Girls Supporting Girls Celebrates Booktober!

Throughout the month of October, our partner organization, Room to Read, supported global literacy with several "Booktober" events .  We at Girls Supporting Girls are big fans of global literacy as well, so we decided to host a Booktober event of our own.



Board member Kim Bahna and I invited a group of third grade girls to discuss how they could help other girls around the world go to school.  We watched a clip from the movie  "Girl Rising" and discussed the barriers (sometimes financial, sometimes cultural) that girls face in obtaining an education.

Then, we created "Inspiration Journals," where the girls wrote about people and things that inspired them to be strong and fearless. The girls also created bookmarks.  Each girl was asked to bring a small donation for Room to Read; some of donated their allowance or other money they had saved!  We discussed the collective power of their donations (almost $500!) and how together, the funds they raised could buy 10 bikes for girls to travel to school or 20 school uniforms or two full scholarships.  Some of the girls were so inspired that they have planned their own fundraising events.

What's the best place in the world to be a woman?

Hint: Pack a heavy parka in your suitcase. 
(The U.S., sadly, didn't even crack the Top 20.) 

Check out this interactive map to see which countries have the smallest gender gaps. 

Happy International Day of the Girl!

What are you doing to mark this day with the girls in your life?

We've got a few suggestions:

1. Check out A Mighty Girl, an awesome website that lists book, toy, music and other suggestions for raising smart, strong and confident girls.

2. Learn about The Girl Effect, a program started by the Nike Foundation to held adolescent girls end poverty for themselves and the world.

3.Watch our hero Malala's awesome appearance on the Daily Show earlier this week, and catch her  interview with Diane Sawyer tonight on 20/20.

4. Donate to Girls Supporting Girls so we can get busy building our first school. We can't wait to
empower more girls to fulfill their dreams and make the world a better place, and we can't think of a better way for you to honor a special girl in your life!

What's on our reading list: I am Malala

Today, October 9th, marks the one-year anniversary of the day 15-year-old Malala Yousafzai-- a girl who refused to let the Taliban deny her right to an education--was shot in the head at point-blank range while riding the bus home from school in her native Pakistan. Few expected her to survive, but today she is globally-recognized symbol of peaceful protest, has a speech in front of the United Nations under her belt and is the youngest nominee ever for the Nobel Peace Prize. 

We're excited to read her book, and know it will inspire us to work harder to help girls everywhere get the education they deserve. 

But we also know this goal is not an easy one. A sobering reminder: this week, the Taliban renewed its threat against this young hero. 

Guest blogger Lulu Daly, age 12, discusses her Mitzvah project (Hint: It involves Girls Supporting Girls!)

As you may know, when a Jewish child turns 13, they a have a special celebration called a Bat Mitzvah.  Bat Mitzvah is when you become a “child of the torah.” On this day you read from the Torah. Leading up to this day you have to do many, many things to prepare. Study your portion, go to at least 18 temple services, plan the after party (obviously), and, most important, choose a Mitzvah project.

            You may be wondering, what’s a Mitzvah? Well, to answer your question, Mitzvah in Hebrew is favor, but it also means responsibility. The Mitzvah project is a project you do to help others, not just yourself. By completing a Mitzvah project, I am honoring my responsibility to help others.

At first, I had several ideas for my Mitzvah project, but none inspired me.  When my mom started working with Girls Supporting Girls I knew I wanted to be part of it. I wanted to make Girls Supporting Girls part of my Mitzvah project. I had already seen Girl Rising with my mom. I loved it. It was just so amazing to see girls from different developing countries not being able to go to school but still working through it, being strong, and learning to live with so much less. I had always thought everyone was able to go to school, but after seeing Girl Rising, I realized that many girls don’t even have school.   I know I am lucky to be learning about crystals and minerals and reading books! Some girls aren't even allowed to go school or don't have the money to even learn how to multiply 2 and 2!

I was so excited when my mom told me about GSG. Girls Supporting Girls is an organization helping girls in developing countries learn, read, write and mostly, go to school. They are working with Room To Read to build a whole entire school in Cambodia! I recently went to a meeting and we talked about the unfairness of girls rights. After all this talking and discussing, I immediately knew what my new Mitzvah project was going to be. I could not wait to get started! The next day my mom and I checked about Booktober, an event that Room To Read was hosting. There were different rewards for different amounts of donations. $10: 10 books for a girl. $25: new school uniforms for 4 kids who can’t go to school. $50: A bicycle for a student to ride to and from school safely. $100:  4 library shelves filled with books and finally $250: Can send a child to school for a whole entire year. Now, I have my goal. Before my Bat Mitzvah, next year, I want to send 4 girls to school.  That's $1,000!  I know my Bat Mitzvah project may not be easy, but it will change the lives of  4 girls… girls just like me!  You can help me with my Mitzvah project right now.  Just click on the 'Support Us' tab above and look for Rebecca and Lulu Daly's page! 

-Lulu Daly

Photos from our inaugural event! An Evening with Girl Rising Director Richard Robbins

Girls Supporting Girls kicked off our major fundraising efforts in style with a sold-out screening of the documentary "Girl Rising," with director Richard Robbins in attendance. We raised nearly $15,000! Thanks to all who attended and supported our efforts, and huge, special thanks to the lovely City Winery staff and to Richard, who flew in from Los Angeles for the event.

GSG founders Diana Kenworthy, Judy Sutton Taylor and Juliet Moffat with Girl Rising director Richard Robbins

Girl Rising Director Richard Robbins

GSG Co-founder Juliet Moffat interviews Richard Robbins 

Board member Kristyna Ryan

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