Studio Samuel creates pathways for girls in Ethiopia to reach their potential through education + employable skills.

Our Continuum of Programming

Our vision is a world where girls everywhere, no matter where they're born, know they have the same hopes and possibilities.

Good, safe options don't exist for a girl born marginalized in her community. When she has access to education her options improve and her cycle of poverty can be broken.

Studio Samuel News

Studio Samuel has been selected to be a featured organization of the
Girls Opportunity Alliance, a program of the Obama Foundation.

We're elated to have participated in the Girls Opportunity Alliance event in NYC, celebrating the launch of #GetHerThere.

Special guests Amal Clooney, Melinda French Gates, and Sara Bareilles joined Michelle Obama to show how we can all come together to remove the barriers that hold girls back around the world.

All three Studio Samuel programs target SDG 1, 4, 5, and 17.

When girls in our community are denied an education they're at risk of...

WAYS WE HELP

Do you remember the parable “If you give a man a fish, you feed him for a day. If you teach a man to fish, you feed him for a lifetime?”
"Teaching a woman to fish" is at the core of our work at Studio Samuel and is incorporated in each of our three programs.

AFTER-SCHOOL + WEEKEND PROGRAM

LIFE SKILLS FOR 9-18 YEAR OLD GIRLS

Training for Tomorrow is a two-year after-school and weekend program that runs parallel to traditional schooling with curriculum selected based on the current groups' needs.

Focus areas include occupational training, mentoring, counseling, healthcare, computer coding, creative art therapy and martial arts classes.

VOCATIONAL COLLEGE

JOB TRAINING FOR 18-24 YEAR OLD WOMEN

Two leading program arms of Training for Tomorrow are the computer lab and sewing lab. Due to their impact, local education officials accredited these two divisions as a college with a goal of reaching the next age group: 18-24yo.

Young women born marginalized in the community now have an opportunity for a college education and job placement assistance upon graduation.

MICROLENDING

SMALL BUSINESS TRAINING FOR 24+ YEAR OLD WOMEN

Providing capital, training, and support services for women in the lowest income bracket who are committed to earning an income so their girls stay in school.

To date, 201 female caregivers (students' legal guardians) have either launched or expanded their business.

Organizations like Studio Samuel Foundation are critical to helping educate women and giving them the skills and confidence to improve their livelihoods and those of their families.
~ Sheryl WuDunn (co-creator of A Path Appears and Half the Sky Movement)

STUDIO SAMUEL AT A GLANCE

Community Based + Girls First

Studio Samuel is a licensed CSO (and registered 501c3 in the US) dedicated to lifting girls and women from poverty.

Our goal is to ensure that the girls we serve have the skills and opportunities to be
self-sufficient in all aspects of their life, with a particular focus on their education, their experiences and their empowerment.
By removing barriers to her education, the impact on our graduates' futures increases exponentially
on her path to independence, leadership, and viable employment.

Supporting our organization means that you're making a groundbreaking investment in the wellbeing of thousands of girls and supporting what they need to achieve their very best lives.
While our work is currently focused in Ethiopia, we hope to expand this approach to other African countries and beyond.

FACTS & FIGURES

94%

Within 6 months of entering our program, 94% of girls saw an increase in grades, as compared with previous report cards.

5 OF 6 GIRLS

In our community, 5 of 6 girls drop out of school between 9-12 years old.

90%

After entering Studio Samuel, students maintain a 90% enrollment rate at school. Our staff will visit her home if she misses more than two consecutive days.