You helped us reach our Big Give target — here’s what it means

Dahine (in black): “ Knowing that someone believed in me gave me strength and hope.”

I wanted to share an update with you about our recent matched giving appeal for girls’ education — and to say thank you.

Thanks to our supporters, and everyone who joined Make Mine A Double (our online fundraising Christmas party broadcast all weekend), we were able to access all the matched funding available for this year’s campaign.

This support came at exactly the right moment. More girls are coming to us for help, and funding is getting harder to secure. These funds provide much-needed support towards keeping the 250 girls in our programme in school for the year ahead — support we could not take for granted.

To show what this means in practice, we want to share the words of Daphine, a former Awamu student now in further education:

“Thank you so much for everything you do to support Awamu.
Your support came into my life at a moment when I felt completely alone and unsure of my future.
Knowing that someone believed in me gave me strength and hope.
Because of you, I stayed in school.
I began to see myself as someone who deserved a chance.
There are many girls facing the same challenges I did.
Your kindness reminds us that we matter, that we are not alone and that someone is standing on our side.”
— Daphine

We’re very grateful to everyone who helped make this possible.

Your support mean a great deal to us, and we look forward to sharing more updates as the new school year begins.