Anika Manzoor and Mira Fleming, both 13, know how lucky they are to be able to attend school. "A lot of American kids take their education for granted," Mira told TFK.
Anika and Mira are members of School Girls Unite, an organization begun last year by a group of Maryland eighth graders. These schoolgirls are united in a mission to help girls their age in the African country of Mali get an education.
Families in Mali have to pay for supplies, uniforms, furniture and part of teachers' salaries. Poor families often choose to pay for their boys' education, not their girls'. Less than 30% of girls attend school. Of those, the majority do not complete primary school.
"We want to change the situation in Mali, but we also want to make Americans aware of how important girls' education is," says Anika. School Girls Unite has 20 female members, ranging in age from 9 to 60. The group also has a chapter in Mali whose 20 members are in 10th grade.
Last October, School Girls Unite raised $300 by selling school supplies. With that money, the group paid for the education of 15 girls in Mali. This year, the group's goal is to keep those 15 in school, allow even more girls to start classes and improve conditions in Mali schools.
"Some schools don't have electricity, running water or bathrooms for girls," Anika says. "We want to renovate the schools and provide more supplies."
On February 6, the group held a fund-raiser that featured a speech by the ambassador of Mali, dancing and skits. The event raised more than $5,000. To find out how you can help, visit schoolgirlsunite.org.