The Girl Effect

Today lots of bloggers are writing about The Girl Effect, and even though I don't usually blog during the week, I didn't want to miss the chance to write about this. I believe in this one, and if we really want to Make the World a Better Place, and get an optimal return on our development investment, this is something we should support.

Here's the idea. If we invest in keeping girls in school, they will have a chance for a better life, not only for themselves, but for their families and for their communities - and if we keep enough girls in school, it will change things for the better for whole countries and eventually for the world. A few years ago, the Nike Foundation funded the creation of the first of the Girl Effect videos, and even though there have been several others since, this one is still my favorite. If we really want to do something to improve life for people in poor countries, one of the most effective strategies - with the best return on investment - is educating girls.

For years - I don't actually remember how many - the Girl Scout troops in our neighborhood have donated money to help keep a girl in school in Cambodia. The concept is a simple one: every month the girl stays in school, her family gets $10. This small amount of money reduces some of the financial pressure on poor families and help keeps the girls in school. The first year we did it, it was the girls who decided to support this particular cause, and the girls have continued it, every year since.

It was in the New York Times today, that because of the pressure on the Federal budget, foreign aid is taking a big hit. Times are tough, and we do need to focus our investments in the areas where they are most effective.

One of those areas is supporting the education of girls.

And the Girl Scouts can't do it alone.