For the past month, my Facebook timeline has been filled with captured moments from proud parents excited that their child is either starting or going back to school. It’s cute to see all the smiling and excited faces. For a minute, I felt left out and almost put a book bag on my dog to announce another year of her sleeping while I work all day.
One face I did not see on my timeline this year was Jennifer’s. It has nothing to do with the fact that I’m am not facebook friends with her family because even if I was I probably still wouldn’t see her photo. You see Jennifer Osei Boakye lives in Ghana, and at just eight years old. Jennifer wakes up before dawn every day to fetch several buckets of water for her entire family from a faraway water source. Despite this, she still attends school. She is one of the lucky ones. Just imagine the number of school aged children who do chores such as fetching water just like Jennifer, but are unable to attend school due to the demands of family work.
In rural areas of Ghana’s Ashanti region, where girls are expected to do household chores like fetching water or cooking for their younger siblings, CARE works closely with school administrators and village leaders to increase girls’ enrollment. Did you know that earning power increases 10-20% for each year of school completed? In a world where women make significantly less than man this it is important to encourage them to continue with their studies despite hardships.
CARE is a leading humanitarian organization fighting global poverty with a commitment to empowering women and girls. CARE is committed to its mission to serve individuals and families in the poorest communities in the world. CARE seeks a world of hope, tolerance and social justice, where poverty has bene overcome and people live in dignity and security.
CARE facilitates lasting change by:
– Strengthening capacity for self-help
– Providing economic opportunity
– Delivering relief in emergencies
– Influencing policy decisions at all levels
– Addressing discrimination in all its forms
CARE has helped boost school retention for girls in her community by more than 50 percent by explaining to parents and community leaders that educating girls is an investment that pays long-term economic, health and social dividends to families and communities.
By donating to CARE, you can change the lives of these women all over the world by helping them receive an education. Head over to the CARE website and purchase back to school gifts for these young girls that are eager to learn. Think about all the money you spent on back to school supplies for your child and consider adding one more item to your list, a donation to CARE.
