In Sub Saharan Africa, some 16 million girls are not in school due to complex social, political, traditional and economical factors. Everything from marriage practices to disease to poverty to seasonal labour requirements contribute to this catastrophe. The result is devastating: only one in four poor African girls attends school.
Today’s young girls are tomorrow’s wives, mothers, caregivers, entrepreneurs and leaders.We believe women are the key to ending the cycle of poverty in Africa as girls’ education leads to:
Higher Incomes: When girls learn to read, write and do maths, they’re more likely to enter the workforce and earn more when they do—up to 25 percent more.
Delayed Marriage and Fewer Children: When girls attend school, they delay marriage and children by several years. Girls not in school typically marry early—often as young as 13–and begin having children. Staying in school through high school gives girls more choices.
Healthier Families: Educated girls grow up to have healthier children. Since educated girls have fewer children, they are better equipped to care for their children and families.
Reduced HIV/AIDS Risk: Studies show that girls who attend school are three times less likely to become HIV-positive.
Less Poverty: An educated girl, on average, spends 90 percent of her income on her family. She sends her own girls to school and contributes to her community.