The Project Good for Girls Annual Fundraiser 2025 is live!

We’re so glad you’re here and we hope you will consider a contribution!

The funds we raised last year helped our partner organization in Ethiopia – Girls Gotta Run Foundation (GGRF) – pilot a self-defence programme for adolescent girls, after their mothers raised concerns about a rise in traditional ‘abduction’ practices in Soddo (where the programme is based). Thanks to YOUR support the new initiative got off to a roaring start. 50 girls received hands-on training in taekwondo-based self-defence, as part of critical life skills learning. Their training is continuing, and more girls will soon be added to the group.

Read more about the initiative here .

Vocational training and digital skills

Over the next 2 years, we hope to focus our efforts on empowering adolescent girls who are alumni of our partner GGRF's athletic scholars programme. Because of the success of the programme, these girls are avoiding early marriage and completing high school. Some hope to continue their education in college, while others have dreams of becoming entrepreneurs. We hope to support vocational training to help them develop the necessary skills they need to start small businesses such as sewing and needlework, hairdressing, and shopkeeping (all based on requests from the girls themselves).

We also want to help grow something that so many of us take for granted. Digital literacy. This remains an immense challenge for young people in Ethiopia, because of poor tech infrastructure, and limited to no access to devices and the internet. Girls are especially impacted – cultural stereotypes mean that technology of any kind is still viewed as a male domain. Many families also simply cannot afford to pay for internet access or devices, much less learn how to use them. This will shut out too many young people from 21st century digital economy opportunities.

This year, a few laptops and mobile devices were procured for the girls by GGRF, and the hunger to learn how to use these was insatiable!! Plans are now underway to create two computer labs, one in each programme location, which will serve as a safe space for girls to study and develop their digital skills. Launching the labs, complete with space rental, equipment, devices and staffing will cost $20,000 over the course of a year.

We hope to raise $10,000 to fully launch one of the labs.

Is this ambitious? YES.

Can we do it? ALSO YES!

Who is our partner Girls Gotta Run Foundation?

In Ethiopia, where GGRF operates, although 95% of girls begin their education, only about 20% complete secondary school and just a tiny fraction go on to tertiary education. Child marriage, where girls are married off before age 18 (often right when they hit puberty) continues to be a serious problem. Once a girl is married, her access to education and peer networks ceases, and motherhood follows soon after despite the girl still being a child herself.

GGRF’s mission – through athletics and life skills – is to increase the number of girls staying in school, while also increasing their self-confidence, access to economic assets, and control over life choices. In Bekoji and Sodo, over 175 girls participate in the programme receiving full athletic scholarships which provide tuition, exam fees, school lunches, school uniforms and hygiene supplies, full running gear, life-skills education, and access to showers and laundry. Medical subsidies are also provided for each girl and her mother. The athletic scholars meet three times per week to run as a team and train under the direction of their Coach. Their schedule allows them to train without sacrificing the time they need for homework and family obligations. The Girls Gotta Run teams also compete in local races annually. Some girls have even started competing at the national level!

Since the launch of its athletic scholars programme in 2014, 1000 girls have directly benefited. 100% of girls who completed the programme have delayed marriage and childbirth (before 18 or before completing secondary school). 89% of girls have taken on leadership roles in their communities. 98% have finished or are on track to finish secondary school, and a significant number have gone on to college and tertiary vocational studies. In addition, GGRF has made an important impact on the community, reaching more than 6000 people including parents, siblings, and community leaders.

Project Good for Girls is proud to continue partnering with GGRF to expand its support for adolescent girls both joining the programme, and as alumni so they can continue with their studies, develop important life and vocational skills, and become leaders in their communities.

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Project Good for Girls is a not-for-profit organization that supports girls in countries around the world to gain the education, skills and self-esteem they need to become independent, empowered adults able to realize their full potential and be forces for change in their communities. We believe in partnering with other non-profit organizations focused on empowering girls to provide long-term, small but impactful grants and other assistance to pilot new initiatives or expand on successful ones.