On a recent trip to Vietnam, I sought out a young girl named Dao Ngoc Phung who Nicholas Kristof profiled in his article "Girls Just Want to Go to School." Dao's mother died of cancer two years ago, leaving Dao to become the caretaker of her brother and sister at the age of 14.
What struck me the most about Dao is how much she believes that getting an education will change her life and her family's as well. Dao wakes up every morning at 3am to study, and cooks rice for her brother and sister before the sun even rises. She then bikes her 4-foot-11-inch frame 90 minutes each way to school, and her teacher attests that she's always early. Kristof's article inspired many people to act, and an Intel employee in Vietnam started mentoring Dao in English and Math en route to her goal of becoming an accountant.
There are millions of young girls with stories like Dao yearning for an opportunity to be counted, to lead and to prosper. What's exciting is that now you will have an opportunity to meet young girls from different countries in a groundbreaking documentary called Girl Rising.
Today, 10-11-12, marks the first ever International Day of the Girl, and I am thrilled to share the teaser trailer for Girl Rising. If you are inspired to empower the millions of girls dreaming of an opportunity to walk into a classroom and one day a boardroom... then get ready for some #BasicMath.
The #BasicMath Campaign:
Educating girls is not just right, it's smart. The numbers add up, which is why we consider educating girls to be basic math.
· When the number of girls attending school increases by 10 percent, a country's GDP can increase by 3 percent
· When a girl attends school for seven or more years, she'll marry four years later and have two fewer children
· A girl is 50 percent more likely to immunize her children when she is educated
· A girl's wages increase up to 15 percent after receiving one more year of primary education
At Intel, I have the honor of traveling the world and everywhere I go I encounter girls whose biggest dream is getting an education. Now through 10x10's global social action campaign Girl Rising, we all can play a part in changing the world by educating girls.
If you have a Twitter account, please join me in tweeting: "Girls + Education = ______." What's your equals?
Today my statement is, "Girls + Education = Global Prosperity." It's #BasicMath #dayofthegirl @10x10act Join: http://10x10act.org/take-action/act-on-idg/