Girls Leading the Way!

By Merritt Frey, Executive Director

We are trying something new, and it is so exciting we wanted to share! Our Girls Project Coordinator, Hindaty, wanted to help our Girls Project girls build their leadership skills. Hindaty found a powerful female trainer and together they designed a wonderful training for the girls. We just tested the training in the first partner village, and it was inspiring!

Girls report back from their discussion.

Working together: proving leadership and teamwork go together!

The whole group celebrates with a group photo.

Girls share their thoughts on solutions to problems they face like early marriage.

Leadership trainer Mme Diallo Assan Diakité shares her knowledge.

Each groups' elected president reports on their findings.

Working together with their groups to solve problems.

Reviewing each groups' suggestions for solutions.

Hindaty will share a more detailed report on the trainings soon but for now we wanted to share photos from that first training on February 9th in the little village of Beneko. Forty-two girls spent the day with Hindaty and our trainer, learning skills that will help them in school and their lives. The girls broke into groups, elected their own leader, and discussed both obstacles to girls education and solutions they could be part of implementing. Through out the day, leadership skills were honed and practiced.

Importantly, the girls will stay in the groups they created throughout the school year. The groups will serve as support if a girl finds herself threatened with removal from school — her peers will help advocate for any girl facing challenges.

Stay tuned for a more complete report on the training from our intrepid Hindaty. Inspired and want to be part of this work? Join 50 Women to support our girls!