Thank you for helping to make sure no girl is left behind
Girls like Florence were forced to leave school. With no education, they had no chance of finding work. They found themselves stuck in the cycle of poverty with no way out. This is what happens when girls in sub-Saharan Africa are left behind.
More than 50% of children in Kenya are living in poverty, and girls continue to be forced out of school. In Mozambique, only 39% of girls complete primary school.1 Some girls have no choice but to marry, become pregnant and face violence and abuse.
Girls like Florence and her sister Penina know all too well about the consequences of being forced out of education.
Florence and Penina
When Florence was 15 and Penina was 13, their father forced them to leave school. He was often drunk and home wasn’t a safe place. Their mother, who had already fled their home, urged Florence and Penina to join a VSO catch-up centre to restart their education.
But, for Penina, it was too late. She became pregnant, fell ill, and died. Penina’s death was a tragic, senseless loss.
We need to protect other girls from what happened to Penina. Education is the greatest protector.
Thanks to VSO catch-up centres, girls like Florence can go back to education and learn reading, writing and maths. Girls also learn valuable life skills like knowing their rights, taking control of their sexual health and setting goals for their future.
Building better futures
Once they’ve completed their course in the catch-up centre, many girls go on to do an apprenticeship in a chosen trade. They’re paired up with a local community member who mentors them and teaches them how to run their own small business – they can learn anything from how to sew dresses, to mechanics.
After ten months in the catch-up centre, Florence started training as a hairdresser. Now, she’s earning a living working in a salon. She lives with her grandmother. She is safe.
How can you help
We need to support more girls like Florence. Penina never got the chance for a better future.
Please donate now to give a girl a gift of an education. Please help ensure no girl is left behind.