“The Girl Effect”: What an Effect!

The following is a guest post from Young Ambassadors for Opportunity supporter, Suzie Hofert:

It was just another class (at least that’s what I thought). It started at a grueling 8:30 in the morning, but the class was for my major, so I had to push through. My goal: figure out how to get an “A” from my favorite professor who just happened to be my advisor.  

Like most first days, we went over the syllabus. Nothing too special, a bunch of reading and writing, the norm. Then we were handed an assignment for an advocacy project about women and/or girls. That made sense considering the class was “Gender, Politics, and Communication.”  Our professor informed us that we were going to be contracting for a grade for this project. If we wanted an “A,” we would have to put on an actual advocacy event; if we wanted a “B,” we would have to do XYZ, and so on.  

Of course I wanted an “A.” Two weeks before I had to present my advocacy project to the professor, I realized I better get going on planning/presenting it. One problem….I HAD NO IDEA WHAT THE PROJECT WAS GOING TO BE ABOUT! I was scrambling to figure out what I could do in such a short amount of time.

I wanted to a project that was encouraging and exciting, because I felt that everything we talked about in the class concerning women was so depressing. If only I had known what God had in store, I would not have been so anxious. The answer to my dilemma came from a phone call with none other than my mom. My parents had just been with Opportunity International Regional Director Sam Serio, who had shared that when young girls in developing countries get an education, it changes their lives and the lives of their families. “That’s it,” I thought. “I must do my project on these girls.”

I called Sam and he immediately filled my e-mail inbox with articles, videos and websites about a campaign by the Nike Foundation called “The Girl Effect.” I almost cried when I watched the video that explained the concept of “The Girl Effect,” which is that girls are one of the answers to ending the cycle of poverty.

“How is this?” you might ask. Statistics reveal that when girls are given the opportunity to have an education and/or become financially independent, it not only improves their lives, but the lives of their families and communities. In some countries, girls are just a commodity. They’re married off at a young age in exchange for livestock, but these are the same girls that could change the world. “The Girl Effect” mission is to get the message out that helping these girls can create a positive ripple effect through entire countries. 

To make a long story short, I presented “The Girl Effect” at my advocacy event in front of about 20 friends. It was a huge hit and I realized I had found my passion. I wanted to be a part of really helping people around the world, especially girls! 

This is where I began to really see God at work in my life. For my political communications major,  I can do an internship for my Senior Capstone.  I knew I didn’t want to intern for a politician, but I still had no idea where I was going to intern (and I was a junior). Then a brilliant idea came to my head…“What if I interned for Opportunity International?” I knew Opportunity would work with my passion because women make up a majority of the clients.

 I got the okay from my advisor and e-mailed Opportunity.  I got the internship and on top of that, I was invited to go on an Insight Trip to Tanzania and Rwanda with the Young Ambassadors for Opportunity. What an experience! When we were at an orphanage in Rwanda, I met a little girl who just clung to me when I picked her up.  She is an example of a girl who, when given the chance, could help change the world. I am all the more energized to get her story out, as well as the message of “The Girl Effect.”

Interning for Opportunity International has been such a wonderful experience and I am so excited to see what God has in store for me next.  To think it all started with a class assignment….and yes,  I did get an “A” in the class!   

-Suzie Hofert

Watch The Girl Effect: