Headbands Offer Hope

Mary Grace selling hair accessories at age 15.

She is all of 17 years old and she's been doing this for five years. The first step was learning how to make headbands, which she would sell at her school's bookstore. She then took all of the profits and financed the education of one girl who lived in extreme poverty in Africa. But if she could finance one girl, she could finance more - and so the project grew.

Why the focus on girls? In many parts of the world, girls are seen as having less value than boys, so they often do not receive the same educational opportunities as boys. However, educating a girl frequently changes a family and a nation, because educated women pass on the effects of their education to their children and their children's children.



So, a program, called REVERSE THE COURSE, was born. Since the start of her project, Mary Grace Henry has made more than 11,000 headbands and helped 45 girls from Kenya, Uganda, Paraguay, and Haiti. Her ultimate goal is to serve 100 girls. But she has not just financed the education of these 45 beneficiaries. They have supplied sewing supplies, financed the salary of one pre-K teacher, and provided LifeSkills Workshops in rural Kenya. This has all come from the inspiration of one girl, who has not yet reached adulthood!

This year Mary Grace was honored with receiving the WORLD OF CHILDREN AWARD, which provides a grant of at least $25,000 to further the work of the recipient. That means more educational opportunities and business and mentoring programs for the girls that Mary Grace's organization serves. Bravo, a job well done, Mary Grace Henry.

Mary Grace with two girls she has helped sponsor.

Information provided by http://www.worldofchildren.org/honoree/mary-grace-henry/, where you can also read an interview with Mary Grace.

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