One of the joys of Thanksgiving is the opportunity to express our gratitude to our Together Women Rise community!
Thank you to all our volunteers, members, and supporters for sharing our vision of a gender equal world -- one where every woman and girl can pursue her dreams and reach her full potential!
Our community also includes our grantees and, this Thanksgiving, we want to give special thanks for the incredible work they are doing to create opportunities for women and girls around the world. This has been an extremely challenging time; the secondary impacts of the pandemic have been devastating for women and girls. Yet, our grantees have been flexible, innovative, and determined to find solutions!
 Edu-GIRLS – a grantee that works in India to educate girls in technology -- is a perfect example. Our original grant in late 2019 was to support smart classrooms with laptops, increase computer time, train 15 teachers, and customize IT skills. As implementation of our grant started, COVID-19 hit. Families living on daily wages saw incomes reduced to zero overnight. Schools closed, and the entire program was at risk of collapse.
With the support of our Rise grant, Edu-GIRLS pivoted and:
- Distributed 600,000 meals during the first lockdown.
- Kept teachers on the payroll and trained 25 (up from 15) in new technology.
- Provided all 600 girls – not just grade 9 and above as originally planned – with tablets to be used at their homes. Their screen time jumped from 2 hours a week to 40-50.
- Mobilized educated mothers to be mentors to the girls.
While the overall performance of all children in the local school board went down, Edu-GIRLS performance shot through the sky!
Our grantees are acting with courage, determination, and resiliency to make a difference for women and girls. Our chapters and our members have been steadfast in their support throughout this pandemic. We could not be prouder or more grateful for our Together Women Rise community!
We wish each of you a very Happy Thanksgiving
and all the best to you and your family this holiday season!
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P.S. Grantees, like Edu-GIRLS, need our support to address the many challenges posed by the ongoing pandemic. Please consider donating to our Giving Tuesday Match. A long-time member will match every annual appeal donation between now and midnight on Giving Tuesday (Nov 30). It’s a great time to double your impact!
Our thanks to everyone who has already contributed to our 2021 annual appeal!
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