Health and Educational Resources for Success (HERS)
What is HERS?
HERS is a special initiative focused on girls’ and women’s empowerment! Through many of our existing and proven-effective, education and health programs, we aim to ensure that girls and young women have the same opportunities as boys and young men. We want both boys and girls to thrive and our work exemplifies that! Yet, we can no longer ignore the fact that the female youth of Ghana are faced with cultural, social, political and economic challenges that make their pathway out of poverty and into empowerment all the more challenging and difficult.
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Through HERS, we will work to improve educational opportunities for girls by helping them pursue their goals, while demonstrating to parents and the community that girls are not only worth the investment, but that they have a right to it! We will also ensure that girls and young women are equipped with the health knowledge, support and counseling to navigate the obstacles they face growing up and into adulthood.
Why Girls?
In many rural areas like Humjibre, girls and young women face daunting odds in overcoming the challenges of every day life. In education and health, the services are poorly designed, funded and distributed to this area. In addition, the gender gap continues to present barriers for girls and overcoming the cycle of poverty in our catchment communities can be next to impossible.
Thoughtfully and incrementally, GHEI has been solving these problems. In 2016, after 11 successful years of making progress in our education programs, we set-forth a policy that 60% of students in our Early Childhood Literacy (ECL) and Youth Education Program (YEP) would be female. A small but important step in closing the gender gap. Too many girls were being left behind. Their potential unrealized.
Through HERS, we will look to build and scale ECL, YEP and other "girls-focused" programs, including Sexual Education and Reproductive Health (SEaRcH), our Girls Empowerment Camp, and Mother Mentors Program for Child Development.
In the months to come, we will be looking for a cadre of leaders, donors, supporters and volunteers to help us Empower Every Girl. We'd love for you to join us on this journey!