Girls giving back

Did you know that 130,000,000 children around the world are denied the chance to be educated? Two girls in our cities are doing something about it. Amanda and Nicole were both 17 year old when they heard about the Ruchika Social Service Organization’s (RSSO) train platform schools in Orissa, India run by Inderjit Khurana. The two friends heard about it at a Youth Philanthropy Worldwide conference. The train platform schools are for the children who must do menial jobs such as shining shoes and selling peanuts on the train stations to support themselves and their families. These children are unable to go to school and are trapped in a never-ending cycle of poverty. RSSO developed an educational program that could be brought directly to these children - they bring the school right to the platform, teaching the children who stop working between train arrivals. The RSSO teachers draw a chalk circle on the ground, and the students sit in a circle to have their classes. These schools have spread to nearby slums because they are so successful!

Recently, RSSO started putting together a toy and book mobile library to take to each of the 40+ locations. The cost would be $16,000 to cover the expenses for the bus, driver, gas, etc. When Amanda and Nicole heard that Inderjit had received a challenge grant of $8,000 for the bus and needed $8,000 more, they decided to raise it!

Both Amanda and Nicole were co-presidents of their high school’s Amnesty International chapter. With their club and Youth Philanthropy Worldwide, they went out and fund-raised. They raised money by:

• Donations from local businesses
  

• 5 garage sales
  

• Selling ribbons at school
  

• Youth NOISE donation 

• Friday Night Shoe Box Fund
  

• Rwanda movie showing at at their high school

• Art silent auction at their high school

• Student donations
  

• Selling refreshments at YPW’s “Y-Fest”

All the money they raised went through Indians for Collective Action and was sent to the Ruchika Social Service Organization in Orissa, India. So far they’ve raised $13,000!

So what do Nicole and Amanda say you can do for the fight for global education, “hook into Youth Philanthropy Worldwide. Choose any of the 8 UN millennium goals, and work on them.” Amanda and Nicole are both excellent examples of what girls can do to impact society. By networking, fund-raising, and just being compassionate citizens, they are amazing IT girls! - Naiema