About Us...

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“Girls 4 Girls” is the name of the service project developed by the members of Team #9643 (Lady VOLTAGE), a community-based, all-girls, high school robotics team from Cleveland, OH. In addition to building and competing in robotics, the team actively works to promote Gender Equality, Education, and Empowerment. The team also seeks to bring attention to health-related issues that affect women and children. The Girls 4 Girls Project features three (3) components.

• Mentorship - Working with our mentors, and other all-girl teams from the region, Lady VOLTAGE is helping to establish a network of professional women from STEM fields to help guide and mentor high school girls on a path to success.  As part of this component, the student leaders from the team are working with the local school district and the FRC Buckeye Regional Planning Committee to help host a “Women in STEM Summit” for high school-aged girls in the spring of 2025.  The Summit will bring together a panel of professional women from business, industry, academia, and cutting-edge research, to share lessons learned, and answer student questions about real-world opportunities for women. 

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• Visibility – We believe that visibility matters, and have found the expression, “If I can see it, I can be it” to be true, especially for young girls.  When girls see women in a positive role, leading a team, making decisions, and engineering solutions, it can help young girls break barriers, challenge stereotypes, and pave the way for others to follow.  That is why the ladies of Lady VOLTAGE are so active and visible in the community, hosting workshops and demonstrations at local libraries, community centers, and after-school clubs and organizations. We want to help inspire the next generation of female business leaders and innovators by promoting STEM subjects and careers to elementary and middle-school girls.  We also conduct field trips to area research and manufacturing centers to see STEM professionals at work and learn about possible careers in those fields. We also visit nearby colleges and universities to help provide young girls with a clear path to careers in STEM.

• Education and Women’s Health – This is by far the project's most ambitious and challenging component.  But, with the help of our mentors, we are working with experienced women’s aid organizations and other service providers to change the lives of women and girls in our home city and communities around the world.    

Gender inequality is an insidious problem, and it affects more than just women, it has a profound impact on their families, from one generation to the next.  After learning that so many girls living in western Uganda were being denied an education because of the stigma associated with menstruation, we knew we had to act.  So, we started Girls4Girls in Uganda.

Menstruation is a normal and healthy part of life for most women, with most menstruating each month for about two to seven days.  Yet, as normal as it is, menstruation throughout the country and around the world is still stigmatized.  Most often a young girl who is having her menstrual flow is considered to be unclean and so anything that she touches becomes unclean or is considered contaminated.  This means that throughout Uganda, and most of Africa, there are prohibitions from cooking, attending religious ceremonies, or attending schools.  Remember, there are over 6 million women of reproductive age (14-49 years of age) in Uganda, and sadly, the stigma, taboos, and myths associated with menstruation are preventing adolescent girls (and boys) from learning about menstruation and developing healthy habits.  This lack of information leads to damaging misconceptions and discrimination. The lack of feminine hygiene products only complicates matters, causing many girls to miss out on normal childhood experiences and educational activities. Many girls simply drop out of school rather than face the relentless taunts, jeers, and constant humiliation.  This is why less than 27% of girls in Uganda have even a basic education.  Many of these young girls will become mothers while still in their teens, giving birth to an average of 4.5 children during their considerably shortened lifespan. With little or no education, these young girls are trapped in an endless cycle of poverty.

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After researching several aid organizations operating in the region, we decided to partner with, and are raising money to support the youth programs of Ruralcare Empowerment International (REI), a non-profit organization that works to empower the less fortunate in western Uganda through skills training and education, which are key to helping the Ugandan women and girls develop self-reliance, economic independence, and empowerment.  REI’s Youth Programs are focused on supporting vulnerable young women and children (mostly teen mothers and orphan girls) with basic education, healthcare, mentorship, and leadership. All of which are aligned with the goals and objectives of the Girls4Girls project.  Our support extends to those parts of the organization’s programs aimed at promoting women’s health, including health education and menstrual care and hygiene. 

With the money that the team hopes to raise, they will be able to provide REI with books and other educational materials, needed medical supplies, feminine hygiene products, and the means to deliver these life-changing materials and supplies to rural communities where they are needed most. The funds will also be used to support the salaries of trained nurses and teachers who will be providing the much-needed services that will help the women and girls of Uganda to lead successful, healthy, and productive lives. 

Your help is needed urgently. If you would like to support this effort, please send your generous donation to gogetfunding.com/girls4girls.  No amount is too small, and your donation will be used to improve the lives of children both at home and abroad.​​​

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