Happy summer from AGALI! 

We have had a busy spring and are excited to share updates from our work, and to introduce the newest members of the AGALI team.

 

  

Liberia Capacity Building Training

In May, AGALI staff welcomed 18 new AGALI Liberia Fellows to a seven-day advocacy capacity building training in Monrovia. From May 5-11, these 18 Fellows learned about adolescent girls' issues in a post-conflict context, built their skills in advocacy, and developed draft advocacy project proposals. We were excited to welcome Grace Kaimila-Kanjo back for a third year as AGALI lead facilitator, and to host Leah Meadows from the UN Foundation during the training. In late July, AGALI will be awarding seed grants to support advocacy projects developed during the training.

 

 

 

Everything Has a Time: Being a Girl in Liberia - Video

Immediately following the Liberia training, AGALI and UN Foundation staff conducted site visits in and around Monrovia. During the site visit to AGALI grantee organization THINK, Emily and Lorena interviewed Oretha, a young woman living at the THINK safe home for girls. As part of AGALI's efforts to help girls tell their stories, Lorena produced a short video highlighting Oretha's experiences growing up as a girl in Liberia and her hopes for the future.  You can find more information on the video on our website.

 

We also invite you to view it here:

Everything Has a Time - Being a Girl in Liberia - AGALI.mov

 

 Liberia Policy Briefs

AGALI has just launched a series of policy briefs highlighting five of the national laws and policies in Liberia that most affect adolescent girls, including the Children's Law, the Rape Law, the Girls' Education Policy, the National Health Policy & Plan, and the National Gender Policy. The briefs are a tool for advocates, girl leaders, community groups, policymakers, and others working to advance the rights of adolescent girls. Recently disseminated by the Coalition for Adolescent Girls (CAG), the five briefs are also available in PDF format from the AGALI website.

 

Honduras Institutional Strengthening Workshop

In mid-April, AGALI Honduras Fellows and members of the AGALI-supported Honduran Advocacy Coalition for Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Rights met in Tegucigalpa for a two-day Institutional Strengthening (IS) workshop. The IS workshop, facilitated by internationally-renowned expert in sex education Dr. Pepe Aguilar, Director of Demysex in Mexico, built participants' capacity to advocate for comprehensive sex education for girls through implementation of the "Prevention through Education" Regional Declaration.

 

Upcoming AGALI Conference Participation

AGALI staff will be presenting at three upcoming conferences in the next several months. In July, Denise will present at the AIDS 2012 Conference in Washington, DC. Also attending the conference will be several AGALI Fellows and trainers, as well as the Country Representatives from Malawi and Liberia. In September, Emily will be in Washington, DC to present at the Global Youth Economic Opportunities Conference. And in late October, the San Francisco Bay Area will host this year's APHA Annual Meeting, where both Denise and Emily will be sharing AGALI's work at several sessions throughout the week.

 

Staff Updates

This Spring AGALI has added three new junior staff members to the team. Denise's daughter Sierra was born on April 10th, and Josie welcomed twin boys, Tadeo and Joaquin, on June 5th. Everyone is happy and healthy, and enjoying much-deserved family time this summer.

  

 

 

We will return in the fall with more news about AGALI. Until then, you can find us at: www.agaliprogram.org

 

HAPPY SUMMER!

 

The AGALI Team