SOFERES
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Please help SOFERES raise $49,900 to bring Attitude, Skills, and Knowledge for Girls (ASK4Girls) Clubs, to schools in the Dzaleka Refugee Camp in Malawi.
Solidarity of Refugee Women for the Social Welfare (SOFERES) is a refugee-led, volunteer-based, not for-profit organization committed to empowering the most vulnerable and marginalized women and girls to challenge discriminatory attitudes, behaviors, and harmful traditional practices.
SOFERES will implement ASK4Girls Clubs to reach 1,000 girls who live in the Dzaleka Camp in Malawi, in partnership with the Association for Community Empowerment Solutions (ACESWorld), a grassroots organization that works to empower girls.ASK4Girls Clubs are after school clubs which help girls remain in school and thrive by providing them with life skills training, supplies and education on reproductive health, menstrual health and hygiene, and environmental green skills
Adolescent girls living in the Dzaleka Refugee Camp face multiple barriers that prevent them from realizing their full potential. Dzaleka is a temporary home to refugees from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Rwanda, Burundi, Somalia, and Ethiopia. As of November 30, 2021, there were 52,135 refugees and asylum seekers residing at the camp. Adolescents comprise more than 26% of the total population. Dzaleka was built to house 4,000 people, and with an average of 500 new arrivals each month, itis overcrowded, and educational services cannot keep up with the growth in population.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, and as a result ofschool closures and lockdowns, there has been an increase in early pregnancies, child marriage and child abuse. Even before the pandemic, Malawi had one of the highest rates of child marriage in the world, with approximately 42 per cent of girls married before the age of 18, and 9 per cent below the age of 15 (Read PDF by UNICEF here ).
This situation has been worsened by the increased flow of refugees into Dzaleka Camp following instability and unrest in the region
SOFERES aims to support girls as they return to school after the period of school closures by helping girls develop the knowledge and skills they need to succeed, and advocate for themselves to avoid child marriage, early pregnancy and to continue their education.
Through the ASK4Girls Clubs, girls will learn to support one another, communicate their needs and challenges, and understand and care for their bodies and the consequences of their choices. Girls will learn critical life skills, such as financial literacy, problem solving, public speaking, and how to advocate for themselves against issues like gender based violence. They will also learn about taking climate action in their communities as well as learn a green income-generating craft. As part of the activities,girls will have an opportunity to meet role models who have succeeded under similar circumstances. Girls who participate in ASK4Girls clubs often have a multiplier effect in their communities. As they learn how to make menstrual pads, advocate for sustainable practices in their communities, and challenge harmful gender norms, they also share these lessons with their friends, families and girls in their communities.The ASK4Girls Clubs will also engage communities, families, and schools to help girls thrive by providing training, educational materials and curriculum for schools and by hosting community events to help change gender norms to create supportive environments for girls.
Join us and support our campaign.
Not able to donate? You can also help make a difference by helping spread the word. Kindly share our campaign page with friends, colleagues and family members explaining why you support our cause!
Thank you for being a part of our community.
Find us on social media and the web:
Facebook
Twitter
Website
Solidarity of Refugee Women for the Social Welfare (SOFERES) is a refugee-led, volunteer-based, not for-profit organization committed to empowering the most vulnerable and marginalized women and girls to challenge discriminatory attitudes, behaviors, and harmful traditional practices.
SOFERES will implement ASK4Girls Clubs to reach 1,000 girls who live in the Dzaleka Camp in Malawi, in partnership with the Association for Community Empowerment Solutions (ACESWorld), a grassroots organization that works to empower girls.ASK4Girls Clubs are after school clubs which help girls remain in school and thrive by providing them with life skills training, supplies and education on reproductive health, menstrual health and hygiene, and environmental green skills
Adolescent girls living in the Dzaleka Refugee Camp face multiple barriers that prevent them from realizing their full potential. Dzaleka is a temporary home to refugees from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Rwanda, Burundi, Somalia, and Ethiopia. As of November 30, 2021, there were 52,135 refugees and asylum seekers residing at the camp. Adolescents comprise more than 26% of the total population. Dzaleka was built to house 4,000 people, and with an average of 500 new arrivals each month, itis overcrowded, and educational services cannot keep up with the growth in population.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, and as a result ofschool closures and lockdowns, there has been an increase in early pregnancies, child marriage and child abuse. Even before the pandemic, Malawi had one of the highest rates of child marriage in the world, with approximately 42 per cent of girls married before the age of 18, and 9 per cent below the age of 15 (Read PDF by UNICEF here ).
This situation has been worsened by the increased flow of refugees into Dzaleka Camp following instability and unrest in the region
SOFERES aims to support girls as they return to school after the period of school closures by helping girls develop the knowledge and skills they need to succeed, and advocate for themselves to avoid child marriage, early pregnancy and to continue their education.
Through the ASK4Girls Clubs, girls will learn to support one another, communicate their needs and challenges, and understand and care for their bodies and the consequences of their choices. Girls will learn critical life skills, such as financial literacy, problem solving, public speaking, and how to advocate for themselves against issues like gender based violence. They will also learn about taking climate action in their communities as well as learn a green income-generating craft. As part of the activities,girls will have an opportunity to meet role models who have succeeded under similar circumstances. Girls who participate in ASK4Girls clubs often have a multiplier effect in their communities. As they learn how to make menstrual pads, advocate for sustainable practices in their communities, and challenge harmful gender norms, they also share these lessons with their friends, families and girls in their communities.The ASK4Girls Clubs will also engage communities, families, and schools to help girls thrive by providing training, educational materials and curriculum for schools and by hosting community events to help change gender norms to create supportive environments for girls.
Join us and support our campaign.
Not able to donate? You can also help make a difference by helping spread the word. Kindly share our campaign page with friends, colleagues and family members explaining why you support our cause!
Thank you for being a part of our community.
Find us on social media and the web:
Website
This project is supported by the Girls Opportunity Alliance .
Your donation to benefit this campaign/project will be allocated to the Girls Opportunity Alliance Fund (“GOA Fund”), a project of GoFundMe.org (a U.S. public charity). The Girls Opportunity Alliance Fund may grant a refund in limited circumstances at its sole and absolute discretion, however, donations are not refundable after the GoFundMe payment platform has transferred your donation to the Girls Opportunity Alliance Fund. Transfers from GoFundMe to Girls Opportunity Alliance fund typically occur once monthly. All donations are subject to the variance power of GoFundMe.org, as stated in the applicable GoFundMe.org policies (https://www.gofundme.org/policies/). Subject to applicable law, donations may be tax-deductible.
The GOA Fund is restricted to supporting girls' education and your donation is made for the support of the above described project. Notwithstanding that the campaign description may name a specific organization that is anticipated to engage in the projects, GoFundMe.org retains variance power, that is, discretion and control over how funds are disbursed within the purposes of the GOA Fund generally, and within the purpose of the project specifically. For example, if the project does not reach its minimum fundraising goal, GoFundMe.org may re-assign money raised to another campaign within the GOA Fund.
As of April 11, 2019, the Direct Impact Fund operates as GoFundMe.org.
Organizer and beneficiary
Amisi Damiano
Organizer
Malawi
Girls Opportunity Alliance Fund, A Project Of GoFundMe.org
Beneficiary
