School Girls Unite 2007 News

The first leadership training focused on thinking about solutions to the lack of water at schools – a very real problem in Mali. They analyzed the pros and cons of various approaches, including a “charette barrique d’eau” involving a village-donated donkey and cart to carry plastic containers of water to school.

Two days after this workshop, six FILLES UNIES members, accompanied by Coordinatrice Aminata Magassouba and Wendy, made a 3-hour roundtrip drive to see some of the girls receiving SCHOOL GIRLS UNITE scholarships. These elementary students observed quietly during a two-hour meeting while FILLES UNIES members discussed a range of issues with the mayor and school authorities, including the need for water, malaria medicine and a school canteen. After the discussion, laughter ensued between the older and younger students as FILLES UNIES handed out clothes they brought for the scholarship recipients.

Another FILLES UNIES leadership workshop dealt with advocacy at the national level that included role-playing in preparation for the annual Action Week sponsored by the Global Campaign for Education.

Three weeks later these young activists joined World Education and other coalition members to present a dossier of demands to the Ministry of Education. FILLES UNIES really enjoyed the march through downtown Bamako where they carried the banner with the message:
Education is a Human Right. . . Education For All

FILLES UNIES members were introduced to advocacy through petition, adding their names and symbolic support to the SCHOOL GIRLS UNITE petition that urges the U.S. government to double spending for universal primary education.

MAKING AN IMPACT IN THE U.S.
As part of the Global Campaign for Education Action Week, SCHOOL GIRLS UNITE joined 50 other students from across the country for an advocacy training led by Gene Sperling of the Center for Universal Education and RESULTS. The next day, 10 SCHOOL GIRLS UNITE leaders held separate half-hour meetings with legislative aides to Senator Barbara Mikulski, Senator Ben Cardin and Representative Chris Van Hollen.

A key element of their congressional presentations was showing photos about FILLES UNIES activities and explaining the dire situation in Mali where 80% of girls do not get beyond the 5th grade. The legislative staff seemed to take note that the U.K. spends three times as much as the U.S. to boost education in developing countries.

COMIC RELIEF asked SCHOOL GIRLS UNITE to participate in this photo op where students cannot get on the school bus because “No G7 [Group of 7] nation is yet giving its fair share of the $9 billion needed each year to give every child the chance of completing a primary education.”

Over the past few months several SCHOOL GIRLS UNITE 10th graders also gave speeches and presentations:

• Comparative & International Education Society annual conference in Baltimore: SGU members joined a panel with presenters from World Learning to lead a discussion on Youth-Led Action for Social Change. Former UNICEF director Carol Bellamy attended the presentation.

• Montgomery County Public Schools Board of Education and Superintendent Weast listened intently to Mira Fleming as she discussed SCHOOL GIRLS UNITE in the context of Women’s History Month.

• SCHOOL GIRLS UNITE received a torch symbolizing the Houston Women’s Conference 30th anniversary at an event sponsored by the Maryland Women’s Heritage Center and the Montgomery County Commission for Women.

AWARDS

• SCHOOL GIRLS UNITE's youngest member, Dandio Coulibaly, is featured in the May/June issue of NEW MOON.
• Molara Obe of SCHOOL GIRLS UNITE won the “Angels in Action” $1000 finalist award.
• Anika Manzoor, another founding member of SCHOOL GIRLS UNITE, got selected as one of Netaid’s Global Civilian Corps 2007-08.
• FILLES UNIES and SCHOOL GIRLS UNITE won 1st place for Innovations in Civic Participation's Youth Global Volunteering Research Project 2007.

The influential role of these young Malian and American leaders was emphasized by Boubacar Cissé, who worked for the State of Maryland before recently returning with his family to Mali. Boubacar co-facilitated our leadership development workshops in Bamako and told FILLES UNIES with tears in his eyes:

We are certainly not waiting. These African and American leaders are pursuing multimedia tools to advocate for gender equity and universal education.

• RADIO des FILLES UNIES POUR L'EDUCATION - We are seeking grants to produce radio shows about the dramatic benefits of educating girls. Once FILLES UNIES members gain these communication and broadcast skills, they plan to train other girls in Bamako who will then produce other radio programs.

• DVD PRODUCTION - SCHOOL GIRLS UNITE is on the homestretch of completing production of GIRLS GONE ACTIVIST! This DVD is designed to encourage tweens and teens to join the cause.
  

We really appreciate your enthusiastic support and contributions that make this global girls leadership development and education initiative possible. For a minimum $40 tax-deductible donation, you will receive 10 SCHOOL GIRLS UNITE Post-It™ pads, a generous in kind gift by 3-M Corporation.