Dr.Christine Cotton

Birley St

Leigh

WN71JU

Dear

EFIG (Education for Indigent Girls) in Africa

I appreciate the demands upon Elected members’ time (and pockets.) Nevertheless I should like to introduce this organisation to you. At a recent conference on the future of education in the borough questions were raised about girls’ education. EFIG offers a chance of joining in the international effort to promote education of girls in Africa.

In many parts of Africa education is neither free nor compulsory. Boys are preferred in family life and all effort made for their education, whereas girls in the main are groomed for marriage. If unsupported or they become homeless they are very vulnerable. Work for them means labouring long hours, often in hazardous and injurious occupations, for low wages or simply their keep, accelerating exposure to exploitation and disease.

Education and decent employment breaks the poverty cycle which plagues Africa.

Your sponsorship of a destitute girl’s education, or a one-off donation towards it, helps her continue in school or even attend for the first time. Just £10 monthly (or more depending on what you can afford) contributes towards a girl’s school fees, uniform, medical attention, daily meal, books, examination and certificate fees, ‘holiday school’ treats and outings and helps defray adminstrative costs and volunteers’ expenses.

EFIG (a charitable organisation recognised by The UK Charities Commission) co-ordinates such a scheme for poor girls in Africa aged 4 – 16 (longer if specially gifted or talented.) Accounts are strictly kept and records maintained. Overheads are minimal as organisation operates in conjunction with All Saints Church in Ealing, whose Vicar is involved. EFIG’s Founder and Director, Mrs.Gladys Simeon, is known to me personally. A former Barrister whp represented her country in the United nations working in New York.

Sponsors receive yearly progress reports of the girls whose education they sponsor and may write to them c/o EFIG in Africa. Please make a one-off donation or PLEDGE SPONSORSHIP of the education of a girl living in poverty. You could do this by yourself or jointly, for as much as you like or as long as you like, and till the girl is 16 or further. Simply knowing that someone minds enough to care makes a difference to the life of a child.

Please contact Ms.Gladys Simeon LLB on 0208-567 1638 or email gladys.simeon@yahoo.co.uk for more information. I sponsor a girl myself.

Yours truly

Christine Cotton