Message from our Executive Director

Executive Director Allyson Smith with Board Member Mohamed Kamara

Mohandas Gandhi said, “You must be the change you wish to see in the world.” During the summer of 2007 I had the opportunity to work with Women’s Health and Education Prevention Strategies Alliance (WHEPSA), located in the Kaolack Region of the Republic of Senegal. While interning with WHEPSA I learned first-hand that one person can make a difference. Girls with dreams that require a secondary education face enormous challenges in completing secondary school in Senegal. I formed ELEVEate with the goal of helping the girls of Kaolack rise up and realize their dreams by providing them with birth certificates, which are needed to enter secondary school, and other forms of support. The name ELEVEate is derived from eleve (student in French) and elevate (to raise up). With your help, more girls in Senegal will be able to live rich and fulfilling lives through the acquisition of a secondary school degree. Schooling will boost their earning potential and give them a greater capacity to enrich their community. In addition, more schooling enhances self-esteem and promotes a stronger sense of self-efficacy. Please consider helping ELEVEate reach the goal of empowering girls through education.

Allyson Goldsmith, Executive Director, ELEVEate