WHAT A YEAR

As we come to the end of 2018, our focus has been on making sure that all the participants who have been part of Business Brains for the last two years could continuously be supported, even after the program wraps up in their community! This meant we trained local teachers, and other key leaders in communities so they could continue the training for new members. These communities will continue this amazing work – and this is a pretty incredible outcome after just two years!

WE’RE ALWAYS LOOKING FOR WAYS TO MAKE BUSINESS BRAINS EVEN BETTER

You might have seen that we recently undertook an evaluation on our Scholarships program. This evaluation looked at just how impactful our Scholarships program really is, and not just for the girls involved, but for everyone in their communities. And the results are pretty extraordinary! In 2019, we’re going to do the same for our Business Brains program in Sierra Leone! We’re pretty excited because this will mean we can take an indepth look at the program and potentially find ways to make it even better. So all planning for Business Brains will be shaped dependant on the outcome of this evaluation, which is set to kick off in February. We’ll keep you posted!

DID YOU KNOW WE RUN BUSINESS BRAINS IN UGANDA?

WHAT’S NEW WITH ONE GIRL

We know how much you care about Business Brains, but we also want to share with you a little snippet of what’s going on in the world of One Girl, what’s awesome, what’s not-so-awesome and everything in between.

 SOMETHING AWESOME

Sometimes awesome things happen in the strangest of places, which is why we are paying tribute to the good ol’ toilet. Believe it or not, toilets actually play a really important role in supporting girls’ education. Lack of access to proper sanitation and hygiene education in schools remains one of the main barriers girls face when accessing education. This is why we are building 17 toilet blocks and five hand washing stations across three of our partner schools in rural Sierra Leone. On top of this, we’re also building an ecological sanitation toilet – which is environmentally friendly and will mean we can turn waste into income for the community! It seems simple, but the results are life-changing. Since its launch in June, these initiatives have benefitted 2,536 people!

 SOMETHING CHALLENGING

You may have heard that earlier this year, an unprecedented number of students poured through school gates all around Sierra Leone after the government made secondary education entirely free. In other words, education has become much more accessible for all students across Sierra Leone – but this spike of new enrolments is placing enormous pressure on schools across the country. Classes are at capacity and schools are overcrowded. In fact, some schools have been forced to turn students away simply because they don’t have the room. Obviously, we want to see every girl get an education, so we are finding ways to work with local schools and Sierra Leone’s Ministry of Education, Science and Technology (MEST) to make sure no one misses out.

 SOMETHING INSPIRING

Can we just take a moment to appreciate the fact that together we raised enough money to educate 1,458 girls thanks to this year’s Do It In A Dress campaign! We have just wrapped up Do It In A Dress for another year and what a win it has been. We have raised more than $437,400, which is a massive effort – and what a ripple effect this will have! We’re delighting in the fact that more girls will get to experience that sense of pride each morning when they put on their school uniform. And thanks to your dollar matching, we were able to raise over $40,000 in two days!

IN-CONVERSATION WITH ONE GIRL ALUMNI

Sarah, our CEO, recently flew over to Sierra Leone to meet One Girl Scholarship Alumni and their communities, and to get a first-hand look at the impact our programs are having. It was a packed trip and there’s no doubt Sarah has returned feeling inspired by some of the incredible girls she spoke with.

“In November I visited Sierra Leone for the first time and it was a breathtaking experience. It was a privilege to dance and sing with the girls and young women who are part of our programs and to speak with them directly about the challenges they face and how One Girl has impacted their lives.

“From chatting with girls who are part of our Business Brains Girls’ Clubs, to speaking to our focal teachers who are guiding the Scholars through their studies, actually seeing the toilets in our partner schools get built, and helping our Scholarship Alumni plan for their 2019 activities – my trip has definitely given me immense pride in what we do and also many ideas on how we can have an even greater impact!” – Sarah, One Girl CEO.

STEVE, YOU KNOW THERE ARE MANY BARRIERS TO GIRLS’ EDUCATION

So here’s an update on the other ways we work to empower women and girls!

SCHOLARSHIPS

Did you read our recent report on the Scholarships program? On International Day of the Girl this year, we released an independent evaluation report that looks at just how impactful our program really is, and not just for the girls involved, but for everyone in their communities. We recently visited One Girl Scholars in Sierra Leone to talk with them about what it means to them to be a One Girl Scholar – and their answers are extraordinary.

SCHOOL AWESOMISATION

As part of our School Awesomisation program, we focused on increasing the amount of education for all students in water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) and education in menstrual hygiene management. This education was provided alongside our efforts to rebuild toilet facilities in the target schools that are part of the program. And it was very clear that this program is incredibly valued. One of the Vice Principals hopes to take menstrual hygiene education to the schools throughout her entire community so that getting their period won’t stop any girl from succeeding in school! She tells us; “I will make sure that as a Vice Principal, every girl in my school [will] get vast knowledge on menstrual hygiene”.

LAUNCHPAD

Thanks to our new partnership with Days For Girls, we introduced new, reusable pads to the program! Two trainers from Days for Girls hosted a four-day training with women involved in LaunchPad across two communities. The girls were trained in topics such as puberty and menstrual hygiene management, sexual reproductive health and rights, human rights and self-defence. On the final day of training, the groups developed an action plan for how they will pass on what they learnt in order to reach more young women!

“When I was out of school I was selling fish in the market. I’d see people my age wearing uniforms, and I would cry inside my heart. I never felt fine, I never felt good. When I saw them in the uniforms I would hide so they couldn’t see me.”

Getting back to school has completely transformed Aminata’s life and restored her confidence. But she’s using her memories of that difficult year to inspire her plans for the future. Aminata wants to become an accountant so she can work in a bank and earn good money. But not for herself.

“If I get money, I’ll help poor people. I’ll help those children who drop out of school … Before I use money for anything else I’d like to do this. I know what it can be like, because … I was in that situation. If I put them in school, then they can become somebody and change the nation.?”

It’s an extraordinary vision – and it shows the kind of thinking educated young women will bring to the most challenging issues faced by their communities.
*We've changed Aminata’s name to protect her identity. Photo: Olivia Acland/One Girl.