Helping Kenyan girls stay in school

by Karen M., HS student & GIN leader

The LILY (Learning. Independence. Leadership. YOU.) Project is a club at Concordia that focuses on empowering girls. Many of its projects aim to improve the lives of Concordia’s female students, such as the Girls’ Nights or the bathroom boxes, but LILY’s work with ZANAAfrica aims to empower and educate adolescent girls in Kenya.

At Concordia, the LILY Project hosts two girls’ nights every year: one for high school girls and one for middle school girls. The High School Girls’ Night focuses on what to expect in college outside of the Concordia “bubble”, how to ensure safety at parties or while in sexual situations, and discuss how to identify values to make important social decisions. The Middle School Girls’ Night offers guidance on physical health going into the teenage years, expectations for healthy relationships (and how to spot unhealthy ones), and emotional and mental wellness. These nights are important to the well-being of Concordia girls, so keep an eye out for one coming up on the calendar that could apply to you!

Our pink bathroom boxes are another significant service that LILY has provided for Concordia girls. Boxes in every girls’ bathroom were stocked and maintained by the LILY Project last school year, providing free tampons and pads. Currently, LILY is working on refilling the boxes in a financially sustainable way.

At the Christmas Bazaar, LILY sold 100 necklaces embossed with the club’s logo to raise money for ZANAAfrica, a charity that dedicates resources to providing girls in Kenya with education about healthy relationships, human rights, and physical health. ZANAAfrica also provides Kenyan girls with pads and tampons, so they don’t have to miss school because of their periods. LILY is still taking pre-orders for the next batch of orders, just click on the link in the student announcements.

To get involved with LILY’s admirable work please check out our website!

Website: https://lily-concordia.weebly.com/