Global Girl Project Begins In Nigeria

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Here is one of our beautiful dreams come true! Since 2016, Apinke Girls Initiative, under the able leadership of my amiable friend and Amazon; Bimbo Adegbite has partnered with Bestspring Foundation through its Girls Arise Initiative platform to mentor and support our girls. The mentoring program brought a new and positive twist to our work at Ijegun as relationship with them became more intimate, friendly, purpose-driven and result-oriented. With the support and encouragement of Mentors from Apinke Girls Initiative, our girls began to access and harness better opportunities for all-round growth and success.
And so, sometime in August 2019, Bimbo introduced me to the Global Girl Project founded by another Amazon based in United Kingdom- Julia Lynch. The project is wrapped around raising teenage girls within the age bracket of 13-18 years as worthy leaders and change-makers. Apparently Bimbo had recommended Bestspring Foundation to Julia as a worthy NGO that should benefit from the project.
For Julia Lynch, it was the first time working with anyone in Nigeria. It was going to be a pilot-project and she needed every assurance that it would fly and sail to greater heights. And so the talks began; there were screenings, interviews and several meetings. At the end of the day, we scaled through and became the first NGO to run the leadership program in Nigeria.  
Selecting 10 out of over 120 girls was not an easy task but we pulled through the process and got10 amazing ladies on board. They are from diverse background and with diverse challenges. But they have one thing in common; they are aspiring, resourceful, committed and open to learning that would make them positive influencers in their community.  
And so, on 1st February 2020, the leadership academy kicked off our dynamic facilitator- Omotola Bisuga-Jesusina. An exchange program, which runs simultaneously with another cohort of girls in Haiti, is a10-weeks journey of self-discovery and empowerment for community impact. It holds every Saturday from 8am-10am.
Our immense gratitude goes to Bimbo Adegbite for the love, encouragement, recommendation and unflinching support at all times. We equally appreciate the Founder, Global Girl Project, Julia Lynch and her team for the trust, commitment, encouragement and sponsorship of the project.
It feels great and extremely fulfilling for us at Bestspring Foundation to partner with Global Girl Project for this blended learning program which has given our work with and for girls in under-resourced communities more visibility at the global space. Of course, our girls are becoming leading ladies; they are indeed change-makers and I am proud of them.

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