Posts Tagged ‘empower girls’

7 Jan

Uganda: Camp Girl Power!

Posted by Andrew Mersmann in Inspiration, Support, volunteer. Tagged: , , , , , .

About a hundred pre-teen and teenage girls in Katikamu, Uganda just embarked on an auspiciously awesome week: Camp Girl Power. The camp brings together promising yet vulnerable young women form some of the most economically struggling parts of the nation. In addition to traditional education, so sorely needed by so many, campers also get some truly important life skills. Almost 87% of rape victims in Uganda are between the ages of 9-17. Additionally, AIDS spreads like wildfire among uneducated girls–nearly twice the infection rate than that of girls who have gone to school. The girls in this program, created by the Just Like My Child Foundation are learning how to ward off sexual predators and unwanted pregnancy and disease. In addition to training these leaders for tomorrow, the range of effect from the program is likely to touch 10,000 women and girls, as camp graduates become mentors for their sisters and friends when they return to their villages.

That’s how we ALL roll in 2013! Get involved. Support.

(video from 2012 program)

14 Aug

Ashoka Changemakers: She Will Innovate

Posted by Andrew Mersmann in Uncategorized. Tagged: , , , .

This is just under the wire–there is one day left–deadline is August 15–to nominate yourself or someone else as a changemaker dedicated to young women. She Will Innovate is an Ashoka Changemakers-based program to highlight “Technology Solutions Enriching the Lives of Girls.”

Women are being left behind, and that gap narrows in some cultures while it widens evermore in others. When you invest in girls, you invest in entire communities (there are reams of studies on how energy and investment in women affects families and communities significantly more than the same investment in men).

This technology and ideas competition seeks to use information and communication technology to open new frontiers of possibility for girls–and everyone can contribute to the process. Even if you are not the innovator with the big idea this year, keep your eyes on this contest–this is the future, and we all win because of initiatives like this.