By Merritt Frey, Executive Director

We love our Girls Project, which strives to recruit more girls into school and retain them there so they have the skills to build the lives they dream off. The Project has been very successful in its initial three pilot villages. We worked in those villages in pilot mode for three years, but are now partnering with those villages to have them take on the Project in a sustainable way (this will allow us take the Project to five new villages!). For example, we are working with villages mothers to turn a revolving loan fund into school fees for their girls.

As part of that sustainability strategy, we are developing Girl Leaders for each of the pilot villages. These young women are now high school students, but they will be working in the villages to run the Girls Groups and other Project elements. We think they will also serve as great role models for sticking with school.

We have identified six Girl Leaders — two for each pilot village. Last weekend, the Girl Leaders met for their first of four trainings to help them run the Project in their village. Our Girls Project Coordinator Hindaty said the Girl Leaders were intentionally “quite and shy” but by the end of the weekend they were “wild with energy for the Project”!

The first training covered logistics and expectations, their leadership roles, how to talk about the importance of girls education, and so much more. The Girl Leaders also had a chance to get to know each and to bond

This week and next, the new Girl Leaders are visiting their villages and, with support from Hindaty, taking over their Girls Groups. We’ll be sharing updates as these great young women learn and grow alongside our girl students. Stay tuned!