In Tanzania, COVID-19 has put extra financial pressure on already vulnerable families. Girls are at high risk of dropping out of school, with parents struggling to pay fees and prioritising boys’ education.
In Maasai communities, girls who drop out are extremely unlikely to ever return to education. Once they reach adolescence, many will undergo Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) and marry soon after for a bride price.
AOP work with a local Maasai organisation, Community Research and Development Services (CORDS), to combat gender inequality and help girls finish their education. CORDS currently supports 344 girls at 12 schools in the extremely disadvantaged Monduli and Longido districts.
NDY’s gift to the Girls’ Scholarship Program in Tanzania is helping to support 54 Maasai girls – four in secondary school and 50 at primary school.
The donation covers school fees, uniforms, and lunches to ensure girls don’t have to drop out of school and marry early for a bride price.
The project will also protect girls from FGM and child marriage, with the long-term aim of helping girls finish school and reach tertiary education or enter well-paid jobs.
Please see a thank you message from our partner in Tanzania (Lilian from CORDS) here: https://fb.watch/5Aj8MZUO1T/