In rural Uganda, 85% of girls drop out of school early and almost half are married before they reach 18. Gender inequality leads to poverty, health problems, and sexual and domestic abuse.
As a part of our commitment to helping girls gain equity and access to education, we established the Grow a Girl programme.
Our sponsorship programme helps and supports girls to remain in school, and trains them to become Peer Educators, educating others about gender equality and life choices through drama-based extra-curricular ‘Life Clubs’.
In return for their support, sponsors receive regular updates on the girls in the programme, seeing exactly how their money is helping.
Prossy (right), a beneficiary of the Grow a Girl Programme. Harriet (left), an Act4Africa field officer, paid her a visit at her school (The Answer Foundation), where she was enrolled to pursue her desired career in tailoring and fashion design.
Girls are selected for the programme according to strict criteria including their educational potential and commitment, as well as their personal vulnerability and financial situation
A supporter decides to sponsor a girl through the Grow A Girl programme
A vulnerable girl is helped to remain in education, increasing her life chances and hope for the future
At the appropriate age, the girl is trained to become a Peer Educator, delivering our programme of interactive gender equality education to the youth community
By using effective and sustainable means to establish young women as future leaders and role models, communities and attitudes are changed for the long-term
As a peer educator, I have achieved many things, like teaching my fellow students to have respect for elders, tutors and other people above them. I have trained a group at our school about behaving compassionately towards people who are living with HIV/AIDS, and the importance of counselling, befriending and socialising with them rather than stigmatising them. I have trained my friends about staying in school and I encourage gender equality amongst boys and girls.
Being a peer educator has completely changed my behaviours to good because I want to live an exemplary life: the knowledge and skills has greatly improved my wellbeing at school and home. Without Act4Africa I would not be able to access education for free and work towards my dream of becoming a teacher.
We really appreciate your support for Act4Africa. Without your help, it wouldn’t be possible to continue our work in tackling gender inequality, changing lives and giving hope to women and girls in Africa.
