Gender Equality Ethiopia Project #26933

Support Education for 100 Girls in Ethiopia

by Studio Samuel Foundation

Support Education for 100 Girls in Ethiopia

Project Report | Oct 20, 2017
Students Raise Awareness on International Day of the Girl with Short Film: Her Path

By Tamara Horton | ED/Founder

Globally, 1 in 7 girls under 18 yrs old is married

Studio Samuel students created a short film for International Day of the Girl (Oct 11), telling the story of challenges faced by girls born into poverty. Her Path poses the question, 'Has birthplace played a role in your poverty or prosperity?.

Film creators, Studio Samuel students, are girls who live this life each day. It's not a story about them, but by them, raising awareness for girls around the globe. Challenges faced by girls born into poverty, including: child labor, child marriage, trafficking and lack of access to education are highlighted.

Their message to girls everywhere? An educated girl will change her world. Stay connected as we follow the three graduates who close out the film as they take their next steps, implementing life skills learned through their time at Studio Samuel's training center.

An educated girl will change her world.

Links:

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Jun 19, 2017
Update from May Trip & What YOU are Helping Create

By Tamara Horton | Executive Director/Founder

At the Training Center

At the Training Center

In addition to the excitement of meeting our new class, former students continued popping by after hearing we were in town. There were hugs and tears of joy each day!

•2 More Grads Heading to University, bringing our total to 4! We also have more girls preparing for the National Exam in June.

•Q&A with Graduates: Our grads held an impromptu Q&A with the new class, which was a great success. This was very beneficial for the new girls. It also offered great insight to hear what they've gained from the program.

•Welcome Bags: Each new student received a toothbrush, toothpaste, socks, underwear and a gently used piece of clothing. They were VERY excited!

•Computer Lab: I didn't see an empty seat in the lab once. Classes are at capacity and the girls are thriving. Each day I noticed a young boy sitting at a station. I learned that his sister is responsible for him, a task that takes priority over computer class in their home. To prevent her caregiver from pulling her from class to babysit, she made the decision to bring him each day.

•Teen Talk: We sat in on one of the girls' favorite classes, which encourages dialogue on any subject matter. Debate is welcome and must always be done respectfully. A great team-builder.

Our Community & Partners

It was my honor to meet Miss K, a respected community leader in our village who is instrumental in referring girls to our program. On our first day of meetings, the van pulled up and B and her mom were in the back seat, both in need of medical attention. We headed for the clinic where they were seen right away, received tests and later, medication - all made possible through our partner Ethiopia Healthcare Network.

The OSSA team has approved another round of HIV certification and testing for our incoming class of 75 - AND their caregivers! This is a life-changing program for our beneficiaries. Strong partners in their field make so much more possible.

Our Library is Expanding

100 books were purchased for our library. From reference books (in high demand) to Amharic fiction so the girls can 'escape'. They'll engage in stories with characters and subject matter relevant to a pre-teen/teen girl growing up in Ethiopia.

My son and I held two different reading circles to introduce Julian Lennon's (Studio Samuel Advisor) recent best-selling children's book, Touch the Earth. It's a beautifully written, interactive story, introducing children to respect the Earth. The girls loved it and now have two copies in their library

Stay tuned for more updates from our training center in the Gulele community of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia!

Abey & her Brother

Our Community & Partners

Our Library has Expanded

Links:

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Mar 21, 2017
Two Girls Advance in Global Leadership Competition

By Tam | Founder/Exec Dir

Semi Finalist #1 Skype Interview

Two Studio Samuel students have advanced to the final round of 130 in MCW’s Young Leaders Access competition. If selected, they’ll be among 30 winners from around the globe who will travel to the US this summer.

In our eyes, by making it this far, they’ve already won!

The competition is based solely on merit, having nothing to do with socioeconomic status. Case in point, Fikirte’s final interview was with a past winner, who today is a Professor of Pharmaceuticals at Khartoum University in Sudan.

Last month we announced that four outstanding Studio Samuel students who continue to excel in our life skills program, Training for Tomorrow, advanced to the second round. They were among 1,130 students from around the globe who applied for this life-changing opportunity through MCW Global. MCW’s mission: Addressing communities’ pressing needs by empowering current leaders and readying leaders of tomorrow.

Applicants were asked to identify a problem faced by their community and provide a solution that would create change. Girls implemented their problem-solving and critical thinking skills to communicate and develop their plans.

Our girls knew they were competing among some heavy hitters and they held their own through the process. We couldn’t be more proud! They spent countless hours in the computer lab researching their projects in depth, gathering as much data as possible to be prepared for their final interview – even holding practice interviews with our US team.

It was now time for them to convince the judges why their case study should be selected over all others. I think we’re more nervous than they are.

Semi Finalist #2 Skype Interview

2016 Winners Participating at the Retreat

Links:

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