I am thrilled to share the newest projects that have been awarded over the past few months through Dining for Women’s partnership with the Peace Corps’ Let Girls Learn program. From Madagascar to Kyrgz Republic, DFW members have supported girls in locations we’ve never reached before!

To refresh your memory, DFW entered into a partnership with the Peace Corps’ Let Girls Learn Program earlier this year for the purpose of reducing the barriers that girls have in obtaining an education. We invested $100,000 to implement projects all over the world at “the last mile” where women and girls face the most extreme obstacles to education.  When funds are provided to an approved Let Girls Learn project, the community must raise 25 percent of the cost, ensuring that these projects have the support of the community.

Peace Corps representatives tell us that our partnership has been special because our agreement fully funds projects and gets them off the ground as soon as possible.  This means that, in less than a year, they have been able to deploy 97 percent of the DFW funds!  A total of 34 projects have been supported in 20 countries. The second quarterly report has now been posted HERE.

Another aspect of this partnership that has been unique and fun is that Peace Corps Volunteers are contacting us and telling us stories about the projects they are implementing. A Volunteer in South Africa, who is implementing a “Girls of Tomorrow” project, even sent a video.  This project emphasizes the benefits of going to university, how to apply, and what the girls need to do in high school to prepare themselves.  Please watch the video and then comment on it to send a message to the girls!

Below is an email I received from a Peace Corps Volunteer in Zambia. DFW has awarded more than $14,000 for the “Girls Can Code” Technology Camp which directly meets the need of rural Zambia to narrow the technology gap and increase female opportunity through education and material support.   I encourage you to follow their Facebook page and say hello from DFW!  In addition to future Google Hangouts between our Director of Grants and Partnerships Veena Khandke and Peace Corps Volunteers, I will keep you updated with emails and stories from these projects.

Greetings from Zambia!

As you know, we are conducting the first ever “Girls Can Code!” Technology Camp in Zambia in January 2017.  This would not have been possible without your generosity! We have high expectations for this camp, as it is aimed at fulfilling Peace Corps’ agenda under its Let Girls Learn initiative; and building leadership/teamwork as well as promoting gender equality in this developing nation.

This project will directly reach 24 girls and 12 female mentors from their respective rural communities, but will extend out into their communities as the girls and mentors take the newfound information back home.

We conceive that this project will have a positive impact on the lives of these girls, who tend to be “marginalized” in Zambia, or may be subjected to teen pregnancy and childhood marriage.

We’ve been developing this concept-project since last November, and finally we can move forward with our plans because of people like you!

Presently, we are working on the project manual, so that this project can live beyond the first deployment of the camp, and purchasing equipment needed for the camp!

We cannot thank you enough for being “part of the team” that will see exciting things happen in the lives of these rural adolescent girls.

Of course, we will keep you up-to-date on the efforts and provide a summary of the actual event when we complete it. You may wish to follow our Facebook page, which will be updated with pictures and some dialogue. 

Our Facebook page can be found here.

Please, if you have any questions or comments feel free to contact me by this email.

Sincerely, with great thanks,

U.S. Peace Corps, Zambia