President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama announce the launch of Let Girls Learn (credit: White House)
It’s not every day that the National Peace Corps Association gets a shout out from the First Lady, but yesterday the Peace Corps community was the center of White House attention for the launch of Let Girls Learn, a powerful new collaboration to expand access to education for girls around the world.
Returned Peace Corps Volunteers (RPCVs) in particular know firsthand how educating a girl can trigger a positive ripple effect that lasts a lifetime – and how lack of educational opportunity cripples communities. “Girls education” isn’t an abstract concept; we can put names on faces, point to places on a map.
NPCA President Glenn Blumhorst and Peace Corps Director Carrie Hessler-Radelet at the White House for the announcement.
Over the years our RPCV member groups have raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for projects in support of girls education, and countless RPCVs have started nonprofits or have worked individually in ways large and small to improve the life chances of girls around the world.
For this reason, NPCA is proud to be a partner in the Peace Corps’ Let Girls Learn Program for Girls Education. Our focus will be on raising awareness about the initiative across our network of 215,000 RPCVs, and in the process spotlighting the RPCVs who promote girls’ education and empowerment. Some examples will include:
Water Charity, in collaboration with NPCA and the Peace Corps Partnership Program, is working on the Student Friendly Schools program in Albania to repair bathrooms in 100 schools, directly impacting the ability of girls to stay in school.
Friends of Tanzania (2012 NPCA Ruppe Award Winner) has supported the Safe House and Vocational Training Center-Mara, a girls’ scholarship program at Lutengano Secondary School in Tukuyu, Mbeya Region, and girls’ scholarships at Geita Secondary School in Geita, Mwanza Region
Friends of Pakistan USA (2014 NPCA Ruppe Award Winner) has established the first 11th and 12th grade programs ever offered for girls in the mountains of the Mansehra district of Pakistan, in partnership with the Hoshvar Foundation. Additionally, FOPUSA has a scholarship program with the Rerra Government Girls High School in Azad, Kashmir.
Full Basket Belize supports high school girls (and boys) with yearly academic scholarships and has supported various community projects designed to empower and educate young women.
Friends of Guinea has supported an annual Girl’s Conference for high school aged girls in Guinea and hopes the conferences will resume once Volunteers are back in country.
The Peace Corps Nigeria Alumni Foundation received national attention after the Boko Haram kidnappings last April. As a result of columns by Pulizer Prize-winning journalist Leonard Pitt, PCNAF received more than $80,000 in donations, of which $15,000 went to the American University of Nigeria to award scholarships to three girls who escaped the Boko Haram kidnappers.
Tennessee RPCVs has supported Peace Corps Partnership projects such as Camp GAGA, Goats for Girls, Camp GLOW, and Camp2Glow.
RPCVs of WI-Madison has supported the RPCV-founded NGO Expanding Lives. Many RPCVs from the Chicago area are on the board and participate directly in training and fund-raising activities.
And many more!
Three Goals
Let Girls Learn is built on three pillars: empowering leaders, working hand in hand with communities, and increasing the impact of Peace Corps Volunteers. The initiative will aim to train thousands of Volunteers and tens of thousands of community leaders over the next six years to be champions of girls’ education. A newly established Peace Corps Let Girls Learn Fund will support Peace Corps Volunteers’ efforts. And Peace Corps aims to recruit, train and place at least 650 additional Volunteers in targeted countries to promote girls’ education and empowerment.
High Level Attention
NPCA board member Janet Greig (India 1966-1968), who attended the White House ceremony with NPCA’s President Glenn Blumhorst, commented that the new initiative is especially exciting because the work of the Peace Corps has not received this level of executive branch and national attention in recent memory. No surprise, we agree, and look forward to joining with the Peace Corps and the White House to raise awareness.
… in recent years, I’ve worked with my staff and we’ve consulted with so many of you to ask how I can be most helpful — and folks from CARE and Brookings, the Global Partnership for Education, the National Peace Corps Association, and so many others — you guys have stepped up. And time and again, you have told me that whatever these obstacles these girls face — whether it’s school fees, or violence, or cultural beliefs that girls simply aren’t worthy of an education — you’ve said that these problems will not be fixed from on high, that these are community challenges that call for community solutions. — First Lady Michelle Obama
NPCA will be spotlighting the girls education efforts of RETURNED Peace Corps Volunteers and inspiring others to get involved. Are you individually or through an RPCV member group promoting girls education? Let us know and share your stories and photos at news@peacecorpsconnect.org!
Resources:
International Girls Education Fact Sheet
Remarks by the President and the First Lady at Launch of the “Let Girls Learn” Initiative – WhiteHouse.gov – March 3, 2015
The President and First Lady Launch the “Let Girls Learn” Initiative – White House YouTube Channel – March 3, 2015
FACT SHEET: President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama Announce New Whole of Government Initiative, Let Girls Learn – WhiteHouse.gov – March 3, 2015