Girls Ed is honored to be supported by Ren and Aki Adventures, Inc. - a Boulder based mother-daughter team! They are holding a fundraiser to benefit both the Women’s Wilderness Institute and Girls Education International. They are inspired by the work we do and wish to support our causes. *Event Info* Bring a recycled ...2-litre bottle and a smile to a gourd painting, birdhouse creating, and candle-making craft workshop with a silent auction to follow at The Women’s Wilderness Institute’s new location: 1501 Lee Hill Drive, Unit 16 in Boulder, Colorado 80304. Sunday, November 13th from 9am-1pm. Free and Open to the public. All Ages and Capabilities Welcome!
What: Craft Workshop and Silent Auction to raise money for GEI and WWI
Where: 1501 Lee Hill Drive, Unit 16 in Boulder, Colorado 80304
When: Sunday, November 13th from 9am-1pm
Cost: Free!!!
Who: All are welcome!!
Monday, November 07, 2011
Tuesday, October 04, 2011
Join us for Film, Auction and Action - a Girls Ed Fundraiser!
Join us now. Join us on October 12th to celebrate your potential to impact great change. Join us to see how even the smallest gesture can change the life of one human being ... which can, and will, change the lives of many!
Do you ever hear the word Pakistan and feel a wobble in your brain - like a bunch of little synapses firing at one another trying to decide what to produce for you to think about? Well, maybe it's just me.
The media recently has mostly focused on the tensions between the US and Pakistan or the devastation of the floods that have devastated an already vulnerable nation. But is that really all there is to Pakistan? Is that all we can have on our radar when we hear the name of this colorful, mountainous, linguistically rich nation? What other images can we conjure? What faces can we see? What landscape can we admire?
On a recent trip to Pakistan, climber Kelly Cordes left the mountains after discovering his shoulder wouldn't serve him on his ambitious endeavor. He headed into the country to live it, feel it, breathe it and share it. Take a moment to explore his words and share his experience through his blog by clicking here. His insights share what we will never really come to know until we, too, touch our feet to the earth in Pakistan.
We have to remember - amid the disaster, the conflicts and the poverty ... there is hope. There are young girls and boys who dream big and their dreams start with education. "When we get education, we can spread the light and do away with the widespread ignorance in our society," declared Kashif Shah, a Grade 3 student.
The children can't wait for peace. The girls can't wait for greater equality. Their time is now. They are young and it is a fundamental human right to have access to education:
Article 26 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights by the United Nations:
(1) Everyone has the right to education. Education shall be free, at least in the elementary and fundamental stages. Elementary education shall be compulsory. Technical and professional education shall be made generally available and higher education shall be equally accessible to all on the basis of merit.
(2) Education shall be directed to the full development of the human personality and to the strengthening of respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms. It shall promote understanding, tolerance and friendship among all nations, racial or religious groups, and shall further the activities of the United Nations for the maintenance of peace.
Please, join us in Boulder, Colorado on October 12th as we screen a fabulous documentary, A Small Act and host a silent auction to raise funds for girls education in Pakistan. We want you, but the girls need you.
Shukriya
Thank You,
Girls Education International
http://www.girlsed.org/
Do you ever hear the word Pakistan and feel a wobble in your brain - like a bunch of little synapses firing at one another trying to decide what to produce for you to think about? Well, maybe it's just me.
The media recently has mostly focused on the tensions between the US and Pakistan or the devastation of the floods that have devastated an already vulnerable nation. But is that really all there is to Pakistan? Is that all we can have on our radar when we hear the name of this colorful, mountainous, linguistically rich nation? What other images can we conjure? What faces can we see? What landscape can we admire?
On a recent trip to Pakistan, climber Kelly Cordes left the mountains after discovering his shoulder wouldn't serve him on his ambitious endeavor. He headed into the country to live it, feel it, breathe it and share it. Take a moment to explore his words and share his experience through his blog by clicking here. His insights share what we will never really come to know until we, too, touch our feet to the earth in Pakistan.
We have to remember - amid the disaster, the conflicts and the poverty ... there is hope. There are young girls and boys who dream big and their dreams start with education. "When we get education, we can spread the light and do away with the widespread ignorance in our society," declared Kashif Shah, a Grade 3 student.
The children can't wait for peace. The girls can't wait for greater equality. Their time is now. They are young and it is a fundamental human right to have access to education:
Article 26 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights by the United Nations:
(1) Everyone has the right to education. Education shall be free, at least in the elementary and fundamental stages. Elementary education shall be compulsory. Technical and professional education shall be made generally available and higher education shall be equally accessible to all on the basis of merit.
(2) Education shall be directed to the full development of the human personality and to the strengthening of respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms. It shall promote understanding, tolerance and friendship among all nations, racial or religious groups, and shall further the activities of the United Nations for the maintenance of peace.
Please, join us in Boulder, Colorado on October 12th as we screen a fabulous documentary, A Small Act and host a silent auction to raise funds for girls education in Pakistan. We want you, but the girls need you.
Shukriya
Thank You,
Girls Education International
http://www.girlsed.org/
Wednesday, September 14, 2011
50% fund matching starts now!
Girls Education International is one of only eight organizations to be
selected by GlobalGiving to be part of their Safer World Fund Campaign this
month! The Safer World Fund will provide a 50% match of any donation up to
$2000, per donation, made to our Pakistan project beginning on Sunday, September 11 until they reach the maximum match of $15,000 per organizatioon or until their $50,000 runs out.
LET'S PUT THIS PROJECT OVER THE TOP AND FUND IT THROUGH 2012!
YOU MUST MAKE DONATIONS ON THE GLOBAL GIVING SITE LISTED BELOW TO QUALIFY FOR MATCHING FUNDS!
If you would like to help keep our girls in school in Pakistan please spread the word and CLICK ON THE GIVE NOW link below to donate.
Thank you!!! The Girls Ed Team
http://www.globalgiving.org/projects/send-30-girls-in-pakistan-to-school/
Thursday, July 07, 2011
A Man with a Vision Educates a Village
Never worry about numbers. Help one person at a time, and always start with the person nearest you. ~Mother Teresa
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This quote underlies the actions of Mr. Ghulam Murtaza of Pakistan, who decided to reach out and make a difference for his village. Mr. Murtaza lived in Lahore for 20 years, working in the health care sector. When he returned to his village after retirement, he was struck by the challenges his people faced. He decided to continue working at a grassroots level to improve the lives of those in his immediate community.
Initially, Mr. Murtaza set out to alleviate the workload of the women in his village who had to walk for miles to retrieve water on a daily basis. Given the distance and terrain of this journey, this essential task would only come to wear the women down. Mr. Murtaza envisioned a solution and ultimately realized his goal with the completion of the community’s first well. Can you imagine the relief – physical, mental and emotional – for the women of this village!
After this project, Mr. Murtaza pioneered for girls’ education. He was aware of the positive impact of education on families and the community at large. He sought assistance from GEI’s local NGO partner, Bedari who contacted us about initiating a scholarship program for girls in this region. Once the funding was secured, Bedari relied upon Mr. Murtaza to identify the girls that could benefit from this opportunity. Initially, the idea of the girls going to school wasn’t received well. Girls at home are a valuable asset to the families – they work in the fields and help their mothers around the house. However, when Mr. Murtaza presented the educational opportunities as scholarships for only the brightest and most successful primary school children, the villagers saw this as an honor and a privilege. They soon had 21 girls enrolled in the program.
Initially, Mr. Murtaza set out to alleviate the workload of the women in his village who had to walk for miles to retrieve water on a daily basis. Given the distance and terrain of this journey, this essential task would only come to wear the women down. Mr. Murtaza envisioned a solution and ultimately realized his goal with the completion of the community’s first well. Can you imagine the relief – physical, mental and emotional – for the women of this village!
After this project, Mr. Murtaza pioneered for girls’ education. He was aware of the positive impact of education on families and the community at large. He sought assistance from GEI’s local NGO partner, Bedari who contacted us about initiating a scholarship program for girls in this region. Once the funding was secured, Bedari relied upon Mr. Murtaza to identify the girls that could benefit from this opportunity. Initially, the idea of the girls going to school wasn’t received well. Girls at home are a valuable asset to the families – they work in the fields and help their mothers around the house. However, when Mr. Murtaza presented the educational opportunities as scholarships for only the brightest and most successful primary school children, the villagers saw this as an honor and a privilege. They soon had 21 girls enrolled in the program.
Thursday, May 12, 2011
DC-area Climber Organizations to Host The MAD Tour, a fund-raiser for Girls Ed
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
DC-area Climber Organizations to Host The MAD Tour, a fund-raiser for Girls Education International, May 25
The Mountaineering Section of the Potomac Appalachian Trail Club (PATC/MS) and the American Alpine Club's Blue Ridge Section (AAC/BRS) are hosting a night of The MAD Tour, a fund-raiser for Girls Education International. The tour includes a multi-media presentation by Madaleine Sorkin that includes her various big wall, free climbing adventures and will be held at the DC Public Library, May 25.
"Our climbing clubs are always looking for talented rock climbers to give slide shoes that inspire our members in their climbing adventures," stated Jeanette Helfrich, a past chairperson of both of the sponsoring organizations. "We were immediately impressed with Madaleine’s very hard free rock climbs in Yosemite Valley and in Canada.”
According to Helfrich, the DC area has a rich history of women rock climbers who have been active and recognized as leaders in the Mountaineering Section of the Potomac Appalachian Trail Club since 1944, such as rock climbing legend Jan Con. "The fact that Madaleine is also from the DC area is an additional bonus," Helfrich said. "She will certainly motivate the many women traditional climbers here.”
The PATC/AAC has reserved a room at the West End branch of the DC Public Library, 1101 24th St. N.W. Washington, DC 20037 westendlibrary@dc.gov. The show will be held on Wednesday, May 25 from 6:30-8:30 p.m. The show will start at 7:00 p.m. This is a good central location in a good part of downtown DC. A raffle and live auction will follow at a TBD venue (probably a bar) in DC. Proceeds from the raffle/auction will support Girls Education International. Sponsors for the event include: Evolv, Kelty, Rab, Stonewear Designs, and Maxim ropes.
Please visit The MAD Tour site for more information on Madaleine, her climbing, and the tour. You can also contact Lizzy Scully at lizzy @ lizzyscully.com, or call her at 303-647-3440
Thursday, April 14, 2011
Zofishan - Delighted to Attend School
Our partner in Pakistan, Bedari is an NGO dedicated to the protection and promotion of women's and girls' human rights through community-driven empowerment programs. Through our partnership, Girls Education International and Bedari are able to support 30 girls as they beat the odds to attend school and get the education they desire.
Here is the story of one of our students named Zofishan. Read about the obstacles she faced before Bedari selected her for the scholarship program. Her smile comes through in her words as she writes about the opportunity to go to school.
My name is Zofishan and I am studying in 6th grade. I live in a small and beautiful village Laphi [in district Chakwal, Pakistan]. I have 5 brothers and one sister. All my brothers are studying in various grades. However, my eldest sister Fatima is not going to school. I, too, was not going to school for three years before I rejoined my school with support from Bedari.
I had studied up to grade 5 in our village school. But we do not have a secondary school in our village, and the nearest secondary school is 14 kilometers away from our home. We could not afford to pay the huge amount of fare charged by the only local van available.
It was such a sad time of my life. I had to stay at home, and help my mother in household chores, or would go out with my mother to the jungle to collect wood for selling it in the local market. My father has a small herd of cattle. He takes them to jungle for grazing and spends almost the whole day there. The time was passing and I was losing hope of joining my school again. I would borrow my elder brother’s books, and study them. My brother is very loving. He would teach me as much as possible.
Anyhow, one day a volunteer from Bedari came to our village and talked to the village elders for identifying girls who wanted to study up to secondary level. When I heard that, I asked my brother to meet the Bedari volunteer and get my name registered for the scholarship. I was very excited and prayed all the time for getting selected. I heard from my brother that there were 21 girls registered for scholarships. I just did not know how many they were going to select, nor did I know how I could ensure my selection except praying to God.
And finally the good news came. I came to know that all the 21 girls were given scholarship including myself. Ohh… I was flying high…may be on cloud 9 or what do they say… Bedari has arranged a special van for us 21 girls. This van picks us up from our village in the morning and drops us back in the evening. I have 20 friends in the van and a hundred more girls in my school. I am really happy to be in school again. I love my school. I meet so many other girls, I have so many good teachers who guide us and above all – only in my school, I can play cricket with other girls. I really love my life.
Here is the story of one of our students named Zofishan. Read about the obstacles she faced before Bedari selected her for the scholarship program. Her smile comes through in her words as she writes about the opportunity to go to school.
I had studied up to grade 5 in our village school. But we do not have a secondary school in our village, and the nearest secondary school is 14 kilometers away from our home. We could not afford to pay the huge amount of fare charged by the only local van available.
It was such a sad time of my life. I had to stay at home, and help my mother in household chores, or would go out with my mother to the jungle to collect wood for selling it in the local market. My father has a small herd of cattle. He takes them to jungle for grazing and spends almost the whole day there. The time was passing and I was losing hope of joining my school again. I would borrow my elder brother’s books, and study them. My brother is very loving. He would teach me as much as possible.
Anyhow, one day a volunteer from Bedari came to our village and talked to the village elders for identifying girls who wanted to study up to secondary level. When I heard that, I asked my brother to meet the Bedari volunteer and get my name registered for the scholarship. I was very excited and prayed all the time for getting selected. I heard from my brother that there were 21 girls registered for scholarships. I just did not know how many they were going to select, nor did I know how I could ensure my selection except praying to God.
And finally the good news came. I came to know that all the 21 girls were given scholarship including myself. Ohh… I was flying high…may be on cloud 9 or what do they say… Bedari has arranged a special van for us 21 girls. This van picks us up from our village in the morning and drops us back in the evening. I have 20 friends in the van and a hundred more girls in my school. I am really happy to be in school again. I love my school. I meet so many other girls, I have so many good teachers who guide us and above all – only in my school, I can play cricket with other girls. I really love my life.
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Welcome Steve Murchie to the Girls Education International Board of Directors!
Girls Education International is excited to officially announce our newest board member, Steve Murchie. Steve is an entrepreneur and investor, primarily working in the software and cleantech sectors. He holds an undergraduate degree in Economics from the University of California, Berkeley, and an MBA from the University of Chicago. He has more than 25 years of experience in the software industry, starting as a programmer/analyst and progressing through a variety of roles in sales, marketing, and general management.
In the past several years, Steve has become active in the social sector, stemming from his membership in Social Venture Partners – Denver. In that capacity, he consulted with local non-profit organizations to improve their sustainability, which afforded him the opportunity to become involved in a variety of mission-driven organizations and causes, especially those just getting off the ground.
Initially, Steve was involved with Girls Ed as part of an informal focus group and then he was later invited to guide Girls Ed through some early growing pains in an advisory role. Following this advisory period, Steve moved out of the US temporarily, but as soon as he returned, we were delighted to extend the invitation to Steve to join our Board of Directors in full service.
Steve is a strong believer in the power of education, and the transformative nature of education for girls and young women in the developing world. And he's clearly an adventurer, too. Naturally, he is a wonderful addition to the GEI team! Join us welcoming him on board!
Monday, March 14, 2011
GlobalGiving Matching Funds Opportunity for Girls Ed on Wednesday, March 16th!
Girls Education International has an amazing opportunity to raise a lot of money for our Liberia scholarship program! If you have always wished you could make a bigger donation to support a girl's education, now is the time!
On Wednesday, March 16, GlobalGiving is matching at 30% all online donations up to $1,000 per donor per project! $75,000 in matching funds is available. We want Girls Ed to win some of those funds!
In addition to the 30% match, GlobalGiving is offering a $1,000 bonus to the project that raises the most funds on Wednesday and a $1,000 bonus to the project that receives donations from the most individual donors!
Donate Now (www.globalgiving.org/6852) to Girls Ed and help us support our 47 middle and high school girls in Liberia!
Other big ways to help in this challenge:
On Wednesday, March 16, GlobalGiving is matching at 30% all online donations up to $1,000 per donor per project! $75,000 in matching funds is available. We want Girls Ed to win some of those funds!
In addition to the 30% match, GlobalGiving is offering a $1,000 bonus to the project that raises the most funds on Wednesday and a $1,000 bonus to the project that receives donations from the most individual donors!
Donate Now (www.globalgiving.org/6852) to Girls Ed and help us support our 47 middle and high school girls in Liberia!
Other big ways to help in this challenge:
- Call or email at least five friends and ask them to donate.
- Post a link to our project page on your Facebook page asking your friends to donate.
5 ACTION ITEMS FOR ON-GOING SUPPORT AND INVOLVEMENT
- Go to www.girleffect.org to watch a short video about why it is critical to educate girls.
- Educate yourself by reading a book about the importance of educating girls, such as Half The Sky by Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl Wudunn (www.halftheskymovement.org)
- Go to The United Nations Girls Education Initiative (www.ungei.org) or read about the United Nations Millenium Development Goals to Eradicate Poverty (www.un.org/millenniumgoals) to learn what the United Nations is doing to promote universal education in the developing world as a means to eradicate poverty.
- Join the CARE Action Network to speak out to policy makers about poverty and injustice (www.care.org). Talk about the importance of educating girls with your representatives, your teen-agers, your partner, your family, at your work place, and with your faith community. Start the conversation about the issue at the grass roots level.
- Support documentary filmmakers who tell important stories of the impact of educational opportunity throughout the world. Buy the DVD and host screening parties to raise funds and awareness. Film suggestions include: A Small Act (www.asmallact.com) and The First Grader (www.thefirstgrader-themovie.com).
A Girl's Education, The World's Next Best Resource
Thank you for your continued support!
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