How we work
THE GIRLS GOTTA RUN ATHLETIC SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM
EducatioN
Running
Life skills
Savings and entrepreneurship
Our Approach
1. Investing at the Right Time
Girls Gotta Run invests in girls during adolescence when they are most vulnerable to dropping out of school and entering early marriage.
2. High Impact Innovations
Girls Gotta Run works with girls and their families to identify the key challenges they face and create effective, sustainable, and culturally relevant solutions.
3. Local Organizations
We partner with local organizations who have demonstrated experience and relationships in the communities we work in.
4. Sustainable Programming
Girls Gotta Run invests in the financial resiliency of families, building their capacity to weather economic challenges and create a path to financial prosperity.
115+
girls and women served
460+
people impacted
Program Location: SODDO
Located in Southern Ethiopia, Soddo is a town rich in culture and identity. Despite a growing economy, families in Soddo continue to struggle with limited economic opportunity and access to family planning. Since 2013, Girls Gotta Run has worked with the only all-girls school in Soddo, the Abba Pascal Girl’s School, to provide girls with the tools they need to complete their education and build a future of their choosing.
Program Location: BEKOJI
An astonishing 16 Olympic medals in 20 years have been won by runners from Bekoji, a small farming village in the highlands of Ethiopia. Here, running offers a means of building a better future and the honor of contributing to the Ethiopian national identity. Girls Gotta Run has worked in Bekoji since 2014 and is the first and only non-profit organization investing in female athletes and coaches in this historic town.
160+
girls and women served
640+
People Impacted
PROGRAM PARTNERS:
Girls Gotta Run is proud to partner with local organizations who work tirelessly to empower girls and families in the communities they are part of. LEARN MORE ABOUT Girls Gotta Run’s PROGRAM PARTNERS:
Siquee Women’s Development Association (SWDA)
SWDA was founded in 1997 with the aim of empowering disadvantaged women, girls, and children to improve their social and economic well-being and develop their capacity as active, productive, and respected members of their communities. The Siquee Association has more than 18 years of experience in developing successful savings groups with women throughout Ethiopia. Girls Gotta Run is proud to work with SWDA to implement, oversee, and evaluate the Athletic Scholarship Program in Bekoji, Ethiopia.
Abba Pascal School Girls' School (Soddo)
In Soddo, Girls Gotta Run partners with the Abba Pascal Girls' School to provide quality, girl-centered education for Athletic Scholars. The Abba Pascal School was founded in 1933. Since then, the school has seen an increase in students attending as well as a decrease in the number of students dropping out. In 2009, the dropout rate for Abba Pascal Girls’ School was 12%, in line with the rest of the country. Today, the drop out rate has been reduced to 3.18%. Impressively, all of the girls who attended the school through 12th grade are now attending University courses. Girls Gotta Run is proud to partner with the Abba Pascal School to provide robust academic scholarships for girls from disadvantaged communities in Soddo, Ethiopia.
Ethiopian Women’s and Children’s Affairs Office
Girls Gotta Run works closely with the local and regional Women’s and Children’s Office in Bekoji to monitor and oversee program implementation. Girls Gotta Run collaborates with these government offices to build tailored solutions to the unique challenges that girls and women face in the Bekoji community.
Ethiopian Youth and Sport Office (Local and National)
Girls Gotta Run works with the National Ethiopian Youth and Sports Office to connect athletes with opportunities to race in local and national competitions. This partnership also provides opportunities for Girls Gotta Run Athletic Scholars to meet female role models in the Ethiopia Athletics Federation and for Girls Gotta Run to align our athletic training curriculum with the national standard.
Stories From The Girls Gotta Run Families
Girls Gotta Run invests in the inspiring people that make change possible. Each Girls Gotta Run family has its own story on the journey to higher education, financial resiliency, and designing a future of its choosing. Here are a few of them:
$85 per month can support a girl and her mom in the Girls Gotta Run Program for an entire year.
MAke change possible for a girl and her family today. join the Marathon, Girls Gotta Run’s Monthly Giving Program.
