Columbus State group wants to help girls graduate from high school

The Columbus State University chapter of an international nonprofit organization will conduct its inaugural fundraiser to provide scholarships for impoverished female students who would be the first member of their family to graduate from high school.

During a free showing of the movie “The Help,” starting at 7:30 p.m. April 14 in the Center for Commerce and Technology auditorium, the CSU chapter of She’s the First will sell popcorn, candy and drinks. All proceeds from the event will benefit the scholarship fund, Isabella Nunez, the chapter’s president said in an email to the Ledger-Enquirer.

Representatives of local businesses interested in sponsoring the event can email Nunez at csu.stf@gmail.com.

Although secondary education is free in America’s public schools, students in 24 percent of the globe’s countries must pay tuition to attend, according to the World Policy Analysis Center in Los Angeles.

Since its founding seven years ago, She’s the First, headquartered in New York City, has established 193 chapters in 11 countries and has awarded scholarships to 712 students, according to its website. Those 11 countries are Ethiopia, Gambia, Guatemala, India, Kenya, Nepal, Peru, Sierra Leone, South Sudan, Tanzania and Uganda.

“In the low-income areas that STF focuses their effort, primarily in developing countries, girls are under-represented in school enrollment in primary and secondary levels,” Nunez said. “Poverty is a main factor. Some of the girls come from families that don't have the resources or funds necessary to send them to school. Cultural practices also come into play, because often times education is not seen as necessary for girls, making it more likely for them to stay home as opposed to their brothers.”

She’s the First focuses on female students, the website says, because “they’ve faced greater disadvantages” than male students.

“In the countries where we work,” the website says, “the rate of enrollment for girls in secondary school is only 33 percent. … Less than 2 cents of every development dollar goes to girls.”

In October, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization reported that, although the number of out-of-school girls has declined by 52 million in the past 15 years, 62 million girls still are denied their basic right to an education.

UNESCO’s Education for All 2015 Global Monitoring Report found that income increases by an average of 10 percent for every year of school attended. The report, summarized at www.malala.org, estimates the following benefits if all girls graduated from high school:

▪  Child marriage would decrease by 64 percent, from nearly 2.9 million to just over 1 million.

▪  Early births would decrease by 59 percent. Average age at first birth differs by more than three years between females without a secondary education and those with one.

▪  The mortality rate for children younger than 5 would decrease by 49 percent, saving 3 million lives per year.

“Our CSU chapter contributes to this movement by promoting education equality through raising awareness for girls' education and hosting fundraisers to contribute to the scholarship fund,” Nunez said. “Our fundraising goal for this semester is $400, which will allow us to be matched to our first scholar, whom we expect to continue to sponsor in the semesters to come.”

Donations can be made at Campus.ShesTheFirst.org/ColumbusStateU. Follow the group at www.facebook.com/ShesTheFirstColGa.

This story was originally published March 31, 2016 at 10:28 AM with the headline "Columbus State group wants to help girls graduate from high school."