“With an education, you have everything you need to rise above all the noise and fulfill every last one of your dreams.” – Michelle Obama
What do Oprah Winfrey and Sonia Sotomayor have in common? Though one is an accomplished TV host who owns her own network (ironically called OWN) and one is the first Hispanic Supreme Court Justice, respectively, they both started off in similar conditions: in poverty stricken families and in poverty stricken towns. But though they hard upbringings, one thing, of the many things, that kept them on track to a good education was books! A lot of books!
Today, there are over 62 million girls all around the world who do not have the access to primary education because of the lack of basic necessities such as books, lack of teachers, poverty or other causes. Because of the need to bring attention to this problem, first lady Michelle Obama and Girls Rising started a campaign called #62milliongirls. The purpose of this campaign is to expand access to education to over 62 million adolescent girls around the world.
As of now there are over a million people, women and men, who have participated in this campaign including prominent names such as Kerry Washington and Queen B herself!
Participating in this campaign is easy and simple. First take a selfie of yourself holding a paper that says “In school I learned___. #62milliongirls”. Fill in the blank with what aspect of you has evolved the most. Next add a black and white filter to the picture and post it on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or any other social media platforms with the hashtag “62milliongirls.”
Her Campus decided to get some Cal Poly students involved in the campaign and here are some of the pictures.
As of today, over 35 million textbooks and school supplies were given out to these countries and over 375,000 girls have had the chance at an education.
To learn more about this campaign please check out the following website: https://62milliongirls.com/