COVID-19 has heavily affected communities across West Africa. Schools have closed and young girls in particular are becoming extremely vulnerable as a result. These girls are facing child marriage, sexual abuse, adolescent pregnancy and violence. Not only this, but the loss of their parents' income due to COVID-19 has meant some girls are also faced with the fact they may never go back to school after this pandemic.
This is a critical moment.
We need your help to get girls back into school as lockdowns lift, ensuring they have the support they need to learn and thrive.
Experience of the Ebola crisis has taught us that this pandemic will prematurely cut short education for thousands of children, with adolescent girls at particular risk of having their futures stolen. We cannot sit by and see another lost generation.
We can be the change.
With the right support, girls can survive and thrive even in the face of serious adversity. Supporting exceptionally vulnerable girls with school fees, school uniforms, learning materials, reusable sanitary pads, and combining this with emotional support, can be transformative.
The Paul Hodges Trust model, working with expert grassroots partners, is able to deliver this powerful, life changing intervention for only £85 per girl per year.
The World Bank has demonstrated that supporting girls’ education is one of the best investments you can make for breaking the cycle of poverty, as better educated girls are likely to marry later, have fewer and healthier children and be able to earn more (12% more for each additional year of education).
Donate now to ensure girls can remain students and children, not mothers, wives and workers.
What is The Paul Hodges Trust doing?
The Paul Hodges Trust is focused on breaking the cycle of poverty through empowering women and girls living in some of Africa’s poorest communities.
What have The Paul Hodges Trust done?
Over the last 3 years, The Paul Hodges Trust has established 9 partnerships in Sierra Leone, Ghana, Zambia, Tanzania and Uganda. These projects have focused on girls’ education, women’s economic empowerment, ending violence against women and girls and the promotion of health, sexual and reproductive rights. In this way, they work to tackle the barriers that keep women and girls poor and give them opportunities to lift themselves and their families out of poverty.
To date, our projects have reached over 5000 women and girls.
http://www.thepaulhodgestrust.co.uk
The Paul Hodges Trust also have an Esty shop selling items made by women in their projects. You can support the shop by visiting https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/ThePaulHodgesTrust