Our Program
Since 1998, the Godparents Association has been helping girls in Uganda avoid female genital mutilation (FGM) through pursuing their education. By donating $575, a sponsor can bring a young woman from her village to board and learn at Peace High School (PHS), in Kampala, Uganda's capital, where she will be safe from forced FGM and will be exposed to wider opportunities, learn English more thoroughly, and have a deeper educational experience.
Inspired by the possibilities now available to them, the girls we sponsor have become very successful students. In fact, in 2007 a number of our girls studying at PHS scored at the highest level of their national O-Level exams, something that only 8 percent of Ugandan students do. Also in 2007, our first two goddaughters graduated from university, at the top of their class. They were the first persons from their home areas to obtain bachelor's degrees, becoming examples of what women without FGM can do. In previous years a number of other girls had completed teacher's, nurse's, or midwifery training. Instead of being ostracized and ridiculed, as they were in the pioneer years of our program, "our girls" are now admired and envied at home. And best of all, they are determined to help the other young women who remained behind and are being coerced into female genital mutilation. To read more about these young women, see our newsletters.
Girls stay in the Godparents program, with a sponsor's annual contribution, until they complete 6 years of secondary education at PHS. After that they may go on to higher education, with a sponsor's support, becoming prepared to stand on their own feet, free to support themselves and choose a way of life that does not require female genital mutilation.
Sponsorship Options
- One year for a girl at Peace High
School, $575
Includes tuition and fees, board and room, uniforms, and basic medical care - One year for a boy at Peace High
School, $575
Without educated young men in the community, our well-educated Pokot girls would find no one to marry. Members of Parliament from Nakapiripirit District asked us to sponsor boys also, educating them about the harmfulness of FGM and preventing them from becoming warriors, the default for young men in their tribe.
Includes tuition and fees, board and room, uniforms, and basic medical care. - One year in tertiary studies
(university or teacher's or nurse's training colleges),
$1,500-$2,500
Sponsors may contribute the whole amount or pool their donations with several others to cover the whole cost for one girl
Includes tuition and fees, board and room