Martin Phillips Girls University Support Fund

“If we can help just a few girls to go to University then others may aspire to follow them. This may in time allow more girls to achieve and contribute to better health and living standards for all.”
(Martin Phillips, 2020)

Building Africa’s human capacity

An ancient fable describes how the pig wondered why people were not more grateful that it donated its meat when it died. A teacher explained to the class how the sheep, the horse and the cow all give throughout their life, and do not wait until the end to share their wealth. Generosity is life changing. Being able to intervene in a child’s education and development from early on makes a big difference.

It’s 13 years ago that Martin Phillips first sponsored two orphan girls in Zambia through ACT to go to school. Since then many more disadvantaged African girls have benefitted from Martin’s generosity and have been able to go to school. Some have completed their education. In partnership with ACT, Martin has embarked on a new project with the aim to help build the human capacity in Africa by sponsoring the university education of girls from disadvantaged backgrounds. The idea is not just to increase the number of girls able to attend university, but also to develop the next generation of trained female professionals that can make a difference in their communities and their countries’.

Educate a woman and you educate a nation

After living in southern Africa for 5-years, Martin had observed that only a few girls went on to higher education after completing secondary school. He soon learnt that this was due to a combination of reasons, including the culture of boys being valued more and affordability. But the main underlying issue was poverty.

In rural African society girls are married off at an early age. For a poor widow, grandparent or relative, receiving a dowry and passing on the responsibility and upkeep of a fatherless or orphan girl child would seem to be prudent and a practical option. But lack of good education for all, girl or boy, is holding back much of the potential economic growth in Africa.

Martin has set up a support fund with ACT, that will cover the cost of university education for one girl to study for a degree to completion of their university education. The opportunity is on offer to study medicine, veterinary medicine, agriculture, tourism, or other subjects that will be beneficial to their country and support development in Africa.

Support Girls University Education

“Little drops of water, Little grains of sand,
Make the mighty ocean, and the Pleasant land.”

(Julia Abigail /Fletcher Carney)

We are working with our partners in Africa in a campaign to encourage more school girls from disadvantaged backgrounds in their communities to take up this offer of university education.

Martin believes that if other supporters would join him in this project, many more school girls in Africa can be supported each year to study for a degree at university.

Please consider joining Martin on this journey and make a donate today, click here.