella currently lives in the greater New York area and is pursuing one of her dreams as a photographer: by Petronella Photography (www.bypetronella.com)]

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Stella’s Story: Education for Transformation

Stella’s Story: Education for Transformation
Guest post by: Carolyn Edlebeck, AAH Volunteer Coordinator

Last week a bright-eyed seventeen year-old girl looked me in the eye and said:

“Teacher, I never knew that girls like me could study in schools like these.”

——

As a young girl growing up in Eastern Uganda, Stella never imagined that she would have the opportunity to attend secondary school, most especially a secondary school in the capital city of Kampala. Stella grew up in a one room house on the sloping hills of Mt. Elgon. Throughout Stella’s childhood she attended primary school at the local school up the hill. The conditions at Stella’s school made it difficult for her to focus on her class work. Classrooms were over crowded, with at least 100 students per class. Learning materials were not enough and students spent all day without eating breakfast or lunch. Stella never received the personal attention from her teachers due to their over-demanding workload and daunting teaching situation. Due to these factors, Stella was never encouraged or challenged to think that she could do something more, become something more. To most, Stella was just another girl, another young face in the crowded class- destined to drop-out, marry early, and give birth at a young age.

Stella

However, this seemingly hopeless situation didn’t stop Stella. Stella continued to attend school daily. She was passionate about learning and strived to be among the best. She took advantage of any chance to learn and did not allow others’ low expectations to bring her down. Although she struggled with housework at night and was often exhausted from her long walk to school, daily fetching of water, and taking care of her younger siblings- Stella stayed up late to revise her notes by candle light. Stella knew that her only hope for a brighter future was through education.

Due to Stella’s high academic performance in primary school and her passion for learning, Stella was given a scholarship to attend a high-level, boarding school near Uganda’s capital, Kampala. This scholarship, through Arlington Academy of Hope’s Secondary Scholarship Program, has given Stella the opportunity to continue with her studies and achieve the future she had only dream of. This scholarship has opened the door for Stella and allowed her to study in a “school like this,” one which she had previously thought were not for “girls like her.”

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As I stared back at Stella and tried to conjure up a proper respond to her heartfelt comment I was overcome with emotion. How could a young girl of today not feel she was worthy to attend a decent school, to receive a proper education? How could I help Stella understand that SHE was the one who had worked for her opportunity and that she deserved the scholarship as much as anyone? How could I make her feel entitled to be THE FIRST girl to attend secondary school in her family? Honestly, no response could relay the emotions I felt. All I could do in that moment was to hug her and tell her how proud she should be of herself and how important it was for her to continue dreaming and aiming high. Her future was brighter than ever.

Stella’s comment made me realize the genuine impact Arlington’s scholarships and She’s the First are having on young girls throughout the world: a personal, life-changing impact. However, Stella’s childhood is not unique. Hundreds of thousands of girls in Uganda face the same daily challenges in school and at home as Stella faced. Support for these young girls is essential in order to enable them to lift themselves out of this reoccurring pattern of hopelessness and into a brighter future through education. It is only through higher education that these girls can choose and change their destiny to become what they have only dreamed of as possible. By giving girls, such as Stella, the opportunity to attend secondary school a new generation of girls will be empowered and it is this generation that will lead Uganda’s future.

[Editor's Note: Join us TONIGHT at the GIRLS WHO ROCK concert at Gramercy Theater in NYC to help us support the Arlington Academy of Hope!]

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AAH Girls’ Retreat in Mbale!

[Editor's note: This blog post was written by Caitlin Green and Carolyn Edlebeck.]

AAH girls play at their retreat in Mbale

Arlington Academy of Hope works very hard to raise intelligent and driven students. It is important that the Arlington staff and community continue to inform and sensitize the students, especially the girls, with all necessary life skills for them to be successful. As the young girls at AAH begin to grow and mature, there are many issues that they face as they move from the rural setting to their new secondary boarding schools. Therefore, AAH organized a P7 retreat with the aim of giving the girls an added foundation of self-confidence and understanding of how to lead a healthy lifestyle before they move on to higher education.

On August 6th-7th, the P7 girls joined AAH teachers on a weekend retreat to St. Andrew’s Cathedral in Mbale. The two-day retreat was full of activities and speakers for the P7 girls. The topics covered included Behavior and Self-Confidence, Relationships, Health, and the future plans. Five speakers from varying backgrounds came to speak to the girls on Friday and Saturday, giving expert advice on many issues ranging from HIV/AIDS, personal health, future goals, career aspirations, and the importance of having good, healthy relationships. One speaker, Justine Auma, was a clinical officer who spoke to the girls about health and hygiene. Another speaker was Pastor Frank Nankunda, who created a wave of excitement for the future and the importance of continuing education. The overall goal of the retreat was to equip the girls with useful and important information so that they could have control of their futures, health, and sexuality.

Overall, the retreat was a huge success! As Nakuti Carolyne in P7 commented, “I learned so much in Mbale. Now, I don’t think any girl in our class will drop out of school. I was so grateful for all the information our teachers and other speakers shared with us. I will never forget them. They have inspired me to have a successful future.”

Between speakers, everyone played games, had relay races, and listened to music. At the end of the retreat, each girl received a gift bag that included two pairs of underpants, a bar of soap, a jar of rubbing oil, shoe polish, a toothbrush, and toothpaste. This was a very successful and fun-filled event, for both the teachers and students. Hopefully, this will become the model for future girls’ retreats, because the value and importance of sharing information with young girls is critical for their success in secondary school and beyond.

[Editor's Note: Come support AAH in their mission to empower girls by attending our  GIRLS WHO ROCK concert in NYC -- TONIGHT!]

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Her Story: Kakai Ameria, AAH Student

[Guest post by Carolyn Edlebeck, Ugandan Volunteer Coordinator for Arlington Academy of Hope]

Girls study at the Arlington Academy of Hope

Ameria is a 15-year-old girl in Primary 7 who has earned the top spot in academics for her class. She is active in the music program, and loves to study. Ameria has dedicated herself to achieving the best education possible, and has received much in return.

Before she attended AAH, she attended a public school in Manafwa, in a district a few hours away. She spoke almost no English, though now she calls English her favorite subject. “That school was fair,” Ameria said. “But sometimes the teachers can’t teach.”

In order to attend AAH, Ameria has to live with her uncle in the area. Her mother is a farmer and her father is a policeman in Kampala. Her mother manages a household of 7 children, cooking, cleaning, and fetching water. Ameria misses her family but enjoys living with her uncle. She gets to see her siblings on school holidays when she is not working on music for AAH.

Her favorite thing about Arlington is the books. “They help me to read and learn. They teach me about the world and answer my questions,” she said.

She hopes to give back to her community by becoming a doctor. Ameria’s hopes and aspirations are fueled by her experiences at AAH and the dedicated teaching staff.

“Before I came to AAH I didn’t speak much English and now I can speak very well. AAH has helped me get a future, to help myself and my family.”

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