Monthly Archives: August 2014

Articles

SOS Children’s Villages Benefit from Catapult’s “Support Girls’ Education” Campaign

Originally published at SOS Children’s Villages.

Washington, D.C. –   SOS Children’s Villages announced today the successful completion of a crowdfunding project with Catapult that is fighting inequality for girls in Nigeria. The funds from Catapult’s “Support Girls’ Education” campaign will be directed to support projects that provide Nigerian girls with essential academic and life skill opportunities.

The “Support Girls’ Education” campaign was Catapult’s response to the devastating abduction of more than 200 Nigerian schoolgirls in Chibok, Nigeria last spring. To kick off the campaign, Catapult teamed up with SOS Children’s Villages and the Kudirat Initiative for Democracy (KIND) to create programs that would support girls’ education in Nigeria. As a result, more than 300 supporters donated over $57,000 to support the projects.

SOS Children’s Villages’ project “A stronger tomorrow for Nigerian girls” will use over $23,000 to fund essential salaries for teachers and a social worker, carry out extracurricular sessions on sexual and reproductive health, and train one peer educator.  The project will also provide education for girls and boys in the SOS Primary school in Jos, Nigeria. Boys will be included in this initiative as they are important advocates and allies in empowering girls. Click here to learn more about the project.

“We’re thrilled to partner with Catapult to help bring a better, stronger tomorrow for girls and boys living in Nigeria,” said Lynn Croneberger, CEO of SOS Children’s Villages – USA. “All children should be given the opportunity to obtain an education in a safe, stable environment. When we invest in protecting and educating our youth, we also invest in the future of our communities.”

To speak to a representative for SOS Children’s Villages, please contact Stephanie Rendon at 202.470.5182 or srendon@sos-usa.org.

SOS Children’s Villages creates stable, loving families worldwide for orphaned and abandoned children. We are raising 80,000 children in over 500 villages across 133 countries, including the US. At present, there are four SOS Children’s Villages in Nigeria, two SOS Youth Facilities, four SOS Kindergartens, four SOS Hermann Gmeiner Schools, one SOS Vocational Training Centre and ten SOS Social Centers.

Belgium, Health, Project, Western and Central Europe, Woman

Beauty and well-being for women with cancer

Support women to feel more secure in their bodies and have the courage to fight cancer.

Why we care: An increasing number of women face cancer each day. Reducing the severe effects of treatment can make the disease easier to handle and help patients through recovery.

How we’re solving this: By supporting women cancer patients with a wide-range of free professional beauty care services and therapeutic massages. Our goal is to host 900 care sessions in our wellness centres, located within the oncology departments of our partner hospitals in Belgium.

With your support, 900 patients can choose to attend, entirely free of charge, 500 beauty-care sessions, including advice on hairstyles and makeup, and 400 therapeutic massages. Trained professionals will carry out this unique support and be there every step of the way.

In 2012, 6.6 million women throughout the world discovered they were suffering from cancer. While treatment is effective, its effects on the body are considerable and include skin reactions, broken nails, as well as loss of hair, eyebrows, and eyelashes. Often, women start to feel that they are losing their femininity and their dignity.

By improving the well-being of cancer patients, we’ll substantially improve their chances of recovery. We know that women have greater strength to carry on the fight if they feel more confident in their bodies. Our support also helps to combat loneliness and isolation through the warm welcoming environment provided by our trained professionals. The beneficial effects of our work are recognized by both the medical corps and by the patients themselves.

We already have seven centers that are operational in Europe – five are located in Belgium. This structure allows us to work extremely well and efficiently and is highly valued by all our stakeholders, from professionals to patients to partners. Currently, our principal challenge is to gather the funds we need to continue and extend our work. Your support, along with a variety of communications strategies and partnerships, will help us reach our goal.

We’re improving the quality of life for women facing cancer by offering them specific care, such as beauty and therapeutic massages. This is the very essence of our work. We have carried out our mission for ten years thanks to the generosity of our sponsors, partners, and people like you.

If women feel more secure in their bodies, they’ll have greater courage to fight the illness. Together, let’s help patients fight the effects of cancer treatment on women. 


Education & training, Media, Project, Rights

Who is your Shirzan?

Shirzan means female hero and role model. Help empower Muslim girls find their Shirzan in positive sports role models in media.

Why we care: Girls who play sports learn transferable skills leading to greater education, job opportunities, and economic benefits for the community. Sports help girls excel in life and realize their full potential.

How we’re solving this: Through an innovative digital news service featuring Muslim females in sports, we’ll shine a light on struggles and triumphs over barriers, such as gender discrimination, and inspire youth to push for gender equality.

Your support will be the seed funding we need to power the launch and dissemination of our pilot issue in winter 2014. Shirzanan Global Edition is an updated version of Shirzanan, the first Iranian women’s sports magazine that scored over 6.5 million website hits between 2007 and 2009. Our expanded coverage will embolden Muslim females to pursue their rights and dreams – resulting in even greater participation in all aspects of the sports industry.

Our full news service will launch in early 2015 and will include resource directories for girls to play and learn in safe places, as well as leadership and information communications technology training through our grassroots partners. We’ll teach Muslim girls to be citizen journalists and advocates for their social, cultural, economic, and political equity.

We’ll challenge the stereotypes and misrepresentations exacerbated by media, integrate Muslim females in the international sports community, and promote cross-cultural understanding.

We’re determined to overcome censorship and provide sports role models worthy of admiration and emulation. We ask “Who is your shirzan?” and “Where would you be without her?” All people need sources of inspiration. All Muslim girls deserve shirzanan.