Lutheran World Relief 180d ago

In Sierra Leone, girls are in crisis. Nearly half of women have never attended school at all. One-third leave school by age 12. They are often forced into early marriage, child labor or worse In a country where 57% of people live in poverty, young girls are trapped in a cycle of hardship and missed opportunity. Why? In large part, it’s because poverty and a lack of education are a vicious cycle. A lack of income is by far the largest barrier to girls’ education. Poor parents feel the financial burden twice: first in the cost of tuition (where applicable), uniforms, food and supplies, and second in the loss of income when their daughter attends school instead of working. (Child labor is common, with 49% of children ages 12-14 contributing to their household income.) Education is the most powerful tool to break the vicious cycle of poverty that so many of our neighbors find themselves in. Specifically, girls’ education. Educating a girl changes everything. She earns more, faces lower risks in childbirth and strengthens her local economy — empowering her family and transforming her community for generations. With the support of congregations like yours, Lutheran World Relief launched a program to keep girls in school. Working with local government and school officials, we use innovative tools to track attendance and identify girls at risk — then surround them with what they need to thrive: cash transfers for families, nutritious school meals, essential supplies, and support for teachers and mentors. Posseh Kamara is a shining example of what an education — and your support — makes possible. Posseh faced more struggle in her short 15 years than many do in a lifetime. After losing her parents and her grandparents, she stopped attending school because her family needed her to work. Her aunt cared for Posseh and saw her potential. But there was no money for food, let alone an education for Posseh. Her future looked bleak. The love of congregations like yours reached Posseh just in time with monthly cash transfers to ensure she could go to school. And that made all the difference. Posseh worked tirelessly to catch up. She not only graduated primary school, but she was also named “Student of the Year.” Compassionate congregations unlocked Posseh’s potential. But so many more girls are waiting for their chance ... We are challenging Lutheran congregations to join together and reach 1,000 more girls in 2026! How many girls will your congregation educate this year? Visit https://lwr.org/school to learn more and join the challenge. Thank you for helping your neighbors like Posseh stay in school and on the path to a brighter future. More information about Lutheran World Relief’s work in Sierra Leone: Video:   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZoL3BppR4n4&t=10s Video:   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k4GuQUriIFM Video:   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xXmIgBiFZjk Video:   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7XfvWhC2Nw8&t=1s&pp=0gcJCR0AztywvtLA News: Year 1 Update: https://lwr.org/blog/2025/year-1-update-how-you-helped-hundreds-girls-stay-school Blog: https://lwr.org/blog/2024/girls-sierra-leone-are-crisis-heres-why Follow Lutheran World Relief on Facebook: facebook.com/LuthWorldRelief Follow Lutheran World Relief on Instagram: instagram.com/luthworldrelief Learn more about Lutheran World Relief: https://lwr.org Subscribe to the Lutheran World Relief email list: https://lwr.org/sign-our-emails Give where needed most: https://lwr.org/give