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Removing barriers to education with secure, hopeful, empowered girls
School fees, legal registration, textbooks, health checks, hunger, and uniforms. SHE girls tell us that these are just some of the barriers preventing them from fully accessing their education.
SHE is working collaboratively with incredible Zimbabwean girls and their families, teachers and local social services, in rural communities to understand these barriers. What causes them, how they can be overcome, and, what role SHE can play in co-creating sustainable change; to ensure the girls’ access to education is consistent, now and in the future.
While we continue to better understand the landscape, we will enable and equip an initial 25 girls to return to school in January 2021 safe in the knowledge their fees will be paid. We believe they shouldn’t have to wait to learn, while we do.
About us - Jaya's story
Jaya’s parents had passed away and she had moved from grandparents to aunties and uncles until she had no options left. No one could afford to support her. Jaya was 13 at the time. She thought her only option was to move away and become a cleaner in a large Zimbabwean institution. This would give her food and shelter but expose her to the risk of exploitation plus physical and sexual abuse.
Jaya was visiting the farm of our founder’s mother-in-law to say goodbye and thank her for the kindness she had shown her. Mayda (SHE founder) was there at the time.
“I looked at this 13 year old girl, alone in a field, with her bag packed, ready to leave for a dangerous place. I thought – no! I asked her if I could help her.”
Mayda found her a place to live, supported her with all of her financial expenses for school, health and life. Mayda became an aunty to Jaya – although Jaya calls her mum.
Jaya is 22 now. She lives with an older woman in her village. She has just sat her A levels and is eagerly awaiting her results. She has her heart set on practising law.
The dream of supporting many more girls like Jaya was born.