Doing good.

Empowerment starts with education. Through the Cotton On Foundation, we support quality education programs around the globe to give young students, especially girls, the best start in life. We partner with communities to provide long-term opportunities across education, health, sustainability, and infrastructure. It goes beyond the classroom, and it wouldn’t be possible without the support of amazing women on the ground.

Rosealee Nyilapa Grimes, Yolŋu woman & student mentor. Yirrkala, Australia.

We are in the middle of the wet season at the moment. I love the colour of the red earth and the new shoots of green foliage. Yirrkala is a beautiful fierce melting pot of different clan groups and families across East Arnhem Land. One of my favourite and one of the most beautiful places to visit here is Buku-Larrŋgay Mulka Art Centre. You need to visit to believe it.

“By educating women in our communities we also educate the entire community and the nation prospers. We need to educate our young women to ensure our families stay healthy.”

The STARS Foundation is an in-school support program for young Indigenous women. We provide them with help during class, teach students life skills, and help with getting students to school. Most importantly we impart knowledge on how to live healthy, active lives, that education is the key to success and community contribution.

We are in the middle of the wet season at the moment. I love the colour of the red earth and the new shoots of green foliage. Yirrkala is a beautiful fierce melting pot of different clan groups and families across East Arnhem Land. One of my favourite and one of the most beautiful places to visit here is Buku-Larrŋgay Mulka Art Centre. You need to visit to believe it.

Education empowers me. The more I learn the more I begin to understand how I can shape my future, my son’s future and my community’s future.

Primary school teacher. Bwe K’Lar Learning Centre, Thailand.

I was born in Myanmar but came to Thailand in 2013 and have been teaching at the Bwe K’Lar Learning Centre ever since. My role at Bwe K’Lar is a combination of teaching, planning, managing finances and supporting the school as needed by the principal. I love teaching and working with the students the best.

When Bwe K’Lar was first built, the funding of the school was insufficient. Now, after many years [with the support of the Cotton On Foundation], the school has been renovated and has a new building and new playgrounds within the school compound.

Parents better understand the value of education, especially in migrant communities, and are more involved with school activities now. Our students support the community in cleaning, planting trees and preserving the environment. Similarly, by giving and reaching out to the community, community leaders pay more attention to the school and support us when we need their help.

Having access to education helps free us from poverty and hunger, and is the foundation for more job opportunities and a better life. Education is the most important thing for younger people.

Nantale Jane, Counsellor. Rakai, Southern Uganda.

I am currently working as a school counsellor based in the Rakai district. I listen to students’ concerns and help them set goals and problem solve. I also provide counseling to parents around supporting their children in school.

“The most rewarding part of my role is knowing that I have a part in affecting the life of others.”

The biggest challenges young women face in my community is the provision of basic necessities, such as sanitary towels, underwear and bras. Another challenge is female students dropping out of high school to look after siblings and the home. Some parents still believe this is what a girl is supposed to do, while their sons are the breadwinners of the house.

Many of the women I have worked with have high hopes of becoming professionals that can meaningfully serve their communities. For example, teachers, doctors, nurses, social workers, engineers, or medics. Some current senior students are even opting to do psychology as a result of continuous interaction and witnessing my success with my career.

Inspiring young people to become all that they are capable of being, so they’re able to go out into their communities and help others that have not had the same opportunities. My aim is to ensure the student’s well-being, alongside a holistic and quality education, so as to empower them to become contributing citizens.

High school student. South Africa.

My name is Sinenhlanhla Zulu, or MaZulu. I love reading novels. My three favourite writers are John Kani, Francine Pascal and Jay Shetty, the motivational speaker. I love speaking English, as I regard it as a communication language.

My school is a mini-disadvantaged school trying by all means to give us a better life. It feeds those in need. Dr JL Dube has tried its best to give its learners and the community a better future.

I feel most empowered during my Life Orientation lessons, because I get to talk about challenges teenagers face, interpersonal and intrapersonal. It’s when we get to find or create our own path.

No matter how far wrong you've gone, you can always turn around. Everything you do makes a difference, but it’s up to you to decide what kind of difference you want to make.