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“I am not afraid of the storm, for I am learning how to sail my ship.” – Louisa May Alcott, “Little Women”

As the wind blows us into April, let us say goodbye to the calm waves of March. Pop the hashtag #WomensHistoryMonth into your browser and reveal tons of contributions and interesting stories that highlight women from our past to our present.

Everywhere, women are making their own history. When we lend a hand-up, the world benefits. Click here to read an excellent story from Women’s History Month featuring nine women entrepreneurs who have sailed through stormy waters to succeed.

When we educate one woman, the waves of success rapidly crash ashore and eventually millions of women are using their education from simply supporting their families to excelling in man-dominated industries, and everything in between.

The goal at St. Elizabeth Girls’ Academy is to provide our girls with an education to lift themselves from poverty to prosperity. They are learning to navigate the waters of. Stories like these prove that dedication and hard work ultimately will lead them through the water to reach land – a land filled with bountiful goals and successes.

#WomensHistoryMonth

#investingirls

Peace and love

Cristen

Support each other. It’s as simple as that.

• At a recent rally in Manila, Philippines thousands of women stood in a giant human formation of the cross-like female scientific symbol in honor of International Women’s Day.
• Hillary Clinton addressed the United Nations on women’s issues. Equality for women “remains the great unfinished business of the 21st century,” she said.
• UN Women launched #HeforShe – a new equality branding campaign, in which men all over the world are being encouraged to speak out against the inequalities faced by women.

Ladies, let’s embrace the spirit of Women’s History Month and show our bold, confident and fearless side. When we excel at loving ourselves, and the world around us, we provide young girls with hopes for a better future.

Don’t get me wrong, much progress has been made on the path to gender equality, yet more can still be done.

#investingirls

Peace and love

Cristen

All children deserve a quality education. Yet, sometimes school does not deliver certain needed skills in our children’s life. A recent study of 28 countries found that more than one out of every three students (23 million primary school children) could not read or complete basic math after multiple years of school.2

Here’s a great drawing or painting activity to engage your children, and get them thinking, not only locally, but globally on how to make schools better.

• Divide into two groups. Ask one half of the group to create a picture representing good education, and the other half of the group to create one showing bad education.
• Show as many different features and tell as many different stories as possible.
• Swap the pictures between the groups to identify the different features.
• As a group, discuss similarities and differences. Come up with a common definition of ‘good education’.

To complete this project you can use the following points:

• Which elements appear in more than one drawing?
• Were there any surprising findings in your concepts of good and bad education?
• Do you think drawings in other parts of the world would be similar? Why (not)?
• If we have a common picture of what good education is, why doesn’t it exist everywhere yet?

 This activity came with an excellent idea for fundraising, and that’s why I wanted it highlighted. It’s a great way to teach philanthropy to children.

• Put the drawings depicting a ‘bad education’ on display and place the drawings of a ‘good education’ behind them.
• Invite friends and family to view the work and ask them to make a donation to fund our new campus campaign.
• With each donation, reveal part of the hidden drawings that depict a ‘good education’ until they are all revealed.
• Make sure you thank your guests for supporting a cause that makes it a reality for girls to attend school and become self-supporting adults.

Find more educational opportunities for kids in the Activity Pack for 2014.

Peace, and love
Cristen

2. Africa Learning Barometer http://www.brookings.edu/research/opinions/2013/01/16-africa-learning-watkins

World Thinking Day is a day of friendship, advocacy and fundraising around the world that focuses on global initiatives.

This year’s theme – education opens doors for all boys and girls – is based on Millennium Development Goal 2: Achieve universal primary education. This goal was chosen because universal primary education is likely to be missed by a wide margin. The goal was set to sunset in 2015, but even though enrollment in primary education for developing areas has reached 90 percent, 57 million children are not in school.

The Millennium Development Goals are the most successful global anti-poverty push in our history. Yes, it’s true school isn’t the only place to learn; yet it’s one of the most important. The skills learned at school are the foundations for a child’s future.

Organizations are working together to rally and ramp up world support on February 22. Here are a few things you can do.

• I encourage you to share this blog. Use hash tag #MDGMomentum

• Check out educational opportunities for kids in the Activity Pack for 2014.

• Proudly say #ISupportH4H by making a donation to fund our new campus campaign.

As we pull together to build a new campus, we can remove the obstacles to education and put nearly 1000 Ugandan girls into school at St. Elizabeth Girls’ Academy. We are committed to doing our part to reach 100 percent primary education enrollment.

Peace, love, and #WTD2014

Cristen

A random act of kindness is a selfless act performed by a person to spread cheer. In celebration of Valentine’s Day this year, lets Party with a Purpose by making a video or taking a photo – the catch – make it creative with a message of inspiration, hope, love, or encouragement. Post it to our facebook page and we will share with our girls in Uganda.

Their hearts will overflow with happiness. You will empower them…imagine what could happen. You will inspire. Kind words on a week where we celebrate random acts of kindness.

So ditch the flowers and chocolates and give a gift that changes lives afar. Our girls are dedicated to not become the next statistic. They are lifting themselves from the dirty, dangerous Ugandan slums near Kampala. Add in our financial and moral support, and they are role models for the younger generation.

#investingirls they will #investintheworld

Peace and love,

Cristen