WHO WE ARE

GLOW UP stands for Girls Ladies Orphans Women United (for) Progress is a registered non-governmental organization that develops and implements targeted skills training programs for young females ages 10-18, who currently reside in orphanages or are part of foster care system, to improve access to quality education and professional opportunities. The GLOW UP NGO houses several projects across main pillars: education, health & well-being, nutrition & food security. Our aim is to create a pipeline of female leaders who are empowered to secure the best opportunities in all fields of expertise. We are committed to all aspects of their development and glow up journeys to becoming economic leaders.

Why Girls

The evidence is clear: gender equality is critical to business performance and sustainable economic growth globally. According to the United Nations, unleashing the full potential of women and girls could add more than $12 trillion dollars to global GDP, drive significant positive impacts on business productivity and the bottom line, and support families and communities around the world. 

However, did you know that women from underrepresented communities (such as orphanages and foster home communities) are missing in most corporate jobs and professions? For example, focusing on professions in the technology sector, TechCrunch cites only 9% of Apple employees, 4% of Facebook employees, and <4% of Google employees are women. These numbers reduce significantly when we focus on the metrics for women from challenging backgrounds.

Why Orphans

UNICEF estimates that thereare 153 million children worldwide that are orphans (2017), ranging from infants to teenagers, who have lost one or both of their parents. UNICEF also cites that children represent roughly a third of the world’s population but account for almost half of all people living in extreme poverty. 263 million children and youth are out of school – 61 million are primary school age, 53% of them are girls

Girls who have been abandoned, neglected, rejected by their parents, or lost their parents from a young age face unique challenges that often lead to insecurities, low self-esteem and ultimately despair. They often find it difficult integrating completely into society. There is limited data and transparency into the proportion of girls who are raised through orphanages and the foster care system, who excel in the educational system, and progress into the most competitive universities, most competitive jobs, and end up gaining recognition as successful professionals and/or entrepreneurs. In 2018, our founder read an article in theNY Times that really grabbed her attention and gave me a new perspective of “The foster care crisis”. The article istitled “Out of Foster Care, Into College” and starts with “By definition, foster children have been delinquent, abandoned, neglected, physically, sexually and/or emotionally abused, and that does not take into account non-statutory abuses like heartache. About two-thirds never go to college and very few graduate, so it’s a safe bet that those who do, have an uncommon resilience. In a society where many young men and women live with their parents well into their 20s, foster children learn quickly that they are their own responsibility.

Why The Name GLOW UP

In April 2017, “the glow up challenge” went viral. Online communities (including on twitter, Instagram, Facebook etc), all over the world participated by sharing pictures and selfies from the past, side-by-side with more recent pictures, to highlight physical transformation. The viral campaign manifested again in January 2019 as the #TenYearChallenge and had a similar impact globally. 

The urban dictionary defines “glow up” as “to go from the bottom to the top to the point of disbelief. An incredible transformation”. The term “glow up” has become a movement, that references individuals’ journey to self-discovery, physical, mental and emotional transformation. It is no longer just about changes in appearance, but how we evolve internally, how we accept ourselves, how we define ourselves, our commitment to personal development, and becoming the best version of ourselves. This means a lot to our founder, Kemi. Kemi believes that it is time to act NOW – in any little way possible to alleviate the “orphan and/or foster care crisis”. As Cherie Blair once said, “when you empower a woman, you empower a family, a community, and indeed a nation”. Michelle Obama once said, “every girl, no matter where she lives, deserves the opportunity to develop the promise inside her”. She also said “as women, we must stand up for ourselves, as women we must stand up for each other, as women, we must stand up for justice for all”

about GLOW UP NGO

All (100%) proceeds go to the GLOW UP NGO. GLOW UP which stands for Girls, Ladies, Orphans, Women United for Progress, was founded in 2018. It is a registered non-profit organisation committed to the food, shelter, education and healthcare of female orphans across Africa; helping them to identify their core strengths, to maximize their full potential and be prepared for opportunities that align with their big dreams.

Short Term Vision

Long Term Vision

Objectives

Projects

  • Host events such as skills and leadership development workshops, panels, conferences, and off-residence company visits 
  • Mentoring programs to provide networking opportunities, career direction, qualitative tools, and specific insight necessary to succeed in any field of expertise, and in entrepreneurship
  • Initiate conversations with female orphans, home coordinators, and other organizations committed to their personal development
  • Create a pipeline of young female leaders who are equipped, qualified, and empowered tosecure the best opportunities including scholarships to universities, internships, and funding fortheir businesses; ultimately thriving as successful corporate professionals and entrepreneurs
  • Be at the forefront of policy changes, government resources deployed to orphanages and fosterhomes for their growth and development
  • Opportunities – Developing and implementing targeted skills training programs
  • Empowerment – Providing a platform for their voices to be heard and to “own” who they are. Emphasis on self-discovery, self-assessment, reflection and pursuing self-development
  • Advocacy – communicating insights to relevant stakeholders to address challenges and effect change. To be the face and collective voice of all female orphans in Africa
  • Academic direction including college tours and application reviews
  • Career Direction including company visits, resume and cover letter writing, mock interviewing
  • Leadership Training including entrepreneurial skills, digital skills, financial Independence, health & well-being, developing a personal brand