Welcome to 10000Girls.org
Who we are
A registered and independently audited 501(c)(3), not-for-profit educational organization, based in Kaolack, Senegal, West Africa.
Founded in 2001 by an American grandmother, Viola Vaughn, who had relocated to Senegal, the 10,000 Girls program has earned regional--and now, increasingly international--recognition for success.
What makes 10,000 Girls different?
We have proven results, broad local support, and the means for sustainable development. We not only keep girls in school. We also help them develop as career professionals, as entrepreneurs.
Patricia Ramsey, an expert in international development, credits 10,000 Girls with making "an outstanding contribution to development in Senegal."
We hope that after visiting this site, you will better understand what inspired Patrica's testimony.
What you'll find here
- From About
The 10,000 Girls program provides girls in the villages of Senegal with the tools to succeed. The program has two interdependent components: education and enterpreneurship.
- From Facts and Numbers
In the Kaolack region overall, the failure rate for girls is staggering. Only 18% pass to the next grade each year. But for participants in the 10,000 Girls program, the success rate is 68%. More than three times the regional average.
- From Education
- Three simple things…
- A place to study
- The time to study
- Books and basic supplies
The 10,000 Girls program helps girls stay in school, get the most out of their education, and acquire the skills needed for life-long learning.
How? By providing three simple things--
- From Entrepreneurship
...these business pursuits
- Work to ensure the economic sustainability of the 10,000 Girls program;
- Provide real-world business experience for the Young Women Entrepreneurs of Kaolack (Jeunes Filles Entrepreuneuses de Kaolack), a branch composed of girls who have been excluded from school.
- From Celebration
It started with girls selling cookies and juices door-to-door to raise money to buy school books. It is now Celebration Baked Goods, a pastry shop and catering service; and Celebration Sewing Workshop, a crafts boutique with a small but growing international clientele.
- From Challenges
For 2006, the 10,000 Girls program is proud to count over 1000 parents as part of our educational support network.
- From Building for the Future
We currently have a waiting list of over seven hundred girls. And the 10,000 Girls program itself has gone from 20 to 1467 participants in less than six years.
- From Testimonals
...an outstanding contribution...
...this dynamic young organization...
...based on a sustainable business model...
...with astonishing success...
Join us
You can share in our success. You can join us in not only enabling and empowering 10,000 girls (or more), but in continuing to develop a program of proven merit that offers scalability and provides a model of both hope and success for West Africa.
Thank you
For visiting 10000Girls.org
