By Mabel Pais

GIRLS EVERYWHERE CAN LEARN LEAD DECIDE AND THRIVE

Plan International USA’s (Plan) NYC Leadership Council (NYCLC) hosts its fifth annual fundraiser in celebration of International Day of the Girl (IDG). The event takes place on Thursday, October 29th, 2020 from 6:30 to 7:30 pm via Zoom. The online event will showcase Plan’s worldwide response to the COVID-19 pandemic and will feature an update on “The Graduation Project” in Zimbabwe, a roundtable conversation called “Uplifting Girls in Africa”, and special recorded musical performances by several Broadway stars. Girls around the world are often prevented from realizing their basic rights. They are silenced and excluded from the choices that shape their futures. The COVID-19 pandemic has put girls at even greater risk. NYCLC has partnered with Plan to protect girls, who are among the most vulnerable during a crisis, by working against harmful practices like child marriage, trafficking and gender-based violence, which can escalate during Emergencies.

PROGRAM

Panel: Conversation with Dr. Uzodinma Iweala, CEO of the Africa Center in New York, Sarah Havekost, Senior Technical Advisor for Education at Plan, and Malika, a member of Plan’s Youth Advisory Board

By Special Arrangement: Recorded Musical Performances by Broadway stars: including Tony Award winner Leslie Odom, Jr. (of “Hamilton”), Nicolette Robinson (of “Waitress”), Joshua Henry (of “Carousel), and Tony and Grammy Award winner, Heather Headley (of “Aida).

Funds raised through the event and an online auction will benefit “The Graduation Project”, a Plan program in Zimbabwe to help high school girls complete their education.

To learn more, visit planusa.org/event/nyclc-idg-event/e296593

About Uzodinma Iweala

Uzodinma Iweala is an award-winning writer, filmmaker, and medical doctor. As the CEO of The Africa Center, he is dedicated to promoting a new narrative about Africa and its Diaspora. To learn more, visit theafricacenter.org/about/team

About Sarah Havekost

Sarah Havekost is the Associate Director of Plan International USA’s fundraising campaign, which funds innovative global programs that place adolescent girls in the driver’s seat of development. Her work demonstrates a deep commitment to the development of safe, equitable and quality learning environments that tap into the potential of all people, regardless of gender, ethnicity, religion or disability status. To learn more, visit planusa.org/sarah-havekost

Malika

Malika is an undergraduate at Johns Hopkins University, where she studies economics and international studies. Malika joined Plan International USA’s Youth Advisory Board in 2015 and has represented Plan on Capitol Hill panels, at fundraising events and during International Day of the Girl activities. To learn more, visit planusa.org/malika