News
Tuesday, June 1, 2021
Helping Girls Succeed
Girls should be the architects of their own futures. With your support, Girls Gotta Run Foundation (GGRF) is making that possible for female scholar-athletes in Ethiopia. Their scholarships help girls succeed at school and beyond with a rigorous program that addresses their physical and mental wellbeing.
We’ve been fans of this lifechanging organization for many years and are deepening our engagement (and our financial support) every year. Now, you can support GGRF and go the distance by participating in our 5k Fun Run!
One of things that’s inspiring us is the way they focus on holistic wellbeing for their students. The program is designed to build social, emotional and intellectual resilience, and provide space for reflection and growth.
In addition to scholarships, hot meals, menstrual products and healthcare, run clubs build leadership development skills. GGRF helps students set goals, work to achieve them and collaborate with others. In weekly life skills courses, students have a safe environment to problem solve and gain support. Topics include healthy relationships, financial literacy and more. “What I find really beautiful is that this is a safe space to work through problems and get safe information from an adult and their peers,” explains Rosie Rodriguez, GGRF’s Senior Board Member/Treasurer. “They can come in and release the stress they are encountering in their lives.”
GGRF’s success is immediately evident in its many graduates. The majority of graduates from the initial 3-year program continue to high school and then to college. Today, GGRF continues to support 22 program graduates who are currently in university. “It’s exciting seeing the ways in which they are evolving. We’re looking at how we can reincorporate them back into the program to share what they’ve learned with younger students,” says Kate Meyer, GGRF’s Board Chair.
Beyond the individual lives of its graduates, GGRF’s scholarship program has been transformational in getting local communities to understand why they need to invest in women and girls, and the many ways that investment can take place. Their support for mothers includes healthcare and an entrepreneurship program that helps them generate income that they can then reinvest in their daughters.
Last year, you helped us contribute over $20,000 to support GGRF’s incredible work. This year, we’re inviting you to run with us in our virtual 5k Fun Run to support the GGRF’s students. We’re proud to support GGRF through our 5k Fun Run and contributions on select Ethiopian microlots. Join us and get training for our Sucafina Annual Fun Run for GGRF!
Go the distance for girls' education.
Now you can support Girls Gotta Run Foundation and invest in a girl's future by joining Sucafina's 5k Fun Run on Thursday, 24 June. With your help, we will raise $16,000 USD, to sponsor girls to attend school for the 2021-22 academic year. Join us!