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"People are always asking me, 'What are you working for?' I say to them, 'It is time for the future. This is something I work hard to change.'" -Nsubuga Tonny
Girls In Real Life Society (GIRLS) mission is to promote gender equity through advocacy, education, and outreach. Our vision is that everyone may have equal opportunity to a full life of their choosing.
Facebook: GirlsInRealLifeSociety
Self-started in 2015 by founder, Nsubuga Tonny, this small organization is quickly growing in size as word spreads throughout the community of the work being done by Tonny and his team, who volunteer their time and resources to develop day camps and trainings to raise awareness of the gender inequality issues being faced by so many Ugandans today.
Tonny is currently in his final year of University studying for his Bachelors in Business. His willingness to stand up for those being treated unfair, eagerness to learn and improve, and extremely motivated work ethic has gained him trust and respect in his school and community. During his time at Secondary School, he was appointed the position of Chair Person to represent his school and speak at events while also given an office and scheduled time to offer counseling services to his fellow students. Currently, he is acting Lead for the PTA where some of the students he helps support attend.
In his free time, Tonny works hard to network and connect with various organizations around the community to develop partnerships for his growing organization GIRLS. He also facilitates trainings with his team leaders to share information and plan day camps for community members to attend where they participate in discussions and activities themed around gender based violence and equality issues in Uganda. Recently, his team has been focused around the topic of Menstrual Hygiene to educate members about the menstrual cycle, health, and the inequalities women face by needing to take time off of school during their menstruation period and/or not being able to afford sanitary pads. As an activity, his team has been collecting materials to distribute and teach how to make their own reusable menstrual pads.
What started as a dream is now quickly becoming a reality as more and more folks contact Tonny and reach out to him for help. Word is spreading of the advocacy he is doing which has lead to girls and women from around the surrounding area to contact him, share their stories of the violence and oppression they are facing, and ask for his advice. Hundreds of individuals are reaching out with interest in getting involved and community leaders are also starting to voice their support.
With such a growth, Tonny and his team need help. Any financial donation will go directly to support GIRLS and be used towards purchasing food to be given to members during camps and leaders during meeting, travel expenses as Tonny and his team must pay for public transportation to meet with community members and arrive at training sites, and materials needed to facilitate these trainings such as flip-chart paper, markers, sanitary pads, etc. There is no set "amount" needed as any amount you are able to spare will be greatly appreciated and used to the fullest extent on a rolling basis.
We understand financial strain and budgeting affect everyone differently, so if you are unable to support monetarily, please consider other means of support such as speaking out against gender inequality and following GIRLS online.
Thank you very much for your support!
-Hannah Long (Advisor) & Nsubuga Tonny (Founder)
Girls In Real Life Society
Above: Nusubuga Tonny, Founder of GIRLS
Above & Below: GIRLS Team Leaders meeting to prepare for their Menstrual Hygiene project where they will educate on the menstruation cycle, how girls miss a quarter of their school time, and create reusable menstrual pads to distribute.
Above: Tonny meeting with Nakisuyi Perusi, who came forward to share her story facing gender based violence and oppression in her own life. Because of Perusi's courage to share, she is raising awareness of inequalities faced, but also letting other women know they are not alone.
Above: A Facebook post from Tonny captioned, "Having fun with the children, and using this game to create team work among them, telling them that we all need each other! It was so fun and we had a very great time!"
Organizer