It’s an overused word these days, but I was genuinely humbled to meet 17-year-old Aarti last month in her village in southern Nepal.

A stark image will stay with me from that visit. It’s of Aarti standing in the doorway of her home – a doorway without a door, the room behind her dark and unwelcoming. It had just rained before I arrived, and Aarti greeted me outside, books in hand, smiling despite standing barefoot in the mud. Not even a pair of flip-flops.

Yet Aarti’s determination in the midst of such raw poverty shone through. This summer she passed Nepal’s demanding Secondary Education Examination (SEE). This is a rare achievement for girls from poor families who often have to drop out of school long before age 16, never even getting to sit the exam.

With our Big Give support, girls like Aarti can become leaders and role models. For £44 a month Aarti and 13 other girls can attend college to become changemakers and role models within their communities.

At the time of writing, we still have pledges available to match online donations pound for pound (or your preferred major currency!). This can be done securely – and in any major currency – using the button below.

If you have already donated, huge thanks, but please consider sharing this message with family and friends. We need all the support we can get during these very tough times.

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