For those who fear for the future, look no further than today’s youth who are not only dreaming but also planning for a better tomorrow. Last spring, I wrote about a group of high school girls who took a school assignment to the next level.
Instructed to “make an impact,” their initial thoughts of providing pencils and paper to their peers in low-income countries morphed into a commitment to raise $5,000 to improve access to menstrual hygiene products in Tanzania. They worked with local restaurants, took to social media messaging, and set up a GoFundMe push that exceeded their goals. The funds they raised provide training, reusable pads, and underwear to girls in STS-supported schools in Tanzania.
But that’s just the beginning. The girls, who moniker themselves ‘School Squared’, want to have an immediate and concrete impact on poverty. Their ambitions include cross-cultural understanding and intercultural cooperation over the longer term. In a 44-page research paper, Elena Rexach, a high school sophomore (!) described the group’s interest in educating people about period poverty as well as raising funds to fight it:
Every year new information comes out, and more and more people can be educated about period poverty. (We) will try to reach more girls in Tanzania, and … will reach out to their local community and make sure they are as aware about the topic as the girls in Tanzania.
Making an impact, preparing for additional learning, and growing their capacity to help. STS is proud – and inspired – to find partners like these high school students as we seek to improve the lives (as well as the learning) of children in the Arusha District of Tanzania. We hope you will join our partnership too.
In the hands of partners like School Squared, a better tomorrow is within reach of those who both dream and plan for it.
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