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COVID-19
EMERGENCY APPEAL

WE NEED YOU MORE THAN EVER

We don't do emergency appeals. It's not our style. But these are extraordinary times and we’re facing huge financial hardship — as are so many in our community. 

We’re working hard to minimise the impact of COVID-19 on our team in Sierra Leone but we’re at serious risk of not being able to fulfil our promises to girls and communities if we don’t act now.

WHAT WE’RE DOING

We are adjusting our programs based on new measures of social isolation and are focusing on stopping the spread of the virus to try and protect communities as much as possible. 

As well as providing physical sanitation equipment like the humble bucket + soap, which will help communities who have no running water stop the spread of infection, we are also doing the following:

 

1. Online Girls' Clubs
It’s important that girls don’t feel isolated during this time and that they can still access support networks if they need to. We're currently researching how we can change the format of our Girls' Clubs to be conducted via text message or setting up group chats managed by alumni role models and mentors. We're hoping they will cover life skills, sexual health, personal well-being and generally help to keep the girls motivated and learning until school starts again.

2. Social distance communication networks
We’ll be looking at ways that we can keep in touch through phones, such as: sending well-being awareness texts, calls and checks;

3. Distance learning
We’ll be looking for ways that we can continue to spread important messages and continue to encourage learning for girls and communities through radio, podcasts, audio messages or other means (where possible).

4. Hygiene sensitisation
Depending on lockdown restrictions, we’re hoping to run safe sessions on proper water sanitation and hygiene practices, as well as sending bulk text messages and using megaphones to spread disease prevention methods.

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DONATE NOW

HOME ISN’T ALWAYS A SAFE PLACE

For a lot of women and girls, home is not a safe place. And in a country like Sierra Leone, where almost half the female population experience sexual or gender-based violence in their lifetime*, lockdown can be dangerous. It’s vital that they have access to communication lines and support networks. 

During global crises, women and children often carry more than their fair share of the burden. Women make up the majority of the carers for anyone who gets sick and when incomes are at risk, or stop coming in altogether, it’s usually men who control the household finances, which can leave women vulnerable.  

This is why it’s really important that we make sure the girls and young women in our programs stay connected and have enough data on their phones to keep in touch and access information and support while in lockdown.

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DONATE TO KEEP GIRLS CONNECTED

$22 can provide a bucket with a lid, a tap and a bar of soap so that communities can practice good hygiene with clean water to help limit the spread of the virus.

$40 is enough to provide one scholar with her living expenses for a whole month so she can support herself and her family with clean water and food during lockdown.

$120 is enough to provide all the members of a girls’ club with phone data for a month so that they can maintain open lines of communication, share resources and support each other with health and wellbeing checks. 

Please.

Help us weather this storm so that we can help One Girl scholars weather theirs. 

TO PUT THINGS IN PERSPECTIVE

Here in Australia, we have access to affordable fresh fruit and vegetables, clean running water in our homes and a government support system that can subsidise our income while we recover financially. We’re also lucky enough that most homes in Australia have at least one computer and an educated parent or guardian who can homeschool children until it’s safe for schools to reopen.

For the girls and communities we work with, this is not the case. When full lockdown comes into effect in Sierra Leone, things will be scary. It will be militarised. The task force that was created to tackle the Ebola crisis in 2015 will be mobilised, and the trauma of a country still recovering from devastating personal and economic loss will be very real. 

Will you help us continue to look after those who are worse off during this time of uncertainty and fear? 

It’s vital that we continue our important work, fighting for those who need our help the most and creating the next generation of leaders to help us navigate this new and changing world. 

Please, if you can help, we urgently need it today. 

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YES, I WILL DONATE

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*http://evaw-global-database.unwomen.org/en/countries/africa/sierra-leone#4

$108,403

Raised of $100,000 goal

A big thank you to our Supporters

The real heroes who are kindly helping us achieve our goal

Štefan

Good luck!

$16

Pascal Jouenne

Thank you for this fantastic idea. Thumbs up

$125

Eve Fogl

$42

Lysa

Helping educating girl is one of the most important action to support 🙏🏻🖤

$42

Philippa Newman

$104

Sara Sanchez Alonso Alonso

J'espère pouvoir contribuer à un meilleur monde

$104

Anonymous

$260

Cyprien Paleni

$42

Deborah Ganster

$52

Agata Saitta

$23

Elizabeth Paulo

As a mother of a daughter I want every girl to have the opportunity to complete their education and make their own way in life.

$42

Uros Micic

$42

Pauline Watine

$42

Luca Wilk

$10

Dennis Von Hayn

$23

Vincent Winnen

$42

Lisa Weightman

$42

Anonymous

$42

Mike Bayley

$125

Lucy-mae Goffe-robertson

Sending strength 💚

$42

Ben Gremillio

$42

Nadja Budwillat

$10

Anonymous

$10

Teal Morgan Randle

$42

Theresa Schmidt

$80

Christine Julian

$125

Philip Hellberg

We are all together one world. Protect the world/environment and the people living on/with it!

$23

Alyssa Bunting

Keep up the good work!

$52

Marion Thomas

$42

Sally Radnell

$42

Francie Weidner

Sent with love

$44

Katharina Jungbauer Jungbauer

$31

Brad Fiedel

$260

Sophie S

From one girl to another

$42

Jessica Wagner

Keep smiling ♥️

$23

Christian Gamsjäger

$42

Angela Haslbeck-zumkeller Haslbeck-zumkeller

$125

Matthias Kalugin

One Girl, one pen and one book can change the world!

$42

Tanja Schneider

$23

Anonymous

$23

Lynnette Lounsbury

$21

Mary

$42

Anonymous

$42

Lara Arnott

$23

Tahnee Bird

$104

Anonymous

$40

Finlay Wilkins

$42

James Cummings

$445

Christine Milo

$42

Ann Bromwich

$52

Samantha Duckworth

$31

Anonymous

$208

Jordan Giles

$50

Duncan Stewart

$26

Anonymous

$52

Bronwyn Cockington

$208

Maryam Hamza

Hope this can help during these difficult times!

$42

Susan O'regan

$1.02k

Anonymous

$208

Samantha Menezes

$30

Madeleine Nicol

$30

Michael Storey

$125

Alexander Starbuck

Not a believer in any sort of way but - God speed!

$52

Loretta Wareing

$125

Anna Peters

$515

Casey-rae Mccrickard

$42

Anonymous Donor

$10k

Anonymous

$150

Geosyntec Consultants

$42

Zoi Vafias

We are so proud to be donating to such a beautiful cause.

$376

Ann Kerr

$26

Callum Innes

$52

Helen Frewen

$52

Anonymous

$111

Anonymous

$64

Mindy

$315

Taboo

With love from the TABOO community xxx

$281

Wendy Jackson

$42

Cheaw Lin Tang

❤️

$23

Louise Garland

Keep up the awesome work Warm Regards Louise Garland

$515

Nourish And Nest

$52

Rebecca Mccoy

$42

Jan Davis

$52

Beth Mcfadyen

Thank you for introducing me to this amazing development organization, Erica Byrne!

$42

Luke Heilbuth

$23

Joshua Sharp

$400

Nardia Bowden

$23

Rachel Carpenter

You were given this life because you are strong enough to live it. Make every day count and remember - we do not see things as they are, we see things as we are. Always choose to be happy.

$5

Sophie Colmont

$50

Holly Atkinson`

$125

Lucy Stubbs

keep up the great work :)

$52

Brooke Kingsford

$165

Sean & Shan

$350

Alison Pfitzner

$104

Anna Hayes Hayes

Keep up the good work!!

$42

Allira Mccall

$16

Karlee Griffiths

$104

Sandra Johannessen

$83

Anonymous

$10

Anonymous

$50