 We welcomed thirteen girls into our sponsorship program this spring and gave each one an HIO backpack filled with books and supplies to get started. We can’t wait to see your gifts of education continue transforming these beautiful, young lives. Dear Friends, Over the past several weeks, we’ve gotten the new Nepali school year underway, shared the joy of our older girls’ academic achievements and launched a cervical cancer prevention initiative for our community. We hope these updates from the field will bring you a smile. The astonishing gains our girls and their mothers make through your kindness are made even more remarkable when we consider the overwhelming inequalities of caste, class and gender they’re working so hard to overcome. Your belief in their potential to create a more promising world is our inspiration. Every success for an HIO girl is truly a success for us all. With deep gratitude and hope, Laura and Ricky  All of our tenth graders passed the Secondary Education Exam with flying colors. Congratulations on this monumental achievement! SECONDARY EDUCATION EXAMS (SEE) In Nepal, every tenth grader is required to take the Secondary Education Exam (SEE). It’s referred to by our girls as the “iron gate” that determines next steps toward college and career choices. Students who score high enough are eligible to pursue a science track in 11th and 12th grades, leading to careers in medicine, engineering, or technology. Some who pass the SEE follow a business or liberal arts track on their way to decent professions. Some of our SEE takers are now also exploring their interests in vocational fields such as cosmetology or fashion design while finishing their high school education. Each HIO girl has her own gifts.  Ganga, in the center, is an inspiring HIO mentor who will soon join three of her HIO sisters studying at the Asian University for Women in Bangladesh. Amrita, on the left, exceeded her goals on the SEE exam by earning a B+, and is excited to study business. Mikisa, on the right, earned the highest SEE score among our HIO girls…A+! She’s well on her way to achieving her dream of studying medicine. REACH FOR THE STARS MENTORSHIP INITIATIVE We launched a mentorship initiative this spring that’s helping each of our high school girls navigate next steps. How great! Sixteen young women studying in college were selected to serve as mentors for two or three of their younger HIO sisters. Under the brilliant guidance of our Nepal team, our new mentors are taking their leadership role very seriously. Their willingness to share fresh ideas and their commitment to paying it forward truly define what it means to be an HIO girl.  Last month, volunteers from the EkEk Paila Community Health Center administered the HPV vaccine to over 200 girls and young women in our HIO community, completing the initial phase of our cervical cancer prevention initiative. CERVICAL CANCER PREVENTION
Promoting the health and well-being of our HIO girls is a number one priority of our social service program. Cervical cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths for women in Nepal. It’s the only form of cancer preventable through vaccination. The combination of the HPV vaccination and regular cervical cancer screenings is the most effective way to prevent the disease, yet the vaccine is not routinely administered to Nepali teens. Partnering with women's health care providers in Kathmandu, our Nepal team is taking concrete steps to address this major health risk in our community. Since the beginning of this year, we’ve provided awareness workshops and cervical cancer screenings to all of our sponsored girls’ mothers. Mothers who tested positive received potentially life-saving follow up care. Now that all HIO girls eligible for the vaccine have received it, we’ll move into our next phase of systematizing screenings and vaccinations as a benefit of sponsorship in years to come. We’re immensely grateful to the Comeau Family Foundation for making this vital healthcare initiative possible.
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