USAID Mali Exposure features: “Champions for Change: Communities Unite for Girls Education”

The USAID GLEE project, which seeks to increase access to education for adolescent girls (ages 10-18) and empower girls to complete more schooling in Mali, was featured in a USAID/Mali Exposure piece published on July 7, 2023.

The story, which includes vivid photography, covers how USAID GLEE-supported schools and Accelerated Schooling Centers support girls to overcome social and economic barriers to catch up on missed years of schooling. The project also helps girls develop strong study habits, improve hygiene practices and cope with sensitive issues like gender-based violence. In an ASC, students are enrolled for a nine-month period and work with trained mentors to catch up on math and reading before transitioning to a public school.

“When I was in school, I always wanted to help my friends who didn’t have the chance to study. With USAID GLEE, I became a volunteer mentor. Now I tell the kids, “Make your life a dream, and the dream a reality.” – Aïssata Goudienkilé, youth mentor