The Valuable Girl Project

“When we asked questions, the teacher would ignore us [girls] – or tell us, ‘Why do you bother? You’re not good for anything but marriage’.”

-Sherry, College Student, Upper Egypt

 

The Valuable Girl Project is the innovative Coptic Orphans development program that empowers girls and young women through educational mentoring. The program focuses on high poverty areas of Egypt where girls of all ages face a high risk of dropping out of school due to poverty and bias against girls. This program supports all girls in need of it, regardless of religion.

According to the 2005 World Economic Forum report, women in Egypt are the furthest behind men in terms of economic equality and access to education. Out of 30 industrialized countries and 28 emerging market countries, Egypt came in last (58th).

At home, in their communities, and even in their schools and classrooms, girls often receive the message that their education is not important. At school, girls are a minority in the classroom, especially in older grades. Teachers ignore their presence in the classroom and devalue the importance of their education. Girls’ educational environment at school and at home is hostile to their learning. Yet research has shown that education for girls is the most effective way to end the cycle of poverty, because it is the education of the mother that determines the poverty of the child. That’s why a major focus of our overall goal at Coptic Orphans is empowering the girl child through education, and why we developed the Valuable Girl Project.

In the program, girls in high school and college are trained to be role models and academic mentors to girls in primary school. Through one-on-one mentoring and tutoring, these “big sisters” read stories and do homework and other academic activities with their “little sisters.”

The “big sisters” realize the value of their education for their empowerment through the responsibility of assisting a younger girl in her schoolwork and serving as a role model. They receive a monthly stipend, which is given directly to them and which they are free to spend as they wish. They become leaders in their community and advocates for girls’ education. They find support in each other, as some of the few young women who have reached higher levels of education in their villages.

The “little sisters” receive positive, educated role models in their “big sisters.” They receive academic support in an environment that, unlike their school environment, encourages them, respects them, and recognizes their immense value as girls who deserve access to all opportunities.

 

Results

Since 2002, the Valuable Girl Project has accomplished the following goals:

• Nearly all participating “big sisters” reported that their lives changed because of the project: areas cited include responsibility, discipline, punctuality, study skills, and self-confidence, all key ingredients.
• Participating girls gained greater access to civil rights after participating. “big sisters” who had gained government identity cards grew by nearly 30% in the first year that they participated, and all girls who gained government health cards universally and significantly increased

Read about how The Valuable Girl Project Empowered Dalia and Isis

A 12-minute DVD about the program is available for a small shipping fee. Coptic Orphans can also come to your class, organization, or church to give a presentation on this program. Please contact us for more information.