I strongly believe empowering girls (and women) as a way of improving the lives and living conditions of people all around the world. Chances are good that if you're on the innernets (hi there) you've heard of The Girl Effect and perhaps have even seen one of their clever and poignant videos, like this one:
According to The Girl Effect, “there are 600 million adolescent girls living in poverty in the developing world. By giving one of these girls a chance, you start the girl effect. When girls have safe places to meet, education, legal protection, health care, and access to training and job skills, they can thrive. And if they thrive, everyone around them thrives, too." Allow me to reiterate that last part, because that is where this becomes an important concept for all humankind: "if they thrive, everyone around them thrives, too."
Now that you are in love with The Girl Effect and want to help give impoverished girls a chance to change the world, what can you do? First and foremost, my trademark advice is: donate. Choose any of of the life-changing donations available through Global Giving (a charity fundraising website that we've discussed briefly here before). A $10 donation will cover the cost of school materials for an out-of-school girl in Ethiopia for one year. A $25 donation will provide a loan for a girl to raise chickens in Tanzania. A $50 donation will train 10 girls in financial literacy in a Nairobi, Kenya slum.
What can you do if you can't afford to make a donation right now? Learn more. Go and find out more about The Girl Effect and the importance of empowering girls. That's free. There are also more than 500 of us blogging about The Girl Effect this week and you can find all of the touching, witty, and important blogs here. And you know what else is free? Spreading the word. This little ol' message is one that little ol' you can carry on behalf of hundreds of millions of girls. No pressure.
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