EMPOWERING CHANGE WITH SHE’s THE FIRST.

Every opportunity to connect with fellow grassroots leaders is a chance to spread positive energy and 15-17th July, 2025 was a powerful reminder of that truth.

Hosted by She’s The First the #GIRLSFIRST training brought together an amazing group of grassroots leaders, mentors and girl leaders together. Though we came from different regions and backgrounds, we are united by one shared mission: advancing girls’ rights and leadership.

From the moment we arrived, the energy was vibrant, purposeful and deeply inspiring. We dived into transformative sessions on girl-centered Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR), storytelling for impact, feminist mentorship and team building. These have not only sparked new ideas but offered practical, community rooted tools that we can take back to our own organizations.

One of the most powerful aspects of that training was our deep exploration of feminist mentorship, a practice that challenges us to reimagine how we support girls by centering their voices, their lived experiences and their leadership in every decision. We also tackled girl-centered monitoring and evaluation, emphasizing the need for data that reflects girls’ real lives and priorities not just what is easy to measure.

A key highlight was our session on Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights, a timely and critical conversation that has equipped us to advocate more effectively for bodily autonomy, access to accurate information and the dignity of choice for all girls.

As we stepped into Day 3, we carried more momentum. It marked the official #GIRLSFIRST Summit, a space dedicated to amplifying girls’ voices and leadership.

We began with a powerful panel discussion featuring young leaders from different schools who boldly shared what leadership means to them, how they are navigating challenges in their communities and what kind of change they envision for the future. Their words were not only honest and courageous but deeply reflective of the values we were cultivating through the training.

What became more clearer was this: When girls are given platforms to lead, they do not  just speak, they shape. They do not just dream, they drive change.

We were so grateful to She’s The First for creating such a transformative space, a space that challenges, inspires, and reminds us why we do this work. Together, we are building safer, more inclusive spaces where girls can thrive, lead and transform their communities.

As the summit continued, we carried with us the stories, hopes and fire of the girls who are at the heart of this movement and we moved forward renewed in our commitment to girl-led because when we shift power to girls, real change happens.

Compiled by;

Dorah Kamwine