Uplifting stories, star power, and impressive box-office stats without doubt. But can a documentary seen even in several hundred theaters actually translate into making a difference in traditional, and often patriarchal, societies thousands of miles away?

A child of the dump, on her way to college. It was a story that brought nearly everyone to tears. But not me. I was still skeptical. I was still reluctant to truly embrace something that was incontrovertibly true and unquestionably important.

The world now knows that educating girls has the power to break the deadly cycle of generational poverty. Giving 100 girls the hand up they need has the power to reach 10,000 girls, by empowering them to become mentors for their siblings and peers.