WAAW (Working to Advance African Women) Foundation is a non-profit organization dedicated to empowering young women and girls in Africa through education. Since 2008, WAAW has worked to promote STEM education, leadership development, mentoring, and skills training for African girls and women. 

WAAW runs a diverse range of high-impact programs across the continent. This includes their annual STEM fellows program for girls, virtual training, and a mentoring program that pairs accomplished African women with girls and young women in their communities. They also run coding camps, internships, and more.

WAAW’s latest effort is a scholarship fundraising campaign to raise $16,000 to support African female students. The funds raised will provide scholarships covering tuition, books, and other academic expenses for girls at the high school and university levels. This campaign is critical to helping WAAW advance its mission of breaking down barriers to education and creating future female leaders in fields like science, technology, and beyond.

 The Need for Supporting Scholarship for Girls’ Education in Africa

Despite progress, girls continue to be excluded from education in many parts of Africa. Over 30 million girls of primary and lower secondary school age are still not enrolled in school. Poverty, cultural norms, child marriage, safety concerns, and a lack of sanitation facilities disproportionately affect girls’ access to education.

When girls are educated, the benefits are far-reaching. Educated girls are less likely to marry young, face lower risks of domestic violence and HIV/AIDS, have better career prospects and earnings, and have healthier and better-educated children. Their empowerment and participation lead to more democratic, stable, and prosperous societies. Each extra year of primary school increases girls’ future wages by 10–20%, and women with a secondary education earn nearly twice as much as those with no education at all. Educating girls leads to better nutrition, financial growth, and agricultural productivity. 

By supporting girls’ education in Africa through scholarships, we can help build a more just and prosperous world where women and girls reach their full potential. Investing in girls is not just the right thing to do morally, but it also results in intergenerational gains that propel development.

 WAAW’s Scholarship Program

The WAAW Foundation scholarship program provides critical financial support for high-achieving female students in Africa to complete their tertiary education. Each year, WAAW awards scholarships to young women who demonstrate academic excellence, leadership potential, and commitment to improving their communities.

See 2022/2023 WAAW Foundation Scholarship Recipients

The WAAW scholarship covers school fees, books, uniforms, and other educational expenses for a full academic year. Since starting the scholarship program, WAAW has supported 91 scholars in Ghana, Nigeria, Kenya, South Africa, Cameroon, Senegal, and other African countries.

Many WAAW scholarship recipients have gone on to achieve great success in fields like medicine, engineering, business, and education.

WAAW’s  Approach to Empowering African Girls

The WAAW Foundation takes a comprehensive approach to supporting and empowering girls in Africa beyond just providing scholarships. They offer several programs that provide girls with mentorship, STEM education, leadership training, and other resources they need to succeed.

WAAW hosts an annual STEM fellows summit for high school girls interested in science, technology, engineering, and math. This fully funded program brings together bright young women for an immersive week-long experience to learn from women leaders in STEM fields through panels, hands-on workshops, and 1:1 mentor pairing. Girls build both hard and soft skills to help them thrive in male-dominated STEM spaces.

Additionally, WAAW runs a virtual mentorship program that matches female students with professional women across Africa and worldwide. Meeting regularly over video chat, mentors provide guidance, encouragement, and industry-specific advice to help mentees set goals and navigate challenges. Mentorship is proven to increase girls’ confidence and career attainment and inspire them to pay it forward.

Leadership training is another core component of WAAW’s work. Through workshops and conferences, they teach critical skills like public speaking, project management, financial literacy, and strategic planning. Girls gain the capabilities and self-assurance to step into leadership roles in their schools, workplaces, and communities.  

WAAW’s scholarship program sits alongside these initiatives as part of their holistic roadmap to empower African girls through education. Financial assistance removes a huge barrier to school access, while their other programs provide meaningful support structures to help girls truly thrive academically and personally.

How You Can Support WAAW’s Mission

You can make a direct impact on a girl’s education and future by donating to WAAW’s scholarship fund. Scholarships empower girls to pursue their academic dreams and catalyze progress in their communities.

Even a small donation goes a long way. Consider the impact:

  • $50 provides learning materials for one girl for one year
  • $150 provides one girl’s school fees for one year
  • $500 provides 1 girl’s school fees, learning materials, accommodation expenses, and other learning aids for 1 year.

Larger donations allow WAAW to support more scholars. A gift of:

  • $1,000 covers two girl’s  education expenses for one year
  • $4,000 covers eight girls’ university education for one year.
  • $10,000 provides 20 girls with one-year scholarships.

Investing in a girl’s education changes her life and lifts her community. Donations to WAAW scholarships deliver measurable impact by:

  •  Increasing girls’ enrollment and completion of secondary and university education
  • Empowering girls to achieve economic independence 
  • Enabling girls to gain skills to tackle community challenges
  • Equipping girls to become leaders and role models

Join us and donate to WAAW’s scholarship fund today. Your gift will directly support an African girl’s dreams of education and a brighter future.

Every donation to the WAAW scholarship fund makes a direct impact on the life of an African girl, helping her access the education she needs to achieve her full potential. Your contribution gives her hope for a brighter future.

You can donate directly by clicking on donate or by trying any of these options:

Send through your Mobile Payment App:

  • Zelle: 979-574-3453
  • Cash App: $waawfoundation
  • Venmo: @WAAWFoundation

Send us a check or money order to 2150 S. Central Expressway, Ste 200, McKinney, TX 75070.