100 girls are preparing for graduation - and we're so proud!
On Saturday, July 20, one hundred girls from our community will celebrate completing their education through Studio Samuel’s flagship Training for Tomorrow program, our two-year weekend and after-school curriculum running concurrently with the girls’ standard schooling. Over the past two years, students were trained in a variety of valuable and employable skills, from self-defense and creative arts to occupational training and lessons in coding, ELA, healthcare, and more.
For the first time graduation will be held off-site. Libe-Birhan Kebena Abo Guild Association is generously donating their large hall, ensuring Studio Samuel students have a proper celebration to mark this milestone in their lives and the space to accommodate girls' caregivers and families to attend. We’re deeply moved by the impact our girls have in the community which prompted this level of support.
To commemorate their accomplishments, each student will receive a certificate of achievement and a brand-new backpack, courtesy of our generous friends at the L&G Foundation. In our ongoing commitment to support the local economy, all bags and ceremony supplies were purchased locally in Studio Samuel’s community.
Pride, Security, Belonging, and Empowerment
Additionally, and perhaps most significantly, each graduate will also receive an official Studio Samuel student identification card. Though not an official government document, most of our students lack a personal ID of any kind, a challenge within our community. Having no proof of identity often subjects girls to societal barriers, such as issues gaining employment or accessing government services. With a Studio Samuel ID card in hand, our graduates can proudly say: “I am educated. And I am me.”
The Ripple Effect
Though our girls have finished the program, their involvement with Studio Samuel and our community does not end here. Each graduate will become a mentor for an incoming student in Training for Tomorrow’s next class, gaining valuable leadership experience while passing down their knowledge and experience to the bright young learners taking their place.
On this momentous day in our students’ lives, we're thrilled to celebrate them as they join the 18,000+ girls educated through Studio Samuel to date, and we cannot wait to cheer them on as they pursue their dreams. Our joy for these girls is matched only by our excitement for the next class to follow in their footsteps.
Congratulations, grads! We could not be prouder!
The free resources and training that Studio Samuel extends to each and every one of our students, including programs like Training for Tomorrow, would not be possible without the support of people like you. If you would like to support our work and our community, please follow this Donate link, where you can see just how much of a difference your contribution - of any size - can make in our girls’ lives.
Amesegenallo! (thank you!)
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