Dear friends,

Happy holidays from AGALI! In AGALI's last newsletter of 2012, we are delighted to share updates on our work over the last three months, including successful new advocacy initiatives for girls, five workshops in four countries, thirteen grants to our partner organizations, and twelve new policy briefs, videos, and digital stories. We're also thrilled with two recent Huffington Post articles highlighting the Adolescent Girls' Advocacy Network in Malawi and the UN Global Youth Forum in Bali.

Looking back on 2012, I am truly inspired by the tremendous achievements of our AGALI partners. AGALI grantees are protecting adolescent girls from violence and early marriage, and enabling them to stay in school and advocate for their own needs. Through successful national advocacy campaigns and innovative community-based strategies, the AGALI Fellows are improving the lives of adolescent girls in Africa and Latin America.

You can make a difference this holiday season! Your tax-deductible donation to AGALI will give adolescent girls in Africa and Latin America the opportunity to finish school, stay healthy, and become leaders in their communities. Your generous support makes a tremendous difference to adolescent girls around the world. To support us and to learn more about AGALI's work, please donate.

We send you our warmest wishes for a safe and happy holiday season!

Denise Dunning, PhD

AGALI Program Director

AGANET Malawi Summit and Digital Storytelling Workshop

In September, AGALI Program Administrator Lorena Gomez-Barris traveled to Malawi to participate in the first annual summit of AGALI's partners, the Adolescent Girls Advocacy Network (AGANET). AGANET members, representatives of international organizations, and government stakeholders came together for a two-day meeting to discuss the challenges facing adolescent girls in Malawi and develop strategies to advocate for improved laws and policies to protect girls' rights. Largely due to AGANET's nationwide advocacy, the Malawi Parliament is currently considering a revised Marriage Bill that would raise the age of marriage from 15 to 18 years of age in early 2013. AGALI Program Manager Emily Teitsworth's blog on the lead-up to the vote was featured on the

Huffington Post: The Beginning of the End for Child Marriage. 

Digital Storytelling Workshop Participants

Following the AGANET summit, Lorena facilitated a three-day Digital Storytelling workshop for a group of AGALI alumni, the AGANET national coordinator, and a 15 year-old adolescent girl. The workshop participants learned to produce and edit digital videos, and are using the medium to advocate for adolescent girls. Four of the inspiring digital stories can be viewed on the AGALI website.

Institutional Strengthening Workshops in Guatemala and Liberia

In collaboration with international advocacy expert Dr. Mirna Montenegro, AGALI hosted a two-day Institutional Strengthening workshop in Guatemala City in early November. Focusing on direct advocacy with government decisionmakers, the workshop brought together AGALI Fellows, staff of their organizations, and government representatives for two days of experiential learning. During the workshop, Dr. Montenegro organized in-person meetings with high-level government representatives, including Mirna de Coro, who in 2013 will become the first woman Vice President of Congress in Guatemala's history.

In mid-December, AGALI hosted a one-day proposal development workshop in Liberia. Facilitator Lancedell Matthews led participants through the process of developing a proposal for a current funding opportunity, and provided individual coaching to strengthen the ability of AGALI Liberia Fellows to fundraise successfully. 

AGALI at the ICPD Global Youth Forum

AGALI Program Director Denise Dunning at the Global Youth Forum in Bali

AGALI Fellows Study Leadership in Washington State

Program Manager Emily Teitsworth and AGALI 2009 Honduras Fellow Joany Garcia

From September to December, two AGALI Fellows, Joany Garcia (Honduras '09) and Danessa Luna (Guatemala '11) participated in the prestigious iLEAP Fellowship program in Seattle, Washington. iLEAP provides a small number of senior international leaders with extensive leadership development and capacity building. During their time in the US, both Joany and Danessa visited PHI's offices in California to meet with AGALI staff, present their work to donors, and visit social service organizations in the San Francisco Bay Area. AGALI is proud to support the continuing professional development of our Fellows and partners.