Guest Columnist: Big Sisters take care of girls

It seems that every month there’s a new school for girls being built in a developing African nation by a philanthropic-minded celebrity. It is a direct result of the belief — which has received more attention in recent years than ever before — that if you take care of a community’s girls, the entire community thrives. It is the basis for the viral Internet sensation, “The Girl Effect,” which illustrates the chain reaction that occurs when you give a girl in a developing nation access to education and a means to support herself. It is the mission behind Oprah’s school in South Africa, a leadership academy for girls that gives them the tools to go from poverty to becoming tomorrow’s South African leaders. It is the theme of the noted new book, “Half the Sky,” by Nicholas D. Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn, that postulates the best way to fight poverty and extremism around the world is to educate and empower women and girls.

The thought process is simple: invest in a girl by giving her the tools she needs to succeed. When she has those tools, she can avoid early pregnancy, get a proper education and become a contributing member of society. She has a better chance of discontinuing the cycle of poverty that is often the result of a lack of education or an early pregnancy.

But what about the girls here, literally here, in our own backyard? Yes, girls in developing nations have drastically fewer resources than those available to girls in this country. However, does that fact make girls in this country less deserving of an investment in their success? These girls are in Dorchester, Roxbury and Mattapan. They are also in Brighton, Brookline and Dedham. They are the 3,000 girls Big Sister Association of Greater Boston serves annually through our one-to-one and group mentoring programs. They are the 300 girls currently waiting to be matched with a Big Sister.

When you support programs that are designed to give girls the tools they need to succeed, you empower our entire community. Big Sister’s professionally supported mentoring relationships are a proven effective way to give a girl those tools. A landmark study conducted by Public/Private Ventures showed that children with a mentor were less likely to start using drugs or alcohol or engage in violent behaviors. They improved their attitude toward school; they improved their academic performance; and they improved their relationships with their family and peers.

Additionally, a study done by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in 2007 that focused specifically on girls in Boston, grades nine-12, found that 27 percent of the girls reported having been in a physical fight. Thirty-one percent felt so sad or hopeless for two consecutive weeks that they stopped doing some of their usual activities. Nearly 17 percent of the girls reported drinking five or more drinks in a sitting at least once in the past 30 days, and 20 percent reported having been offered, sold or given drugs at their school at least once in the past 12 months.

In contrast to this, in 2008, according to parents or guardians of Little Sisters responding to our Program Outcome Evaluation reported 74 percent of Little Sisters demonstrated improved relationships with their peers. Eighty-three percent demonstrated improved self-confidence; 80 percent demonstrated an improved ability to express their feelings; and 77 percent demonstrated an improved sense of the future. Seventy-six percent of Little Sisters were better able to avoid substance abuse, and 75 percent demonstrated an improved decision-making ability.

When we make an investment in girls—whether it is time or money — it sends a message to girls that they matter. When girls know they matter their confidence grows; they see more options available to them. When girls are armed with confidence, they make healthier decisions: they stay in school and often do better; they avoid early pregnancy, drug and alcohol abuse. They have the chance to avoid repeating the cycle of poverty. They have the power to believe that there is nothing they cannot do, become or achieve.

When we invest in girls, it’s not just the girls who win. During this holiday season, please join our cause by making a “Gifts of Hope” donation at www.giftsofhope2009.kintera.org or mail your gift to Gifts of Hope, c/o Big Brothers Big Sisters, 5 Mear Road, Holbrook, MA 02343. For more information about Big Sister, visit www.bigsister.org.