Girls Education Collaborative

Girls Education Collaborative GEC partners with local change-makers to bring social change through the power of girls education. Learn more: www.GEC.ngo

GEC is supporting the Immaculate Heart Sisters of Africa to build and grow an exceptional school for girls in Mara Region, Tanzania.

06/16/2026

GEC's founder Anne Wadsworth received Bowdoin College 's 2026 Common Good Award, recognizing a lifetime of work advancing the common good.

In her acceptance remarks, Anne reminded us that this recognition is not about one person. It belongs to the community that has helped shape Girls Education Collaborative over the past 15 years: our supporters, board members, volunteers, donors, partners, and especially the Immaculate Heart Sisters of Africa, whose leadership and vision continue to inspire us every day.

Most importantly, Anne dedicated this moment to the girls who remain at the heart of our work. "The girls who are denied the educations they seek. The girls who are sold into marriage. The girls who want to show the world there's nothing a girl can't do."

This award shines a light on the belief that meaningful change happens when a small group of people come together.

Congratulations, Anne. We are deeply grateful for your leadership, and for everyone who has been part of this journey.

It’s almost lunchtime in Kitenga 🍅🥑🥕🥬🫑If you were there right now, you’d probably find girls gathered outside the dining...
05/29/2026

It’s almost lunchtime in Kitenga 🍅🥑🥕🥬🫑

If you were there right now, you’d probably find girls gathered outside the dining hall, sitting under the shade of a tree, having a laugh together, and patiently (or impatiently!) waiting for lunch.

The school leadership heard from parents that this is one of the things their girls were most excited to come back to after break: fresh fruits and vegetables every single day.

Earlier that morning, fruits and vegetables harvested from the Garden for the Future, the school’s permaculture farm, would have been brought directly to the kitchen to be prepared for lunch.

This was intentional. From the beginning, the farm was never designed only as an agriculture project. It was designed as part of the educational ecosystem itself: improving nutrition, strengthening food security, creating practical learning opportunities, and helping build a school environment where girls are healthier, more focused, and better able to thrive.

Educating the whole girl means recognizing that learning doesn’t happen in isolation, and that wellbeing, practical life skills, and a supportive environment are all part of helping girls succeed inside and outside the classroom.

05/27/2026

We’re proud to share that Anne Robinson Wadsworth, founder and former Executive Director of Girls Education Collaborative, will receive the 2026 Common Good Award from Bowdoin College this Saturday on May 30.

It is hard to capture everything Anne has championed, nurtured, and helped make possible over the years. But what stays with us most are moments like this one.

This video was taken in the very early days of the Kitenga Girls Secondary School, before the school had officially opened, and even before electricity had been installed on campus! After years of hard work alongside the Sisters to get the school operational, this was the first time we met the girls who would become the heart of the school. It was an incredibly emotional moment. We joined them after dark in the dormitory and sang “If You’re Happy and You Know It” together.

We’re so happy to see Anne receiving this recognition, and for those who have witnessed her commitment over the years, we know just how deeply deserved it is.

Last week in Buffalo NY, we gathered to celebrate and thank two extraordinary longtime supporters of Girls Education Col...
05/13/2026

Last week in Buffalo NY, we gathered to celebrate and thank two extraordinary longtime supporters of Girls Education Collaborative: Bob Berger and Christine Brown.

Bob has been part of GEC since the very beginning, and both he and Christine have given so much time, care, and leadership to the GEC community and Tanzanian partners over the years.

As a small token of gratitude, we gifted them each a handmade wall hanging with an African Violet. We also thanked them their instrumental support in helping build two spaces that continue to shape daily life at Kitenga Girls Secondary School: the school garden and the Alice Kryzan Memorial Library.

Their impact will continue to grow through every girl who learns in those spaces.

Asante Sana, Bob and Christine.

With great excitement, we welcome three new members to GEC's Board of Directors: Aderonke "Ronke" Adebajo, Andrea Griffa...
04/30/2026

With great excitement, we welcome three new members to GEC's Board of Directors: Aderonke "Ronke" Adebajo, Andrea Griffa Harden and Zachary McGee.

Together they bring deep expertise in finance, talent strategy, organizational leadership, and community-rooted stewardship that will help strengthen GEC as we continue investing in girls’ education through locally led partnerships.

We are honored to welcome them and excited for what we will build together.

Final year at KGSS for these Form 4 students! Years of putting in hard, HARD work and backing each other got them here. ...
04/09/2026

Final year at KGSS for these Form 4 students! Years of putting in hard, HARD work and backing each other got them here.

Soon to be graduates! 🎓✨

This week, in honor of International Women’s Day, our Executive Director Lois Mufuka Martin joined a community screening...
03/13/2026

This week, in honor of International Women’s Day, our Executive Director Lois Mufuka Martin joined a community screening and panel discussion of 🎬 NAWI – DEAR FUTURE ME, hosted by our friends at Nurturing Minds, Inc.

If you ever have the chance to see NAWI, we highly recommend it.

The film tells the story of a 13-year-old girl who discovers her father plans to marry her off to an older man in exchange for a herd of goats. Refusing that fate, she fights for the chance to stay in school and choose her own future.

The story echoes a reality that millions of girls still face. More than 640 million women alive today were married as children, and each year another 12 million girls are married before they turn 18.

During the discussion, screenwriter Milcah Cherotich shared that she wrote the story because she felt she “needed to speak for millions of girls who do not have a voice.”

She also described how the film was screened in Turkana in partnership with elders, and how many men were deeply moved. Her own uncle is now an advocate against child marriage!

Stories like NAWI bring these realities to life. They also remind us of the complex realities families navigate, and why expanding access to education for girls matters so deeply.

We see the future in this classroom.Future women who will lead, build, and shape what comes next.Give to Gain. Invest in...
03/08/2026

We see the future in this classroom.

Future women who will lead, build, and shape what comes next.

Give to Gain. Invest in girls.

03/06/2026

A big ASANTE SANA and shoutout to Touchstone Tanzania !

When we’re in Tanzania, they’re the kind of partners who don’t just support the work, they think alongside us. Thoughtful collaborators, strong believers in girls’ education, and wonderful friends in this journey.

They’re also an incredible safari company! Our quick half-day drive through the Serengeti turned into something truly magical!

So if you’re dreaming of a Tanzania trip… imagine booking your adventure with them. An unforgettable safari experience, while also supporting girls’ education 🌟🌟🌟

Looking back on our time in Arusha, with Mount Meru watching over it all. We reconnected with with long-standing partner...
03/05/2026

Looking back on our time in Arusha, with Mount Meru watching over it all. We reconnected with with long-standing partners, explored new opportunities and saw new connections beginning to emerge.

Grateful for the people who make this work possible. Until next time, Tanzania 🇹🇿

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