Empower Teen Girls in Morocco

Hi Friends!

Soar HQ is not only a safe space every week for our empowerment workshops with Soar Girls, but also for important community dialogue. In honor of International Women's Day on March 8th, the Soar Girls at our HQ in Douar Laadam organized a community dialogue with the theme of “Break the Bias” to address and bring awareness to common gender biases in their communities that cause girls and women to be treated differently. For example, a girl not being allowed to play football. Some of the mothers and girls shared personal experiences:

• “I went to refill the butane gas tank, but the shopkeeper said the machine was broken. I told him that I would fix it, and I did. He did not believe that I fixed it until another man said ‘what an amazing woman, even men can’t think of this idea.’”- Soar Girl mother

• “One day was playing football with some guys outside and my brother scolded me saying that football is only for boys.” - Soar Girl

• “I wanted to become a police officer after my Baccalaureate, and when I told my parents about my future ambitions they supported me. However, when I shared this information with my other relatives and grandparents, they refused and they said that I shouldn’t do it because it is a man’s job. They also felt that no man would marry a woman police officer. Additionally, since I wear a head scarf, they felt that I would have to take it off to be accepted.” - Soar Girl

Giving girls and women a safe space to talk about experience like this is the first step in bringing community-wide awareness about gender biases. This powerful event is just one way that Project Soar headquarters continues to give teen girls a voice within their communities, thanks to your support.

We are feeling ever so grateful for the huge outpouring of support that together you have given us at Project Soar: US$61,000+ raised since we opened this campaign in December 2019! Your donations have helped us maintain a safe space for over 1,700 hundred Soar Girls from 24 villages surrounding our headquarters in the semi-rural town of Douar Laadam. This is how YOU have helped us Soar. 

Our campaign goal has been nearly met, so as we close this campaign, we invite you to visit our four other campaigns which support the provision of sustainable menstrual kits to Soar Girls, providing critical supplies for our empowerment workshops, as well as supporting the women empowerment facilitators who are the backbone of our program across Morocco.

Stay tuned for more Soar news through our quarterly newsletter at www.projectsoar.org, and never doubt you are making a difference!

Warmest Wishes,

The Project Soar Team