Michelle Obama Pledges $2.5M to Grassroots Groups Advancing Girls’ Education
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Former First Lady Michelle Obama is renewing her push for global girls’ education with a $2.5 million commitment through the Obama Foundation’s Girls Opportunity Alliance, targeting community-based groups that help girls stay in school and build leadership skills in low-income regions.
“These groups are changing the way girls see themselves… helping create the leaders we need for the brighter future we all deserve,” Obama said in an Oct. 11 video marking International Day of the Girl. “Because when our girls succeed, we all do.”
The new funding will support dozens of local organizations that tackle barriers such as child marriage, gender-based violence, and financial hardship. Many grantees also offer counseling, mentorship, and vocational training for girls ages 10–19.
Launched in 2018, the Girls Opportunity Alliance has focused on amplifying and resourcing adolescent girls’ education and leadership. The renewed effort comes amid declining global education aid; UNICEF has warned that a projected 24% drop in support from wealthier nations could force six million girls out of school by the end of next year.
“The need right now, I think more than ever, is crucial,” said Tiffany Drake, the Alliance’s executive director, citing recent conversations with partners at a summit in Mauritius. There, African and Asian grantees shared how small, reliable grants and peer networks help sustain programs in the face of shrinking budgets.
“We wanted to give people a place where they can take action,” Drake added pointing to the Alliance’s mix of grants (up to $50,000 per project), training, mentorship, and public crowdfunding.
For leaders like Jackie Bomboma of Tanzania’s Young Strong Mothers Foundation, the network offers both resources and resolve. “We call ourselves watoto wa Michelle Obama—‘the children of Michelle Obama,’” she said. “Everyone feels proud to have such a mother who is strong, powerful, and loving.”
The Alliance says the funds will begin flowing to selected projects over the coming months, with progress updates shared through its public campaigns.
