Dear Friends,
Many of you have been following the terrible story of the 276 schoolgirls who were abducted by Boko Haram. Our hearts go out to these girls who were kidnapped near Chibok in Northern Nigeria.
This tragedy highlights the critical importance of the transformative work we are doing at Global Empowerment Theatre (GET). Â Since 2007, we have used educational theatre to help children share their stories and their voices for the first time. The stage we provide becomes a place where issues of injustice and gender inequality are at last expressed and explored. Â Boys and girls become allies in our co-educational process and voice their desire to be agents of change and co-creators of a brighter tomorrow. Empowering girls and boys in developing nations to speak out against oppression and change their realities for the better is at the heart of our mission.
Thanks to the continued support of our generous donors and volunteers, our programming has reached thousands of students and teachers. But there are still so many children whose voices have not been heard.
The devastating events unfolding in Nigeria are a call to action. So many young people around the world have been silenced by poverty and inequality and need the opportunity to be heard by their families, communities and the rest of the world. Together we must create a world in which the voices of children—particularly girls—are not silenced, a world in which education for all is valued. We believe our work to share their stories and empower their lives can help make that world a reality.
We ask you to join this movement. Join in any way you can. Send a gift that will help us reach a child or simply add your voice to our call for change. As part of our advocacy for children living in poverty, GET uses social media to highlight our students and tell their stories. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter @GETheatre so you can see their faces and share their stories with people you know.
We are excited to announce that GET is teaming up with Shining Hope for Communities—which has long combated poverty and gender inequality in the Kibera slum of Nairobi, Kenya—to bring our programs to the Kibera School for Girls. We’ve set the ambitious goal of raising $100,000 by June 30th to support this collaboration as well as ongoing partnerships with the Parikrma Humanity Foundation, Teach for India and the Kiembe Samaki Secondary School in Zanzibar.
We believe every child deserves to be heard. Please help us expand our programs. Together we will help children speak to the world. Thank you for your support.
Warmly,
Jennifer Holmes, Ph.D., John Socas, Ph.D.
Co-founders, Global Empowerment Theatre
Or send a check to:
GETheatre
285 Central park West
New York, NY 10024