Girls Gotta Run Foundation is a non-profit organisation that invests in girls who use running and education to empower themselves and their communities.
The foundation is the only one of its kind in Ethiopia which uses the national sport of running as a means of creating safe spaces for vulnerable girls to access primary and secondary education, build a support network, and to gain self empowerment. Although marriage before the age of 18 has been outlawed in Ethiopia, there is still a worryingly high number of young girls who are pulled out of school at an early age and isolated into early marriage and motherhood by the traditional norms that still prevail throughout the country.
Girls Gotta Run Foundation aims to create strong partnerships with local and international organisations to develop projects and programmes that empower Ethiopian women to achieve their fullest potential both athletically and educationally too. This not only rewards the community as a whole, but also encourages a greater involvement by younger women to discover their potential too.
The foundation is close to Dear Green's heart and one we are proud to support as the owner, Lisa Lawson, visited and witnessed the power of this small charity first hand on her visit to Sodo, Ethiopia
To find out more about Girls Gotta Run Foundation and support them yourselves, head to their website.