Oasis Newsletter December 2021

Dear Friends of the Sahel,

Warm greetings from OASIS! Two months ago, I visited our safe space clubs in Maradi, Niger. While there, I met Samira (photo below). Samira was married at 11 years old and had to leave school. Now 16, Samira has two children. When she heard safe space clubs were being offered at her school, she negotiated with her husband to return. She is now among the top students and hopes to be the first female nurse in her community. We are so proud of Samira and other girls like her. 

In 2021, OASIS and partners expanded safe spaces in northern Nigeria and Niger to reach 33,000 girls. In addition to this successful program, OASIS is building local leadership and calling on donors and governments to prioritize education and voluntary family planning as basic human rights and “levers'' of demography. 
 
I am happy to announce that a generous donor will match all gifts received by the end of the year up to $140,000. Our current fundraising priorities are preschool and vocational safe spaces. Thanks to those of you who have already donated this year. If you have not yet made a donation, please help support safe space clubs today. We have demonstrated that safe space clubs help keep girls in school and - among adolescents - delay age of marriage by 2.5 years. 
 
Please make a donation today and help us meet our match of $140,000.

Sincerely,
Alisha A. Graves
Executive Director, OASIS

Read the entire newsletter here.