There are 62 million girls in the world who are not enrolled in school. These girls have a higher chance of contracting HIV/AIDs, being forced into marriage, and being treated unfairly in their communities than obtaining a higher education. The Obama Administration launched the Let Girls Learn initiative with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Peace Corps in hopes to reduce the number of uneducated girls worldwide. These girls would receive an education that can not only make them more qualified for higher caliber jobs, but also empowers them and help them to achieve the dreams they were once told would not come true.
Organizations like USAID and the Peace Crop spend approximately one billion dollars on training volunteers. They have trained over 300,000 educators. They have educated over 375,000 children in Somalia alone.
The Peace Corp plays a crucial role in this worldwide initiative. In the first year they will send volunteers into 11 different countries. With over 7,000 volunteers in 60 countries, the “grassroots development work” has been helping these young women who want to get an education.
We used the #62milliongirls to show our support for the Let Girls Learn initiative. For more information on how to volunteer or donate visit the USAID website here and the Peace Corps website here. Click here for a fact sheet!.
Pictures taken from www.usaid.gov and www.whitehouse.gov.