One Girl, Lots of Hope

A great and hopeful story from the Central District News about Garfield freshman, Jessica Markowitz, who single-handedly started a Seattle group to raise money to educate girls in a village in Rwanda. From the article:

In that time, Jessica has visited Rwanda three times, earned national recognition for her work, including a spot on CNN and a cover story in Parade Magazine, and built lasting friendships with the 30 girls in the rural area of Nyamata.

The goals of the organization are:
  • Enable girls to finish primary school and attend 6 years of secondary school;
  • Reduce the gender discrimination that prevents girls from completing primary and secondary education. Develop an on-going cross-cultural exchange program between high school students in Seattle, WA and primary and secondary girls in Nyamata and Kigali Rwanda.
  • Support the mentorship provided by girls from Fawe Girls School in the Rwandan capital Kigali, to low income girls in the rural district of Nyamata.
  • Collaborate with local NGOs in Rwanda to maintain the support for girls to complete their secondary education.
  • High school students in Seattle will raise funds to support program activities through proposal writing and fund-raising activities.
  • Increase community awareness and understanding of the issues surrounding the Rwandan genocide by organizing speakers, remembrance events and community outreach activities.
They are looking for donations to help match a pledge from the Paul Allen Foundation for $25,000.

Gives you hope to read a story like this about youth in our SPS schools. Any other good news?

Comments

seattle citizen said…
I've been hearing a lot about this project for a year or so now. This is just wonderful! This student grabbed hold of an idea in her heart and has run with it. I wonder how we can inspire every student in the district to take a similar benevolence and put this sort of energy into it.
We can require it, but better would be to encourage and lead by example.
6/15/10, 7:42 AM
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