Today in Nigeria, there is a gap in educational access and achievement, with girls far behind. According to the 2016 world economic report, Nigeria ranks 127th out of 144 countries in equitable educational attainment across genders.

On the International Day of the Girl Child, our organization has adopted two projects to unlock the potential of girls in the communities where we work. We are asking for your help to:

1. Pay the school fees for 50 out-of-school girls in Jikwoyi and teach them sexual and reproductive rights and skills. https://www.globalgiving.org/projects/support-girls-right-to-education-in-abuja-nigeria/

2. Provide sanitary pads and hygiene education to 50 girls in a school within the Bama/Gwoza IDP camp. https://www.globalgiving.org/microprojects/sanitary-pads-bank-for-50-displaced-school-girls/

In Jikwoyi community Abuja, the education gap is rooted in girls lack of engagement in the education system as well as their outcomes. Half of girls 12- 16 years old drop out of school, and one out of five get pregnant before the complete their secondary school education. A third of the girls are sexually abused because of the poor orientation in the community, and some are forced to get married at 14 years. These have negatively impacted number of girls graduating from high schools and leads to economic and intellectual stagnation as these girls most times get locked out of community participation.

In Gwoza community IDP Camp Abuja, this gap is because these young adolescent girls are displaced from their homes due to terrorism, crisis and poverty and forced to live in these temporary camps. They suffer from lack of proper care, support and even advice during their menstrual flow hereby making them miss school or stop entirely. They are also vulnerable and susceptible to vaginal infections as well as unplanned pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases.

Everyone can help, no amount is too small. Please follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, and visit our website to find out more about us. Visit our Global Giving page to check out other amazing work already being done, and give whatever you can.

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