EMPOWERING YOUNG WOMEN

Junita Sangare ’25 received a $10,000 Davis Projects for Peace grant for her “Girls, Let’s Talk” project. Her goal is to empower young women in Liberia through reproductive health education.

In most of Liberia, sex and reproductive health are taboo topics. According to Sangare, 67 percent of adolescent girls with no education are either pregnant or have at least one child to care for, which is a life-altering struggle in a developing country like Liberia.

Through her grant, Sangare ran a seven-day intensive workshop for 75 women aged 15–20. She and a team of youth leaders developed a life-planning curriculum that covered topics like sex education, teenage pregnancy prevention, gender roles, and equality.

“It brings me nothing but great joy to do this work. This is the space where I feel fulfilled and purposeful,” Sangare says. “This project has left me with a strong sense of hope—hope that there are still plenty of chances to create a better world. I am proud to say that our successes have extended to starting a nonprofit called Educate Women Liberia under which we hope to continue this work.”