In an effort to give back and make a difference in the world, Barry University’s Student Athletic Training (SAT) Club wanted to reach out to young girls around the world who struggle to learn to read. As part of the U.S. government's commitment to Let Girls Learn, first lady Michelle Obama and the Peace Corps became part of a powerful collaboration to expand access to education for adolescent girls worldwide.
The SAT Club connected with a village in Nazilongo, Zambia, which hosts about 700 students ranging from nursery school to the ninth grade. Many of these girls are required to walk up to five miles per day in hopes of receiving a basic education. Due to its rural status, the school has no electricity or running water and very limited funding for classroom essentials such as books – which has resulted in a large number of children being illiterate in both the local language (Chitonga) and English.
As a result, the community decided that the best solution would be to build a library. Barry University’s SAT Club donated $500 earned from fund raising activities conducted throughout the year. The School of Human Performance and Leisure Sciences would like to congratulate these students for working towards and accomplishing three of the commitments of Barry University’s Mission: Knowledge of Truth, Inclusive Community and Collaborative Service.
Educating girls is essential to healthy and thriving communities. There are, however, 62 million girls globally who are not in school, and multiple barriers for girls to complete school are particularly significant. In some countries, fewer than 10 percent of teenage girls complete secondary school.