High schoolers raise money for Girls Ed project in Liberia

Led by Clara Grainger and Kaziah White, soon-to-be juniors at Fairview High School in South Boulder, Colo., the club Leaping for Liberia (LEAP) raised nearly $600 for the Girls Education International (GEI) scholarship program in Liberia. LEAP meets once each week over the lunch hour, during the school year. The group of up to 70 students usually discusses where they want the money they raise to go, any upcoming fundraisers, and ideas for new ways to raise money. Girls Ed recently caught up with the two 16-year-old leaders of the group to ask them a few questions about LEAP.

GEI: Why did you start LEAP?
Clara: We started LEAP because we wanted to get involved in girls' education in Africa, and none of the existing clubs were really focused on that.

Created with flickr slideshow from softsea.
GEI: What enticed you about working with Africans?
Kaziah: Africa is a really interesting continent, and we wanted to know more about it. Also, we knew that in certain countries, education is a big issue. Since that's what we wanted to help with, we thought Africa would be a good choice.

GEI: How did you find Girls Education International?
Clara: We found Girls' Education International on the Internet when we looked up local non-profits working with education in Africa.

GEI: What have you learned so far from this experience? (Maybe both of you could answer this one).
Kaziah: I've learned a ton from this experience. It really helps things to stay in perspective and makes me realize how incredibly lucky I am to be able to get a wonderful education without having to pay for it. I also learned never to start out with a clothes drive for girls in Africa; it costs a ton of money, and we hadn't taken that into account. I really think that I have (and will continue to) gained a great deal from this experience.
Clara: Yes, I agree about the clothes drive. This has also made me realize how we all tend to take school for granted. It is something that is has been provided for us. Without the scholarships, these girls in Liberia couldn't go to school, yet we still complain when we have to get up and go somewhere that we haven't really had to work for. This experience will continue to keeps things in perspective.

GEI: What have been the most rewarding parts of this project?
Kaziah: Just knowing that in some small way we're helping someone get opportunities that we've always taken for granted before is a very rewarding experience. Also, knowing that the girls we're working with are our age is really motivating.

GEI: What have been some of your biggest frustrations?
Clara: Well, some big frustrations have been trying to get people to take us seriously, both inside and outside the club. When people meet us, their first thought tends to be, "they're still in high school!" and they seem to take it from there.

GEI: What are you future goals with LEAP?
Kaziah: We want to continue to work with Girls Education International, and we want to try and raise more money than we did this year. Also, starting up communications with the girls in Liberia would be great.

Check out the clubs' Facebook page by clicking here.

$820 raised at IMCD Women's Rock Weekend.

Heidi and Lizzy had a fantastic time in New Hampshire at the IMCS Women's Rock Weekend! Heidi's slideshow was well attended and, as always, super fun to watch. All of us at GEI want to extend a big thank you to IMCS, all the awesome ladies who organized and attended the event. We raised $820 for GEI with the T-Shirt sales and the silent auction. Read more & see photos by clicking here.

Heidi & Lizzy off to New Hampshire for Women's Rock Weekend & fundraising event

Heidi and I are off to the International Mountain Climbing School's Women's Rock Weekend in less than two weeks. We are both really excited to climb in New Hampshire with organizer Sarah Garlick and also to be teaching for both days of the weekend. The event includes: two days of women's climbing clinics taught by professional women guides, plus an après-climb community party, dinner, a slideshow, and a silent auction that benefits Girls Education International (our organization!). This is the organization's 18th year running the event, making it one of the longest-running women's climbing events in the country!

More info from their website about Heidi's slide show. I will be doing a five-minute introduction of Girls Education International.
:) Lizzy

Come to the Annual Women's Rock Weekend slide show by Heidi Wirtz and get inspired!

Heidi Wirtz will be giving this year's slide show for Women's Rock Weekend. Just in case you haven't heard of her - this is one incredibly talented woman with a dedication to philanthropy that is as great as her climbing ability. The North Face athlete has climbed all over the world and the slide show will be about her trips to Pakistan, Australia, Nepal, and Morocco. She will also highlight her "proudest send" - the first all-female free ascent of the South Howser Tower of the Bugaboos in Canada.

After visiting some schools for girls in the countries they were climbing in, Heidi and Lizzy Scully, another one of our guides for the weekend, formed Girls Education International. This organization supports educational opportunities for girls and women in underdeveloped regions of the world.

The slide show starts at 7:30pm and will be held at International Mountain Equipment. Tickets are $5.00 and there will be a raffle and silent Auction. Part of the proceeds will go towards Girls Education International.

40th Anniversary, May 2010 issue of Climbing Magazine Features Heidi Wirtz and GEI

Check out the 40th Anniversary, May 2010 issue of Climbing Magazine for an excellent feature article on Heidi Wirtz and Girls Education International, by Chris Weidner.

Girls Education International, Spring 2010 E-Newsletter

Girls Education International Partners with Bedari, starts program for 2 villages

Girls Education International (GEI) partnered with the Pakistani women’s rights organization Bedari late in 2009 and started its joint secondary school education project this March, 2010.

GEI is providing a total of $5000 toward a Bedari-designed scholarship model for girls, which will be implemented in two villages: Laphi and Sar Kalan. Both these villages lie in the northern mountains of the Salt Range in the Punjab region. Originally GEI planned to work only with girls in Laphi, but nine Laphi families decided against educating their girls. Thus, the opportunity was opened to various families in neighboring Sar Kalan, nine of which signed on. A total of 30 girls will now attend the Government Higher Secondary School, Buchal Kalan, district Chakwal.

The money provided to Bedari for the 2010-2011 school year will pay for transportation, school fees, two sets of uniforms, books, and other school supplies for the girls, as well as a 15% stipend for Bedari to administer the program. For more information on Bedari, visit their site. For more information on the village of Laphi and some of the girls we are supporting, please visit our blog.

New Executive Director, Therese Thompson to Lead Girls Education International

Therese Race Thompson started March 1, 2010 as the part-time executive director for Girls Education International. She will work 10 hours per week while finishing up her MPA in Nonprofit Management from the University of Colorado this May.

According to outgoing Executive Director Lizzy Scully, “Heidi and I took Girls Ed pretty far, and we are really proud of our efforts. But there’s only so much we can do with the experience we have. Therese brings extensive executive director experience and board management skills to the table. She has actually written and implemented nonprofit business plans. We are so excited to have her running the show.”

Not only does Therese bring extensive fundraising experience to the table, but she also brings a passion for women’s issues.

“I have always been interested in girls’ and womens’ issues,” she explains. “I am especially concerned with the education of girls. If you can affect the girl who becomes the woman of the house, you are affecting all of the following generations of both men and women. You are affecting the children and the communities.”

Therese looks forward to building out GEI’s current projects, raising funds for administrative costs, and completing the Girls Education International Fundraising Plan. Her first three months will be spent on “figuring things out, setting things up, and really looking for grant opportunities. There is a ton we need to do, but we really need to get the money coming in for long-term sustainability of the organization.”

Therese comes to us from Summit Cancer Solutions, an organization specializing in providing six-month individualized exercise and nutrition programs for cancer survivors. She will continue to work part-time for Summit, but is looking forward to the new opportunities afforded by GEI.

“It’s a really exciting opportunity to make a difference to girls in Liberia and Pakistan for now, and hopefully more countries in the future as we raise more money,” she says.

Therese resides in Lakewood with her husband Jay, and two children, Ryan, 14, and Connor, 11. They spend their free time backpacking, camping, hiking, and traveling. Therese’s personal hobby is playing the piano. To see Therese’s complete resume, please click here.

Rai Farelly, a PhD student in Linguistics at the University of Utah, is the co-founder of Project Wezesha, an organization raising funds to build a school in western Tanzania. Passionate and driven, Rai will help implement and evaluate current and future international projects and will be the board treasurer. Rai plans on visiting Liberia this summer to assess the Girls Education International/Common Ground Society Scholarship Program. To read more about Project Wezesha: (Hyperlink to Rai’s fundraising site: http://bit.ly/d1HJko)

Liberia Project Successful: Girls maintain strong GPAs despite the odds

All the participants in the Girls Education International-Common Ground Society (GEI-CGS) Scholarship Program maintained C or better averages during the 2008-2009 school year. Numerous students ranked within the top ten of their class. At E.J. Yancy Elementary & Junior High, Kakata, Margibi County, Teta Y. Dolo ranked 1st in her 8th grade class out of 20 students, with an average of 84%. She excelled in English, Math, and Vocabulary.

At St. Christopher’s Junior High, Kakata, Margibi County, Martu Kollie ranked 2nd in her 4th grade class (total # of students not known), with an average of 87%. She excelled in Religious Education, English, Science, Health, and Spelling. And Dorothy George ranked 3rd in her class with an average of 85% in her classes. She excelled in English, Reading, Science, and Spelling

At William V.S. Tubman-Gray Elementary & High School, Jennie Flomo ranked 5th in her 4th grade class out of 42 students, with an average 82%. She excelled in Reading, Spelling, English, and Phonics. Read Jennie’s story here.

At St. Martin’s Catholic High School (8th grade, 52 students) Neomi Mulbah and Madusy K. Kromah, ranked 6th and 7th, respectively, both averaging just above 82%. They both excelled in Physics, Social Studies, and Literature.

Dekegar Public School Students Out-Perform Other Schools

At Dekegar Public School in Montserrado County, Liberia, there were 20 7th graders during the 2008-2009 school year, 11 of whom were supported by the GEI-CGS Scholarship Program. Out of all our schools, the girls we support at Dekegar performed the best in the 2008-2009 school year. We continue to support these girls and will report on their grades for the 2009-2010 school year as soon as they arrive. To read more about these girls and to hear what they and their families have to say, click here.

Notes & Stuff:

Special thanks to Advisory Board member Steve Murchie for acting as board chair for the first two meetings of 2010.

Purchase one of Girls Education International’s new T-shirts, and support the Liberia and Pakistan projects. We still need to raise $5000 before August to pay for fall semester for both projects! Buy a T-shirt here.
Welcome New Board Member

Co-founder Heidi Wirtz stands with former CFO Justin Voorhees at the 2010 Beats for Books event wearing the new Girls Ed Tees.

Beats for Books Live Auction Photos

Photos from Beats for Books!

Malcolm Daly and the live auction of athletes. Malcolm worked the crowd up to bidding $225 for Madaleine Sorkin.

Emily Harrington and Katie Brown brought in a nice $280, which pays for nearly three Liberian girls to go to school!

Malcolm chat with Girls Ed Co-founder Heidi Wirtz.

Malcolm got the audience to bid $225 for Kelly Cordes.

Malcolm and Lizzy thank Eric Noll and Carolyn McHale for being the "most helpful volunteers" for Girls Education International.

Beats for Books photos!

Patrick Megeath, aka Dirt Monkey, played beats for Beats for Books.

Beats for Books a success! Note from the Executive Director, Lizzy Scully

Wow, we really had a great turnout for Beats for Books, as well as an enthusiastic crowd. Before costs, we've cleared $6000, but it could be closer to $7000 as many people haven't paid for their silent auction items yet. This is fantastic. We are thrilled. We have so many people to thank... where to start?! I'll list all the amazing people below. First a recap of the evening.

We started out a bit late, with clinics beginning around 6. Oskar Blues beer and food from Sherpas and Whole Foods was served around that same time, as well as wine generously donated by Market Square Liquor and chai donated by Third Street Chai. Lynn Hill's fun and engaging presentation began around 8 or so. She showed video footage of an early ascent with Beth Bennett, along with footage of the Nose, and then, finally and most hilarious, a clip of her night on David Letterman. I always love when Lynn speaks because she captures everyone's attention within minutes. All she has to do is start talking and showing slides, and people stop what they are doing to watch. I want to extend a special thanks to Lynn for helping us out! She also taught a clinic, which received great reviews. I wish I could have taken it, but I was running around like a madwoman trying to answer questions every 2 minutes or so. Madness. But fun madness.

After Lynn's show, Heidi did a very short presentation on Girls Ed, and then Malcolm Daly, owner of Great Trango Holdings, led the Live Auction bidding. He was hilarious. He interviewed each of the athletes present and managed to get the audience to bid a minimum of $100 per athlete, but in some cases close to $300. Go Mal!

The silent auction opened when the doors opened. Few people bid initially, but by the end of the evening we had close to 100 people bidding, and that brought in a huge chunk of cash. Malcolm Daly and Isaac Savitz made the highest bid for Janet Guenther's painting of Jonny Copp with the Indian Guru. Thanks to all three of you!

Last but not least, Patrick Megeath, aka Dirt Monkey, played incredible music all night. The evening ended around midnight with volunteers still enthusiastically helping clean and put stuff away, while boogying to Dirt Monkey's beats.

Oh yeah, and I must not forget to let everyone know that this was a very low-waste event. We used all corn-based, compostable cups and utensils as well as compostable napkins and paper plates. We also recycled all the beer cans, Izze bottles, and pretty much everything. My truck is completely packed with stuff (and is also now totally covered with snow because of this monster snowstorm that just hit the Front Range). Thanks to Eco-Cycle for providing the zero-waste bins for free.

Special thanks to Eric Noll and Carolyn McHale for putting a ton of time into the event. We really appreciate your efforts!

Also, special thanks to our title sponsors...

The North Face has been a long-time supporter of Girls Education International, consistently donating high-dollar items for our silent auctions. In fact, they have donated the most high-dollar items to Girls Ed since we started. The North Face rocks!

The Spot Gym not only donated their space and their employees, but they also donated some money for silent and live auction items. Thanks so much Dan Howley, Jackie, Alex, Andrew, Brett, and Ashley Woods. You guys and gals are amazing and generous, and you have a rockin' bouldering gym!

Oskar Blues has been supportive of Girls Ed for the last year, supplying beer on a small scale to meetings and small parties. We welcome them on board as larger donors. Thanks especially to their marketing guy, Chad Melis. He served the beer and auctioned himself off, bringing $120 in to Girls Ed. Lucky winner Kevin McGarvey will be spending an afternoon with him mountain biking and then touring the Oskar Blues Brewery and drinking beer.

Thanks also to the following volunteers and athletes!
Justin Voorhees, who is the CFO for Girls Ed, and Brook helped out throughout the evening.
Madaleine Sorkin auctioned herself off, raising $225 for Girls Ed, and she taught a clinic and helped throughout the evening.
Annette Yuan made the delicious desserts and helped during the event.
Cary Jobe donated a beautiful picture and served wine.
Russell Holcomb took all the video and helped run the slide show & video presentations.
Roshan Roghani donated the fine Boulder Balm products and helped out at the event. Plus she is on our Board of Directors.
Melissa and Joel Love donated one of Joel's photos and spent half the night in the silent auction room with their adorable son, Elijah.
John Lloyd took photos all night.
Boulder Adventure Films provide films and Sam to help run them all night.
Katie Brown and Emily Harrington brought in close to $300 for the live auction, auctioning themselves off as a team.
Robyn and Shawn Ebesfield-Rabotou taught a clinic
Lisa McAlister, who is on the Girls Ed Advisory Board, spent a few hours in the silent auction area and helped close out the auction.
Eddie Clark donated a day of action photography.
Kelly Cordes raised $225 by being auctioned off for a day of ice climbing.
Caolan MacMahon spent Sunday afternoon with Girls Ed at Whole Foods and helped out at the event.
Malcolm Daly did a fantastic job of being the auctioneer for the live auction.
Alex Honnold donated a day of his time to climb with a lucky person from The Spot Gym. He brought in $225.
Chris Weidner brought in $100 to support girls ed by auctioning himself off for a day.
Majka Burhardt brought in $100 in the live auction as well.
And thanks to all these volunteers for being available throughout the evening: Victoria Mata, Mike Newlands, Aly Nicklas, Heather Swallow, Sarah Watson, Brook from Lulu Lemon, and Kestrel Hanson.
And thanks to the Boulder Rock club for loaning us tables and selling tickets, and to Neptune Mountaineering and The North Face store for selling tickets.
Last, but certainly not least, thanks to all our donors and sponsors: Clif Bar, Stonewear, Neptune Mountaineering, Boulder Balm, Eddie Clark Photography, the American Alpine Club, Jetboil, Green Guru, Izze, Hugger Mugger, Julbo, Boulder Rock Club, Ames Adventure Outfitters, Manduka, Evolv, Climbing Magazine, Adventure Medical Kits, Glassworks of Estes, Boldface Design, Pacific Outdoor Equipment, Suunto, Market Square Liquor, and Third Street Chai. The art donated by: Suspended Stone Designs, Dan Gambino, Topher Donahue, Pattie Lee Becker, Janet Guenther, Emilie Lee, Renan Ozturk, Joel Love, Celin Serbo, Keith Ladzinski, Cary Jobe, and a wonderful man named Tim (whose last name I did not get, sorry Tim!). He brought two paintings in last minute.

I'm sure I'm missing some people. So sorry if I am, but you know who you are. All of you are ensuring that Girls Education International can maintain our programs in Liberia and Nepal and start our new program in Pakistan in 2010.

HUGE THANK YOU!

Photos to come soon.

3 days until Girls Ed's annual Beats for Books fundraiser!

Photo by Keith Ladzinski to be auctioned off on Tuesday night.
A number of world-class professional climbers will be teaching clinics at the Beats for Books event this Tuesday, October 7th. Among them are Robyn Erbesfield-Raboutou, Lynn Hill, and Madaleine Sorkin. Thanks ladies for donating your time to Girls Education International. For more information read full article.

Clinics are open to people of all abilities, from beginners to advanced climbers. Kids from 4 up and families are welcome. Sign up for the clinic of your choice when you arrive and purchase your ticket.

Planet Bluegrass has donated two tickets to the silent auction. These are the folks who put on the Telluride Bluegrass Festival. Thanks! Plus, Stonewear Designs will be providing two complete outfits worth about $160 each. And certified massage therapist and baker Annette Yuan will be providing on-site massages as well as delectable desserts. Amee Hinkley has also donated three massages! Cary Jobe just offered one of her powerful photos up for auction. And Peter Beal donated a gorgeous painting of Lake Haiyaha.
Photo of the oil painting is Lake Haiyaha by Peter Beal, and the photo of hands is by Cary Jobe.

Have you ever wanted someone to take actions shots of you while biking, running, fishing, or bouldering?

Well now you have your chance. Professional photographer Eddie Clark, frequent contributor of Mountain Flyer mag, has donated a day of his time to the Beats for Books live auction fundraiser, Tuesday, October 27. He will spend a day taking action shots of the highest bidder (or a friend of the highest bidder). Check out his photos at: Photo-Cycle.com. All proceeds will benefit Girls Education International's two scholarship programs in Liberia and Pakistan.

21 days until Beats 4 Books!!!

There are just 21 days left to buy tickets for the Girls Education International Beats 4 Books fundraising event at The Spot Bouldering Gym. This is going to be a huge event, with fun climbing for the entire family, plus late night dancing, beer/wine, and a silent auction. Also, there will be a live auction of famous climbers, some of whom will be present at the event. The live auction will take place after Lynn Hill's presentation.

22 days until Beats 4 Books

22 days until Boulder's hippest party--Beats 4 Books. Come on down to The Spot Bouldering Gym on Tuesday, Oct 27. Food, beer, wine, music by dirt monkey, a silent auction with fine art as well as a ton of outdoor gear, plus a presentation by legendary climber LYNN HILL. We will be auctioning off a ton of famous climbers! Bet on Climbing magazine writer Chris Weidner or Madaleine Sorkin, the only female to free climb on lead all the pitches of the West Face of the Leaning Tower. Also to be auctioned off: Matt Segal and many more!

All proceeds to benefit Girls Education International.

23 days until annual Girls Ed fundraiser, Beats 4 Books

Only 23 days remain for you to purchase your tickets (purchase tickets here!). Come see world-famous rock climber Lynn Hill speak at The Spot Bouldering Gym on Tuesday, October 27th! Lynn has been on the cutting edge of rock climbing since the 1970s, as both one of the first women to climb the very difficult grade of 5.14 and the first climber to free climb El Capitan in a day. She continues to climb at a difficult level, but has also become a public speaker, author, and mother. For more information on Lynn, please visit her blog.

26 days to Girls Ed's annual Beats 4 Books fundraiser!

Rock star, Daily Camera writer, and Climbing magazine contributing editor Chris Weidner recently agreed to be auctioned off during our Silent Auction at Beats 4 Books! Ladies, we'll start the bids off with $20 for this good looking fellow! But we expect bids to jump from there!

For more information on Chris, please see his profile on 8anu. To see more images of Chris, click here.

Countdown begins today for Girls Education International's annual BEATS 4 BOOKS event

Girls Education International's annual BEATS 4 BOOKS event will happen in just 27 days! This event includes speakers such as Lynn Hill, music from local DJs, including Dirt Monkey, art from well-known painters and photographers, and films from Boulder Adventure Film! We will also be auctioning off days with famous climbers, including Matt Segal and Madaleine Sorkin. Come on down to the Spot Gym on Tuesday, October 27th, for some fun and fundraising for Boulder's only nonprofit exclusively supporting girls' education.

A bit about Matt Segal...
Girls Ed will be auctioning off a climbing day with Matt Segal. See tomorrow's countdown blog entry for more information and photos. Check out a Girls Ed interview with Segal next week!

TICKETS ARE FOR SALE ON THE GIRLS EDUCATION INTERNATIONAL EVENTS PAGE. BUY TICKETS NOW!

Giving by and for women increases since 1990

According to a Foundation Center and Women's Funding Network study, charitable giving by and for women has increased significantly since 1990. In fact, "... funding for women and girls by the broader foundation community has grown at a faster rate than foundation giving on the whole, although as a share of overall foundation giving, it has remained below 7.5 percent for over a decade-and-a-half. Giving by women's funds in particular has grown even more rapidly."

The study concurs with countless international studies that illustrate social change can be accelerated by investing in women and women-led organizations.

"Private and community foundations throughout the U.S. awarded almost $2.1 billion in 2006 for activities benefiting women and children, up from about $412 million in 1990, says the report from the Foundation Center and the Women's Funding Network. That's an increase of 223 percent, after adjusting for inflation, compared to growth of 177 percent for overall foundation giving" (The Foundation Center).

To read the complete study, visit the Foundation Center Website. Or, for a quick article, visit the Philanthropy Journal's Website.

GEI Newsletter #1, In other news...

In other news…

2009 year-end giving letter a huge success
GEI brought in nearly $2,000 with its year-end giving letter, including a $500 donation from Jacqui Hudson. Additionally, we received a $2,500 donation from Laura Molinari. Thanks to these ladies alone, we can pay for two entire semesters of the Liberia Scholarship Program. A huge thank you to all our donors! If you would like to donate, please visit our site (http://www.girlsed.org/Donate.htm). It costs just $71 to pay for one Liberian girl to go to school.

GEI’s new and improved website!
As GEI evolves and progresses, we feel our website should reflect these changes. Built by Mick Follari and the Trakkware team (www.trakkware.com), the new site retains its design, but will be moved to an easy-to-update content management system. Check the Web site www.girlsed.org in late May to view our updates.

Girls Ed welcomes three new volunteers
Over the past six months, three new volunteers joined the GEI team. Jancy Quinn is working on the five-year marketing plan and is responsible for the new logo. Stephanie Maltarich is providing valuable assistance with the newsletter. Luisa Giles is searching for potential donors and/or partners to support GEI projects.

GEI Enewsletter #1, section B

Grant finished, grantors needed
In December, GEI co-founder Lizzy Scully finalized a grant proposing the expansion of the GEI-CGS Liberia Scholarship Program. The program currently provides school fees to 47 girls in the mountainous regions of Liberia. The proposed grant seeks to garner funds to provide a total of 50 girls in Bong and Margibi counties with scholarships, stipends for uniforms, books, ID cards, a daily meal, and an after school Reproductive Health Education Program. GEI is currently searching for donor organizations and foundations that might be interested in supporting this expansion.

GEI welcomes new board member
A mediator and facilitator for Colorado-based CDR Associates, Jennifer Graham brings a wealth of experience to GEI. In addition to earning an M.S. at Cornell University in natural resources and receiving two Ford Foundation Fellowships, she has spent four years with the Peace Corps and the German Technical Cooperation in Malawi, Africa. She has both a command of Chitumbuka (a Bantu language) and an understanding of non-governmental organization work. Additionally, she facilitated the creation of Liberia’s first trans-boundary Peace Park with its neighbors in Guinea and Cote d’Ivoire in the Nimba region of the country.

Enewsletter #1, section A

Girls Education International Enewsletter #1, section A

Girls Education International news
Newsletter #1

Scholarship Program helps 11-year-old Liberian
The youngest child in the joint Girls Education International-Common Ground Society Liberia Scholarship Program, 11-year-old Jennie Flomo expected to drop out of school by third grade. The burden of school fees overwhelmed her family. Like her older sister, she would instead sell small condiments door-to-door or at the market, do laundry, find firewood, and cook.

The CGS Project Manager in Liberia, Emily Sherman-Davis, met Jennie at the Methodist School while doing the assessment and selection of the girls in Bong County, April 2008.

“On my way outside the building I met Jennie, a shy little girl in an worn-out dress outside the verandah,” Sherman-Davis says. “She walked up to me, greeted me with her head bowed, and asked: ‘Are you the woman that has come with the scholarships?’”

That day, Jennie had come to school to register, despite the fact that she wasn’t sure if her parents could pay the school fees. When she heard Sherman-Davis was in town, she asked for help.

“It is not a normal thing for a young person to easily approach an older person and make a request,” she explains. Moved and impressed, Sherman-Davis approved Jennie’s scholarship. When Jennie personally received her acceptance letter, Sherman-Davis says, “She ran up and down the school campus exclaiming, ‘I am so happy I want to run home and tell my parents that I got a scholarship that will pay my fees!’”

Jennie is now in Grade four and is among the first three students in her class. Her second period average is 85 (B+).

Please check out our blog (www.girlseducationinternational.blogspot.com) for photos of our Liberian girls.

Sliding Liberia

I just watched the movie, "Sliding Liberia." It played at the Boulder Adventure Film Fest. It's hard to imagine how the producers/directors could juxtapose surfing with a war-torn country in which 90% of people were brutalized in some way during the recent 14-year war. But they did, and they did it beautifully. The movie was meaningful. I really enjoyed watching it because I could finally put faces, actions, and emotions to the people that I've worked with at Common Ground Society, the organization that administers our scholarship program in Margibi and Bong counties.

From the movie, I learned how many Liberians talk; it's a crazy sort of Caribbean sounding English, but not quite Caribbean. And I finally saw clear images of what some Liberians look like. The only thing I felt was missing from the movie was the perspective of how girls were particularly and awfully brutalized during the war. But maybe that's an article I need to write. My goal is to get to Liberia later this year and to write a story for a publication--Oprah, Women's Adventure, one of those mags--about the fortuity of Liberian women.

Please someone call and tell me how I can spend my life raising awareness for disadvantaged girls? I want to write, climb, and enjoy my life as well, but if I could dedicate 90% of my work life to helping other people, that would be a dream come true.

I wish that someone out there would shine some light on Girls Education International--we need an angel donor. We are doing some amazing things, including educating 47 girls in Liberia and two girls in Nepal. We could do so much more if someone would pay a part-time salary for me to run the organization and for Heidi to run the fund-raising side of things. We work anyway, and we won't stop because we are driven by a mutual desire to make a difference for some women in the world. But, dang, it sure would be nice if we could pay the mortgage at the same time.

Where is our angel donor? Hello, are you out there?