SSD 14 - STRENGTHENING BASIC SKILLS FOR TEENAGE GIRLS
Project Location
Malakal is the capital of Upper Nile State in South Sudan and is located on the banks of the White Nile. The three main ethnic groups in the city are the Dinka, Nuer and Shilluk; the rest of the inhabitants are composed of a large number of different other ethnic groups. The project targets adolescent girls, a critical period in a girl’s life when significant physical, emotional and social changes shape her future. Most girls here in Malakal marry before 19 years and some as early as 15 years. Rarely do they complete their primary or secondary education.
Project description
The mission of this project is to provide Platform and opportunities for girls to be change makers of their present and future life. Adolescence is a time for great vulnerability for girls, it is also an ideal point to leverage development and diplomacy efforts. It is an opportunity to disrupt poverty from becoming a permanent condition that is passed from one generation to the next.
A pivotal question for an adolescent girl is whether she stays in school. If she drops out of school prematurely, she faces an increased risk of early marriage. She is also likely to be unskilled, have less earning power and be less able to participate meaningfully in society. However, if she remains in school, she is more likely to marry later, have fewer and healthier children and earn an income that she will invest into her family and community. To break the cycle of poverty, our efforts must reach girls before they arrive at this intersection of adolescence and follow them until they complete their education. This investment is not just an investment in girls, but in their families and communities.
The project aims to motivate 25 teenage girls through learning development actions and an afternoon skills acquisition program that will engage, motivate and transform them to be agents of their own positive change. To do this, the following activities will be carried out:
- Informal Education ( English language)
- Psychosocial support (Education on human Development, guide and Counseling, Home Science and Enviromental)
- Art work (beads, card Making)
- Hair dressing.
Our efforts aim to enhance girls access to quality education and employment, to reduce their risk of early and forced marriage , to provide them with tools necessary to fully participate in their society be in a position to make informed decisions about their lives.
Objectives
- Enhance girls access to quality education and employment
- Reduce their risk of early and forced marriage
- Provide them with tools necessary to fully participate in their society
Beneficiaries
Direct: 25 teenage girls
Indirect: families and society
Referent sister of the project: Sr. Elizabeth Kanini
Project's costs