Our Founder

Uplifting the Girl Child was founded by 2018 Dartmouth YALI/Mandela program scholar, Grace Ningejeje.

She is passionate about improving the lives of girls in her country, seeing educational attainment as critical for the progress of girls, who drop out of school in Burundi at a far higher rate than their male peers. 

With a sense that challenges around menstruation contribute to that high dropout rate for girls which can help to lead to a lifetime of poverty, Ms. Ningejeje has set her sights on finding practical, cost-effective solutions that can address hygiene challenges in culturally-sensitive ways.

Ms. Ningejeje is the author of a new book about menstrual hygiene written for Burundian adolescent girls in English and Kirundi. 

The book tells a story of a Burundian girl experiencing her first period and learning about how to manage it with help from a kind auntie.  Besides providing practical information, the story helps to normalize the experience of menstruation, which can help to reduce stigma and taboo around the topic