Refugee girls are locked out of educational opportunities and a better future. Donors are changing that.

Global Village Project, a school in Decatur, educates refugee girls who might have been locked out of the option to go to school in their home countries due to displacement and conflict. Foundation donors, Ricky and Suzie Jacobs, were founding members of the Global Village Project which has supported young women from Afghanistan, Burma, Malaysia, Syria and other countries. After Ricky passed away, Suzie and supporters Cheryl Davis and Kurt Kuehn launched the Refugee Girls Scholarship Fund in his honor to close the funding gaps needed so that girls could continue learning. Education opens the door to opportunity.

“The Refugee Girls Scholarship fund gives deserving refugee girls a chance for college they might not otherwise have… We know that education for young women has a ripple effect. Educated young women give back to their families and communities. They raise the living standards for all.”
– Suzie Jacobs, Community Foundation donor

This story was originally shared in our 2022 Annual Report. To read the full report, click here.