Girls who are educated are less vulnerable to HIV, human trafficking, sexual abuse, unwanted pregnancies, early marriage, and a life of no choices. In fact, when girls are kept in school, they stand a better chance of growing into empowered women.

This is why our Keep a Girl in School initiative is so important—because if we can educate girls and teach them their value in Christ now, we can help decrease the number of vulnerable women who need our help later.

Meet Mary, one of the girls your support is helping us keep in school.

A quiet dignity surrounds Mary as she sits in the front of the class. She has a pleasant determination about her—a quality that says she is destined for something great.

At sixteen years old, she is aware of the challenges of consistently attending school. She has 13 brothers and sisters. She understands being in school is a privilege that will unlock her full potential. But her determination is not about her alone.

“My parents can’t afford to send us all to school, so I study to change their stories. I want to provide for them. That’s why school is so important to me.”

Mary explained her reality, sharing, “Keep a Girl in School changed everything. My parents struggled to take care of me and my brothers and sisters and couldn’t afford sanitary pads. As a girl I had to find a way. I would often have to use cloths during my period because that’s all I had. So, Keep a Girl in School is everything to me. They helped me stop worrying every month about my periods or where I would get the money to buy pads, so instead I could focus on my studies.

“Thank you to our sponsors for consistently helping and supporting us.”

Mary could have become another statistic, but instead, because of your support she is able to stay in school. From the bottom of our hearts, thank you!