Plan International Canada: Educate a Girl and She Can Change the World

educate a girl

Educate a girl and she can change the world. 

I am an immigrant to this country. I came here at the age of 5 and my mother promptly signed herself up for ESL classes while she worked and put me into summer camp and school. English came easy, I devoured books, I was by all means gifted. The school tests confirmed it in grade 3 and I got to do ‘fun’ things that sparked my imagination and let me fuel an insatiable need to learn. 

Then we moved. 

And the program for gifted children was not available at my new school. I got bored. I stopped going. I went back. I stopped going. I went back. I stopped going. This vicious cycle of stopping and going happened at least a dozen times. I knew I needed an education and I wanted it but no one could figure out how to give it to me in a way that kept me interested. The more I quit the further behind I got on paper while still being ahead in real life. 

I never finished high school. Even after so many failures I still knew I had to do something. I needed an education not only for myself but for my kids. Long story short I got a college diploma. While I had a one-year-old and a two-year-old I studied my ass off to finish college on the dean’s list each semester. I won bursaries and took out loans but I did it because I knew that with an education I could change the world. Or at least change my world. 

Plan International Canada 

educate a girl

Plan International Canada, one of the world’s oldest and largest international development agencies, shares a common belief that education matters. They believe it so much that they launched the ‘Educate a girl and she can change the world campaign‘. 

All over the world, over 62 million girls are out of school and a whopping 15 million will never even set foot in a classroom.  You see girls face a unique set of barriers that prevent them from accessing their rights-like their right to an education-just because they are young and female.  (Source: UNESCO’s Institute for Statistics)

UNESCO has evidence that if you educate a girl you not only improve her own conditions but also the quality of life for her community. Yes, community. 

Something to think about; for each extra year a girl stays in school her income can increase by 10 to 20%. That is a big number and one that can easily be a reality with some outside help. (Source: World Bank policy research working paper)

If all women completed a primary education in the world the number of maternal deaths would decrease by a staggering 66%. That’s because educated mothers are better informed about disease, preventative measures and are more likely to access health services for themselves and their children. (Source: UNESCO)


Visit plancanada.ca and becauseiamagirl.ca for more information.

Giving Back

At the end of the year, when I am carefully making lists and shopping for the special people in my life, I am also on the lookout to give back. I do this whether we are having a good year or a bad year and I get the kids involved as well. 

It doesn’t take a lot to give back in this world. It doesn’t take a lot to raise kind and generous children, who will, in turn, become kind and generous adults. I’ve had months when I struggled to make ends meet and it is those exact months I think of when I am donating to a cause near and dear because my months are a daily reality for some. 

In the spirit of the holiday season, you can give the gift of education through Plan International Canada. You can be the difference in not only one girl’s life, but whole communities.

For as little as $10 a month you could make a difference by buying a girl a book, school essentials for one child ($17) or Girl Power ($100).

Make your donation count with Plan International Canada.

 

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This post is in support of Plan International Canada. We received pencils in order to take pictures but want to show our support for PIC. All opinions are our own.
Aneta Alaei
Aneta Alaei

Aneta is a Toronto-based mom of four that loves a good meal, great company, and learning something new. In her free time, you can find her trying to keep yet another plant alive.

Find me on: Web | Twitter/X | Instagram | Facebook

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19 Comments

  1. Darren Scrubb
    November 21, 2017 / 9:50 am

    Great looking campaign to help girls obtain an education worldwide.

  2. Calvin F.
    November 22, 2017 / 2:46 pm

    Great initiative!

  3. Tiff Cho
    November 22, 2017 / 8:52 pm

    great campaign!

  4. jan
    November 23, 2017 / 3:37 am

    Such an important area to support. And boredom in school is a big issue too.

  5. Janet M
    November 23, 2017 / 1:04 pm

    Education is fundamental. This is such a good program.

  6. loucheryl
    November 24, 2017 / 9:16 pm

    This campaign is so important. I remember hearing about it two years ago. Every girl is special and important.

  7. Judy Cowan
    November 25, 2017 / 9:28 am

    Definitely a great campaign, it is so important to provide these girls with the education they need.

  8. Elizabeth Matthiesen
    November 25, 2017 / 8:44 pm

    “If all women completed a primary education in the world the number of maternal deaths would decrease by a staggering 66%.” What a shocking statement of fact. I believe that everyone should have the opportunity to have an education and that gifted children need different schooling so that they don’t get bored, which they easily do.

  9. Jonnie
    November 26, 2017 / 12:51 am

    It’s amazing what education does for the world and the individual. I’ve seen many people completely change their lives once they started taking education seriously.

  10. nicolthepickle
    November 29, 2017 / 7:31 am

    This is so good. I recently read a book called the Book that Made Your World by Vishal Mangalwadi, and it talks a lot about education and how and why it changes things. It’s a big book. It took me months to read it. But I highly recommend it.

  11. Debbie White Beattie
    November 30, 2017 / 2:46 am

    It’s hard to believe that girls and women aren’t considered smart or worth an education in a lot of the world. This is a great charity and who knows maybe some of the girls that are helped really can get a chance to change the world.

  12. Andrea Freiherr
    December 8, 2017 / 7:57 pm

    This is a wonderful campaign

  13. sarah alexis
    December 11, 2017 / 4:05 pm

    Absolutely wonderful campaign to support!! LOVE LOVE LOVE

  14. NJ Nowoselski
    December 11, 2017 / 10:01 pm

    It is 2017 and this is unacceptable “15 million will never even set foot in a classroom”
    I am so happy to read you went back to school, even with two little ones, and succeeded. You are a inspiration!
    I quit high school with only 6 weeks left. I too had two little ones & went back to classes just to get my GED. I wanted too but never went further. Now tho, my daughter has a university education. The first in a few generations. I could not be more proud to be her mom.
    I am thrilled that Plan International Canada supports girls!

  15. Tannis W
    December 13, 2017 / 12:33 am

    This sounds like a great program to support. It’s disappointing that girls don’t have the same opportunities to get an education, just because they are girls!

  16. jan
    December 13, 2017 / 1:26 pm

    With all the money this world has it is crazy that education and food are still so scarce in so many areas. Unacceptable.

  17. Linda H
    December 15, 2017 / 9:50 am

    This is such a great campaign – education is so important.

  18. Darlene Schuller
    December 28, 2017 / 6:53 am

    Just last night my daughter & I were talking about how different things are from when I was a child, my Mom… the women’s movement has come a long way an given the #metoo campaign I believe there’s a bit of stretch to go.

    Like crime, I don’t think this world will ever be free of sexual harassment or develop a standard equality level for both sexes…

  19. Susan Lewis
    January 1, 2018 / 9:44 am

    Fabulous initiative and campaign. Teach a girl when she is young to be confident and educate with knowledge to empower and motivate. So necessary.