International Day of the Girl 2026: Investing in Girls’ Leadership in East Africa
South Africa’s Archbishop Desmond Tutu famously once said, “If we are going to see real development in the world then our best investment is women!”
It’s with that thought in mind that we honor International Day of the Girl (October 11th), whose official theme this year – Ending child marriage and investing in girls’ rights – resonates deeply within the Asante Africa community.
Per the United Nations, each year, more than 12 million girls are married before reaching adulthood, with the highest prevalence in sub-Saharan Africa. Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania are the countries in which we seek to empower rural communities, youth – and especially girls.
Through a variety of gender equality and equity-based programs, Asante Africa Foundation seeks to provide to rural East African girls:
- Educational access and resources
- A foundation of cultural and health understanding
- Digital literacy
- Merit-based scholarships
- Multi-faceted training and business skill building
The best way to spread knowledge, skill building and support is by empowering children with a Learn-Do-Teach approach, so they can learn, build confidence by doing, and in turn, help their peers and communities by uplifting those around them.
Focal points for day of the girl child
Two stories highlighted by exemplary East African girls and young women demonstrate how different kinds of investments pay off in stronger leaders (and communities).
Like many youth in rural East Africa, Stella lacked the resources needed to accomplish her dreams. Two of those dreams were to earn a scholarship and travel outside Tanzania. But as a teenager, she joined Asante Africa Foundation’s Youth Livelihood Program (YLP).
The skills and confidence Stella gained in the program were instrumental in her being asked to attend a larger YLP Summit in Kenya. Just like that, she accomplished one of her dreams. But it was the scholarship she earned (as a result of an essay about her first trip outside Tanzania) that funded her university studies and A-level education.
Now Stella is the founder of her own organization focused on mental health awareness. And there’s more behind her incredible story; it involves tracing her every professional milestone back to the direct investments made in girls’ education, health, safety, and leadership.
For Valentine, applying to DEEP (Digital Employability and Entrepreneurship Program) – our 12-month hybrid program equipping rural East African young adults with digital, career, and business skills – led to an amazing life change. She came upon DEEP via two partner organizations aimed at uplifting young women.
With a long held desire to become an accountant, and a driving ambition to disprove those who doubted she would amount to anything other than a single mother, she built an impressive web-based administrative platform for schools, written in Python and Flask.
It turns out Valentine’s management system was built to serve schools just like the ones in her community. Her accomplishments personify how supporting girl-led networks help them take control and define their own futures.
