Facts About The State of Our Girls’ Education

One hundred and thirty million girls are not in the education system. An estimated fifteen million are living in these regions and never enrolled. Many young girls in these areas are prisoners in refugee camps across the continent of Africa.

– Girls in these regions are 1.5 times more likely than boys to be completely excluded from primary education. By the end of 2017, it is estimated that less than half of all countries would have achieved gender parity in education at the secondary level.

 WHY GIRLS? WHY CHILDREN’S EDUCATION?

– Schools and education centers are the spaces in which girls can exercise their agency, make their voices heard, and access their first leadership opportunities.

– If a girl is denied their right to education, they are also denied the chance to develop skills that will help them take charge in their homes, careers, communities, and Nations.

– AGU Girls Inc aims to provide thousands of girls and boys throughout the continent of Africa with safe, quality, and empowering education in hopes that they may be encouraged to find their voices.

– We intend to directly support thousands of girls and boys to get the education they need to transform their lives and secure their future.

– That means working to ensure free and equal access to quality, safe education for all girls and boys, including areas affected by natural calamities such as drought and emergencies.

– We are focusing our efforts on equality and diversity. Our programs will not just work in classrooms along with teachers, but also include communities, government agencies, religious bodies, and family members.

– Our aim is to make our programs gender-transformative. We would like to provide girls with an equal opportunity to reach their full potential.

– Many girls in these regions tend to be overlooked – We believe teaching them that to problem solve can not only uplift the individuals but the community as a whole

GIRLS FACE MANY BARRIERS TO EDUCATION

– The discomforts of menstruation are not only physical or emotional but many girls are shamed, publically humiliated, ostracized, or embarrassed. During this time many girls are not allowed to attend a school or allowed access to sanitary supplies. These experiences can lead to feeling deeply self-conscious.

– The stigma of menstruation can lead to the students missing several lessons each month. Absenteeism can impact these students very negatively. Many of these students are living in marginalized communities or disaster-stricken areas which can put these children at immense risk of never returning to school. After leaving school most children turn to begging which can lead to child abuse, kidnapping, child labor, child marriage, or early sex trafficking. These threats can lead to early pregnancies or death.

– AGU Girls Inc reaches out to these girls in their schools, and in communities with programs that meet their menstrual-related needs by distributing All Grown Up Kits to adolescent girls including reusable pads, disposable pads, and training on how to manage their periods effectively. These programs will allow these girls to attend school during menstruation which will empower these children.

– We are ensuring that these children are given access to sanitary supplies and educated in an empowering way. We believe these children should be given all opportunities to reach their full potential. This program provides our girls with the basic necessities of life which helps our girls feel confident and empowered. Creating the next generation of problem solvers will stimulate progress in these regions and increase market viability.