A Worthy Cause

Every now and then you stumble on something so amazing that you have to pass it on. I read Town and Country and this month there was an amazing article about a girl named Mary Grace who started a philanthropy aimed at helping girls in Africa get an education when she was only 12. She asked for a sewing machine for her birthday and began making reversible headbands and bows. She's now a senior in high school and below is a summary of her accomplishments (from her web site):

 66 girls in 4 countries

We’ve funded 154 years of school fees

Our students attend 21 different schools

37 of our students are in boarding schools which keeps them safe and increases their academic success

Every single student who boards is fed three meals a day

Our funding includes textbooks, uniforms, shoes and school supplies. We also cover national testing fees

Though our focus is funding secondary school costs, we also fund primary school students at risk of early marriage. We currently have 8 primary school students

We’ve shipped over 250 lbs. of sewing supplies to Uganda and have encouraged students to begin their own entrepreneurial ventures

50% of funds we earn through sales of my International Day of the Girl Limited Edition Collection are shared with their student commitments

With help from The Barat Foundation, we've funded a pre-school teacher's salary at Shining Hope School for Girls in Nairobi's Kibera slum

We’ve funded LifeSkills Workshops in rural Kenya that teach important health and sanitation practices. These educational workshops also focus on a girl's right to attend school and on ending the illegal practice of FGM

Really this is an amazing thing! My daughter will be 12 next month. Her girl scout troop is going to write letters to the girls that Reverse the Course sponsors and try and get involved in other ways. Truly, a role model for young girls. The Reverse the Course web site is here. Check it out, you'll be amazed. The fact that the headbands and bows are adorable is simply a bonus!