Educating and Empowering Girls
Educating and empowering girls
In the 1990s, Sierra Leone’s decade long civil war caused much destruction. Like so much else, Taiama’s Ahmadiyya Primary School was a ruin. In 2010 we completed the construction of a 10-classroom school to replace it. Soon after that, it became clear there was a need for a junior secondary school program in Taiama. In 2017, we were able to open the program to 150 students. In 2019, the school was formally recognized by the Sierra Leonean government.
In 2014, a generous donor inspired us to support girls in their academic dreams. So far, the Zoe Gardner Program has been able to serve more than 100 girls ages 12-25 at the Junior Secondary, Senior Secondary, and Post-Secondary levels. We provide uniforms and school supplies and, more importantly, scholarships and tutoring. UN research shows that “girls who complete primary and secondary education tend to marry later, have smaller families and earn significantly higher wages. Girls’ education has been posited as a “vaccine” against HIV/AIDS… Educating a girl changes her destiny, as well as those of her future children, and ensures that she can contribute to the economic life of her community.”
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The walk to school is too far for village girls to manage on a daily basis. Many of them live with relatives in order to attend school and are required to work long hours to pay off their room and board, making homework and exam preparation impossible. After hearing the pleas of rural parents whose daughters’ are academically inclined, we opened a small boarding home. The demand is high, but our budget currently allows us to house only 6 students. A future dream is to be able to provide accommodation for more girls.
After school, the scholarship girls are encouraged to come to the Zoie Gardner Centre where we employ local teachers to offer small group tutoring. Ms. Abie Moigula, who is in charge of the center, runs a dynamic empowerment program. She endeavors to integrate ideas about women’s rights, responsibilities, and sexuality into sports and games. We are very proud of the awesome work she is doing.
By supporting girls’ education, we are helping them become self-sufficient, independent, and empowered young women.