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WGEP currently focuses our work in sub-Saharan Africa, where poverty rates are among the highest in the world, and, correspondingly, literacy and school attendance rates for girls-- especially those from rural communities--are among the lowest. According
to UNICEF, almost half of all school-age girls in Africa are out of
school, and only 15 percent of those who do attend finish primary school and go on to
secondary school. Sine-Saloum, Senegal 2/3 of women age 15 and up in Senegal cannot read or write; only 16% of girls go to secondary school (UNICEF) Tharaka, Kenya One of the poorest regions in Kenya because of its isolated location, lack of resources including electricity and running water, and low market prices for agricultural products Both the nations of Senegal and Kenya have robust "Education for All" policy goals and work hard to provide more schools, promote better instruction and eliminate barriers to education. However, remote rural areas such as Sine-Saloum and Tharaka are often the last to benefit from such government initiatives and the last to change deeply-entrenched gender roles and biases. WGEP seeks to ensure that all children--especially girls born into families in remote, rural areas--will get their chance for an education in spite of the accident of geography. Addressing barriers to girls' education in our communities By working closely with our in-country partner community organizations, WGEP found many factors that
contribute to low attendance and literacy rates for women and girls in the villages we serve. The barriers found include:
The WGEP model for girls’ education is designed
to help communities address these factors from the ground up. Our
local partners work with girls, their families and their communities to
promote the importance of girls' education, help families work through
the obstacles that keep their daughters from going to school, and
assist teachers, families and
community members in promoting and supporting girls’ education at all
levels.
By focusing on strong partnerships with local organizations and community leaders, WGEP seeks to ensure that our programs are culturally relevant and in line with a specific community's needs and concerns.
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