Dear Friend,
As the mother of two children, I am an anxious witness to our changing climate and what that means for the next generation. I am also acutely aware of the challenges that girls in particular face. That is why I am thrilled to be Board Chair at Creative Action Institute. I support this organization because I believe we must foster creative solutions and inclusive leaders to tackle the interconnected challenges that we face.
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Programs like Sauti ya Dada (SYD) in East Africa, are crucial. They empower girls to address issues like poverty, gender inequality, child marriage, and climate change. This program not only helps girls complete their education but also encourages them to become community leaders and advocates - to find their voice and learn to use it! In 2023, our first SYD cohort graduated, with an impressive 99% of the girls staying in school and avoiding early pregnancies, a significant achievement given the regional statistics.
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The East African Girls’ Leadership Summit provided more reason for optimism. It united girls from SYD clubs for collaboration, advocacy training, a visit to UN headquarters in Kenya, and talks with prominent women in climate justice. A major focus was planning Creative Advocacy Practicums, actions designed by girls that will collectively engage 1300 people to address barriers to girls’ education in their communities!
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Our Creative Environmental Leadership Program and Community Resilience Program critically engaged over 50 grassroots environmental leaders in Latin America and West Africa. Their communities increasingly experience climate change events, exacerbating existing challenges. Our new Climate Justice course responds to this reality by equipping leaders with knowledge on how climate change deepens pre-existing inequalities, particularly for women and girls, and tools to ensure their work is climate just. These leaders used this knowledge to design 10 Creative Advocacy Practicums this year, positively engaging over 1400 stakeholders on issues including clean water, eliminating single use plastics, and revitalizing indigenous practices.
We cannot achieve all this without your support. Creative Action Institute relies on your contributions to fund the next Sauti ya Dada cohort and other global programs that equip local leaders to address their communities’ challenges inclusively. Your gift will help us reach our funding goal of $20,000. Please join me in donating today to shape the next generation of leaders on our planet.
Gratefully,
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Emily DeMasi
Board Chair
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