Image Source: Global Citizens

Creators for Change on Girls’ Education is a YouTube Originals which created a dynamic content moment to spark a conversation around the global state of girls’ education and won the Daytime Emmy Awards for “Outstanding Daytime Non-Fiction Special” at the 48th Annual Daytime Emmys. It is a documentary where the former first lady of USA, Michelle Obama sits down with YouTube Creators Liza Koshy, Prajakta Koli (MostlySane) and Thembe Mahlaba (Pap Culture), and has a conversation about the state of girls’ education around the world.

More than 98 million adolescent girls around the globe aren’t in school. These girls do not have access to education because of which they lack the life skills of making their voices heard and their choices respected. The old African proverb “If you educate a man you educate an individual, but if you educate a woman you educate a family” was a pioneer in its time for realizing the importance of education for women. Yet today, young girls around the world are deprived of education because of which they are unable to voice their opinions and transform their lives. Creators for Change on Girls’ Education delved into the experiences of adolescent girls who overcome adversities to pursue education in India, Namibia and Vietnam, and highlighted the value of education.

In this YouTube Originals, the viewers get to see how Girls Opportunity Alliance, a program of the Obama Foundation, affects girls in India, Namibia and Vietnam. This show shines a spotlight on the barriers young girls face to receive education. The initiative seeks to empower adolescent girls around the world through education, allowing them to achieve their full potential and transform their families, communities, and countries. 

In December 2019, the YouTube Originals team flew to Vietnam with Michelle Obama to film her visit to a Room to Read project in Vietnam. She was accompanied by celebrities like Julia Roberts, Jenna Bush-Hager, Lana Condor, and YouTube Creator Liza Koshy to the Can Giuoc school in Long An Province to meet members of the Girls Opportunity Alliance community who are working hard to pursue their education, and local leaders from Room to Read who are providing them crucial support to stay in school.

Furthermore, YouTube Originals sent Liza and fellow YouTube creators Prajakta Koli and Thembe Mahlaba to different countries to highlight the work being done globally to help further girls' education. It highlights the stories of local girls in India, Vietnam and Namibia, who are overcoming the difficulties to pursue their education, and shine a light 

on the non-profits and grassroots leaders making it possible for them to achieve their dreams.

Finally, after visiting with students in their designated country, the creators gathered for a roundtable conversation with Michelle Obama. Each of them shared what they observed in the countries they visited and also talked about the inspiring stories of the students they met abroad. They share stories which showcase how education can transform girls’ lives and create ripple effects across communities. 

Since its release, the show has been viewed over 11 million times on YouTube and the reception has been overwhelmingly positive. The team has been able to drive donations to Girls Opportunity Alliance. They have engaged people around the world to take action to help adolescent girls and the grassroots leaders working to educate them. The Girls Opportunity Alliance has collaborated with more than 1,500 grassroots organizations around the world to address the specific issues girls face within their communities and find the best strategies to deal with them. 

 

Source:
Shortyawards