Expanding Lives

EL supports education of West African women who are 1st in their families to continue past primary school. They become role models, leaders & agents of change.

[Expanding Lives @Expanding_Lives]

Expanding Lives’ goal has always been to move girls and women away from passive roles and into active members of society.

[Expanding Lives @Expanding_Lives]

The Girls’ Leadership Conference builds girls’ skills and confidence to speak up and take charge.  English will give them a step up once school starts next month. 

https://t.co/ARDnSWLLOV

[Expanding Lives @Expanding_Lives]

With the skills taught in the Leadership and Peer Mediation courses, girls will have strengthened their abilities to solve problems and resolve conflicts in their homes and communities.

[Expanding Lives @Expanding_Lives]

At the Girls’ Leadership Conference this year, they led courses in Yoga, Menstruation and Pregnancy, Nutrition, and Hygiene. Girls with this knowledge will be assets in the classroom and the community. By staying in school, they put off early marriage and premature pregnancies.

[Expanding Lives @Expanding_Lives]

Knowledge is Power! Niger has made huge strides in women’s health in recent years. However, 1 in 187 women will die as a result of pregnancy. Expanding Lives has graduates in medicine, nursing, nutrition, and midwifery working on the issue!

https://t.co/ARDnSWMjEt

[Expanding Lives @Expanding_Lives]

This year the girls learned how to make two types of soap.  Small cottage industry like soap making, knitting baby clothes, or lotion making are all ways to help girls and their families living in poverty to stay afloat. This makes it more likely that girls can stay in school.

[Expanding Lives @Expanding_Lives]

Cleaning up! Close to half of the population of Niger live in extreme poverty.  It’s one root cause for girls not attending school or being withdrawn early.  One part of the Girls’ Leadership Conference focuses on ideas for income generation.

https://t.co/ARDnSWLLOV

[Expanding Lives @Expanding_Lives]

Expanding Lives’ goal is to support their personal growth and education so that they can follow in the footsteps of this group.
https://t.co/ARDnSWLLOV

[Expanding Lives @Expanding_Lives]

Those of you who have worked first hand with our Chicago program participants will hopefully recognize some of faces in this photo. Here they are all-grown up leading the Tenth (!) Girls’ in Leadership Conference last week in Tchadoua.

[Expanding Lives @Expanding_Lives]

We are so proud of the dynamic, varied progam that they led from start to finish with the support of our partner organization in Niger, MICA.  The particiants are rural middle school girls, at the age when many girls are pulled out of school to marry or work.

[Expanding Lives @Expanding_Lives]

Registration
In-Person: https://t.co/mhAoZUNe6K
Virtual: https://t.co/PQzyTj3aHD

[Expanding Lives @Expanding_Lives]

A perfect follow up to our last raffle prize announcement, we have two one-day passes to Hurricane Harbor Chicago! No better way to beat the summer heat!

All race entries come with one raffle prize ticket so be sure to sign up today and put that ticket to use!

[Expanding Lives @Expanding_Lives]

Register using these links:
In-Person - https://t.co/mhAoZUNe6K
Virtual - https://t.co/PQzyTj3aHD

[Expanding Lives @Expanding_Lives]

So exited about this raffle prize for two one-days tickets donated by @sixflags!

Officially one month until the Expanding Lives 5K!! The countdown is ON so be sure to grab your spot on the starting line via the links below!

[Expanding Lives @Expanding_Lives]

The resolve of the Niger government will empower women and aid in their protection.

[Expanding Lives @Expanding_Lives]

Niger has historically been classified as a highly dangerous country for women: Niger has the highest rates of fertility and child marriages in the world. In order to combat this, Niger has passed laws that protect women, like the establishment of Child Protection Committees.

[Expanding Lives @Expanding_Lives]

These committees are protected by the law and are funded by the World Bank’s flagship Sahel Women's Empowerment and Demographic Dividend which is currently financing 50 child protection committees in Tillabéri, Dosso, Tahoua, Maradi, and Zinder.

[Expanding Lives @Expanding_Lives]

We are so excited to be hosting this event once again, and we hope to see you there!
Register using the links below.
In-person Race: https://t.co/8Wc2vziTMl
Virtual Race: https://t.co/8Wc2vziTMl

[Expanding Lives @Expanding_Lives]

The Expanding Lives 5K is BACK! Hosted at our good old location of Erickson Woods in Winnetka on July 20th! Follow the links below to register for both our in-person and virtual event. Sign up before July 4th to take advantage of our discounted early registration price!