Studio Samuel

On March 8th, Studio Samuel Holds Career Exploration Day with Students in Addis Ababa

Students Impacting Community Through Feminine Hygiene Kits Production

[New York, NY – March 7, 2022] New York/Addis Ababa-based NGO and non-profit organization Studio Samuel, which empowers girls in Ethiopia to reach their potential through education and employable skills, is celebrating International Women’s Day (March 8) in Ethiopia with its first Career Exploration Day. This year’s United Nations International Women’s Day theme calls for “a gender-equal world…free of bias, stereotypes and discrimination…diverse, equitable, and inclusive” and poses action to #BreakTheBias. Studio Samuel is part of the collective of humanity working towards this dream, striving to impact each girl who comes into its life skills  program Training for Tomorrow to use her voice and to be empowered to make choices and realize opportunities, and 2022 marks ten years of the organization celebrating IWD.

 A key facet of Studio Samuel’s mission is circular impact; the girls in its Training for Tomorrow program are not only accessing skills and tools for a sustainable future, they also are touching the lives of other young women in the wider community surrounding Addis Ababa. Studio Samuel’s students achieved producing over 3,500 menstrual kits for distribution in February, leading up to International Women’s Day 2022 celebrations in Ethiopia. Made possible through the generosity of Studio Samuel's partners Ethiopiaid, Tomberg Family Philanthropies, Tropical Health Alliance Foundation, The White Feather Foundation, GO Campaign, Ethiopia Healthcare Network, the feminine hygiene kits help keep young girls in school. These efforts touch on three notable sustainable development goals (SDG’s) published by the UN: Quality Education, Gender Equality and Partnerships. 

Studio Samuel’s Career Exploration Day further aligns with these sustainable development goals. On March 8, five successful Ethiopian businesswomen will each host a Studio Samuel student to shadow them for the day. Students will see a range of job opportunities including medical, law, fashion design, consulting and eco-friendly retail. In turn, the girls will share learnings from the experience with their peers, including the newly enrolled class of 100 girls for Training for Tomorrow. This initiative is exemplary of the “teach a woman to fish” principle that guides Studio Samuel’s programming, with focus on life skills instead of a handout of resources. Further, the initiative celebrates community, women lifting women, and peer to peer learning. 

In additional Studio Samuel news, the  organization is proud to participate this month in the sixty-sixth Commission on the Status of Women. On March 21st, Studio Samuel will have representation in the virtual summit by two of its students, Country Director: Hilawi Alemayehu, Deputy Director and Health Officer: Meron Alemayehu, and its Social Worker: Fikir Dilnessa. The priority theme of the summit is: “Achieving gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls in the context of climate change, environmental and disaster risk reduction policies and programs.” Led by Moderator, Rebecca T. Davis, Ph. D., LCSW (Rutgers University School of Social Work, IASSW Representative to the UN-New York), Studio Samuel’s presentation explores the organization’s grassroots empowerment approach that gives girls a voice. Studio Samuel students and team will speak to community-engaged solutions and capacity needs for girl-serving programs.  

Second Annual Virtual Event on October 10 Shines a Light on 

Studio Samuel’s Training for Tomorrow Class of 2021!

studiosamuel.org/idg2021

[New York, NY – October 7, 2021] New York/Addis Ababa-based NGO and non-profit organization Studio Samuel, which empowers girls in Ethiopia to reach their potential through education and employable skills, is participating in International Day of the Girl (October 11), for the tenth year, with its second global event. The virtual celebration will shine a light on Studio Samuel’s Class of 2021, with 100 girls completing the two-year Training for Tomorrow program this year. Esteemed journalist, activist and organizer Hannah Joy Gebresilassie is hosting the International Day of the Girl event on Sunday, October 10, 8pm East Africa Time / 5pm BST / 1pm EDT / 10am PDT. 

Studio Samuel’s event and the organization’s mission run parallel to UNICEF’s International Day of the Girl theme “Digital Generation, Our Generation,” which calls for bolder solutions to gender inequality at a time when girls are more likely to be cut off from internet access at home. UNICEF cites that “the gender gap for global internet users grew from 11% in 2013 to 17% in 2019. In the world’s least developed countries, it hovers around 43%.” Moreover, girls are less likely to gain access to tech-related skills and jobs. 

Studio Samuel is dedicated to breaking down barriers that have created inequity and exclusion for generations, and its Training for Tomorrow curriculum is modeled around employable skills, including coding coursework first incorporated in the Training for Tomorrow Computer Lab in 2016. Now in 2021, the organization is in its first phase of launching the Studio Samuel Language Lab. Said graduating  student Beiment, “My favorite class at Studio Samuel is Computer Lab because I plan to be a software engineer.”

Over a time when educators around the world have had to be resourceful with access to coursework due to the Covid-19 pandemic, Studio Samuel brought the Language Lab to life through its Youth Ambassador Imogen, based in Jurien Bay, Australia, who has been speaking weekly via Zoom with Studio Samuel student Nobel in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The exchange opened up as a way to bring English language skills to students through digital reading lessons. Nobel and Imogen are now forever friends, sharing their cultures, local news and plenty of joy and laughter. With proof of concept, the next phase of the Language Lab will bring on more university-attending female youth leaders to provide digital literacy components and impact more students. During the Studio Samuel International Day of the Girl virtual event, Imogen and Nobel will speak to UNICEF’s theme “Digital Generation, Our Generation,” and will illustrate their experience with staying connected, growing and learning during the global pandemic. Additionally, Imogen will be featured with the International Day of the Girl organization’s Girls Speak Out programming, which will be played at a girl-led roundtable discussion with UN representatives and partners on “Closing the Digital Divide to Accelerate Opportunity.” 

Studio Samuel’s event also will see special guests giving recognition to students, including Studio Samuel's Global Ambassador, multi-faceted artist, and Founder of The White Feather Foundation, Julian Lennon, who will narrate a student’s poem illustrating her first-hand account with child labor, further raising awareness for the importance of girls having access to education. Adds philanthropist Kennedy Odede of SHOFCO, “Studio Samuel has developed a comprehensive program for girls in Ethiopia and  their work is just amazing. Their program operates in a sustainable way to take these girls out of poverty so they can have a successful life.”

The goal of Studio Samuel’s International Day of the Girl event is to provide the incoming class of 100 students with tuition ($1,000/year per student for the two-year program) through its Studio Samuel Girls’ Scholarship Fund. Studio Samuel is inspired by the formation of a global community that is connected to its students in Ethiopia; impacting a girl impacts humanity, extending beyond geographical borders.

Said Melkam Eshetu, Gender Expert at Woreda Office of Women’s and Children’s Affairs, “Studio Samuel has made a big impact on our community through its curriculum. Unemployment is a big problem in Ethiopia. Studio Samuel is minimizing the jobless in our community because of its training for women and girls. And they have provided life-saving assistance during the Covid-19 pandemic. Studio Samuel is the first and main organization that contributes to big change in our community, and for this reason we have awarded the organization with the Certificate of Acknowledgement and Appreciation on two different occasions. We are very grateful for this work.”  

Said Tamara Horton, Studio Samuel Founder/Executive Director of the organization’s activity and alignment with International Day of the Girl, “Our local actions have a global impact. This past year, we’ve seen how connected our world is and if we’re going to succeed as a community, a nation, a global economy…women must have equity in the digital world.

Since 2012, October 11 has been marked as International Day of the Girl. The day aims to highlight and address the needs and challenges girls face, while promoting girls' empowerment and the fulfillment of their human rights. Studio Samuel supports education, fosters employable skills and contributes to the global movement through the ripple effect around the girls in its program. 

[New York, NY – May 18, 2021] New York/Addis Ababa-based NGO and non-profit organization Studio Samuel, which empowers girls in Ethiopia to reach their potential through education and employable skills, is thrilled to welcome Dr. Rebecca Davis and Benny Pough to its International Advisory Council.

Dr. Rebecca Davis is Associate Professor of Professional Practice and Director of the Office of Global Programs with Rutgers University School of Social Work. She is a member of the Steering Committee of the Global Social Service Workforce Alliance and represents the International Association of Schools of Social Work (IASSW) to the United Nations. In that role she also represents IASSW on the Working Group on Girls (WGG), the NGO Committee on Mental Health, and the NGO Committee on the Family. Rebecca teaches social work foundation, clinical, and global courses, and her global work focuses on social work education and child protection system strengthening in Eastern Europe and Sub Saharan Africa. Among her many accomplishments, Dr. Rebecca Davis received a Pioneer Award from the National Association of Social Worker Foundation (NASW). Davis is a longtime supporter of Studio Samuel, and now as part of the International Advisory Council, her efforts with the organization will focus on research into youth development, girls’ education, social work education programming and community building.

Respected music industry executive and creative force Benny Pough additionally has accepted a role on Studio Samuel’s International Advisory Council. One of today’s most innovative business leaders, Pough has helped shape the sound and culture of music worldwide, having been instrumental in delivering radio hits for superstar artists such as Jay-Z, Rihanna, Kanye West, Travis Scott, Future, DJ Khaled and 21 Savage. Following executive positions at powerhouse record labels including Motown, Def Jam and Roc Nation Music, Pough formed D.Verse Media in 2020, a multi-tiered entertainment company working with artists across recordings, distribution, publishing, management and partnerships. Pough is passionate about aligning and amplifying impact work through the power of music, and will be generating awareness for Studio Samuel’s mission and programming with girls in Ethiopia with the goal of bridging community involvement and generating mentoring opportunities for Studio Samuel students.

Said Tamara Horton, Founder and Executive Director of Studio Samuel, “The future of Studio Samuel is brighter and stronger with the addition of Dr. Rebecca Davis and Benny Pough to our International Advisory Council. Both luminaries in their industries, they bring expertise and an unwavering commitment to girls' education that will drive our mission forward. I'm honored to work alongside such forces for good and am thrilled for what lies ahead!”

“Her Path”

[New York, NY – March 4, 2021] New York/Addis Ababa-based NGO and non-profit organization Studio Samuel, which empowers girls in Ethiopia to reach their potential through education and employable skills, is celebrating International Women’s Day (March 8) in Ethiopia and beyond, unified through the power of running and walking. This year’s United Nations IWD theme, “Women in leadership: Achieving an equal future in a COVID-19 world,” emphasizes the call for equality and for women’s right to decision-making in all areas of life, which is core to Studio Samuel’s work with students in its life skills program Training for Tomorrow.

Throughout March, supporters and friends of Studio Samuel will run or walk in their individual locations, sharing photos with #EmpowerGirls and #IWD2021. Additionally, throughout the month from Ethiopia, Studio Samuel is sharing personal messages from students about leadership. On Sunday, March 28, Studio Samuel students and team will participate remotely in the Women First 5km run (Addis Ababa), setting out on staggered, small group walks throughout its community (with custom Studio Samuel masks). The day will kick off at the Studio Samuel Training Center with a talk with Hanan Tarq, Ethiopian actress, mother and advocate.

Studio Samuel’s goal surrounding International Women’s Day is to enroll 100 girls in its Young Leaders Summer Camp ($20K), which provides a safe environment, community and continued learning for its Training for Tomorrow students, who run the risk of not returning to school in the fall. Said one student during a Young Leaders session: “I’ve learned never to lose hope and to always fight for my dream. If we do, then nothing can stop us.” The sentiment runs parallel to the International Women’s Day organization’s 2021 theme, “A challenged world is an alert world. Let’s all choose to challenge.” The Young Leaders Summer Camp program support also will provide uniforms for the girls for their local schools resuming in September, filling a need that would be a struggle for girls’ caretakers.

Further in program developments, Studio Samuel is excited to restore its HIV/AIDS Prevention Course this year, thanks to funding from the The White Feather Foundation. Currently there are 100 girls in Studio Samuel’s after school program Training for Tomorrow, and 50 girls enrolled in the Studio Samuel Institute of Art & Technology, the government accredited college program that launched in late 2019. Access to healthcare resources is a necessity for all in an equal world. Studio Samuel’s vision is a world where girls everywhere, no matter where they were born, know that they have hope, possibilities and a voice.

Studio Samuel’s original song “Her Path” is a beautiful reflection for International Women’s Day: Imagine hope in her path/ She will amplify change for all girls. The song features Studio Samuel students on background vocals and was performed and produced by Ethiopian artist Etsegenet and executive produced by Chiiild and Jesse Boykins III, with composition by Beata Moon and songwriting by Studio Samuel Founder and Executive Director Tamara Horton.

“100 Girls: Enrolled, Educated Empowered” info & tickets: studiosamuel.org/idg2020

New York/Addis Ababa-based NGO and non-profit organization Studio Samuel, which empowers girls in Ethiopia to reach their potential through education and employable skills, is participating in International Day of the Girl for the ninth year with its first global event. “100 Girls: Enrolled, Educated, Empowered” will take place virtually on October 11, 8pm East Africa Time | 5pm BST | 1pm EDT | 10am PDT.

Studio Samuel’s “100 Girls: Enrolled, Educated, Empowered” theme and the organization’s mission run parallel to UNICEF’s International Day of the Girl campaign. “My Voice, Our Equal Future,” which calls for adolescent girls to assert their power as change-makers, to learn new skills towards the futures they choose. Studio Samuel will shine a light on the girls in its Training for Tomorrow program, including a graduate of the inaugural class, Betty: “I’m an entrepreneur and employ ten women in my community because of the leadership training and job skills I learned at Studio Samuel. 

Special guests will recognize recognize students during the International Day of the Girl event, kicking off with an opening message by Studio Samuel's Global Ambassador, multi-faceted artist, and Founder of The White Feather Foundation, Julian Lennon. UK Ambassador and singer-songwriter Izzy Bizu, whose mother and cousins volunteer regularly at the training center, will speak about the girls and impact. Whoopi Goldberg, a champion of Studio Samuel, states: “These girls are out to make their lives better and you are helping.” The broadcast will be hosted by Ethiopian journalist, speaker, and community advocate Hannah Joy Gebresilassie, and Kenyan artist, drummer, and cultural entrepreneur Muthoni Drummer Queen will close the event brightly with a performance.  

The goal of the “100 Girls: Enrolled, Educated, Empowered” event is to provide the incoming class of 100 students with scholarships ($500/one year; $1,000/full two-year tuition). Studio Samuel is inspired by the formation of a global community that is connected to its students in Ethiopia; impacting a girl impacts humanity, extending beyond geographical borders. Each $10 ticket for the event provides a menstrual kit, made by students in sewing class, which keeps another girl in school and lasts up to three years. Additional support options include joining The Studio, Studio Samuel’s recurring giving program, and participating in the Silent Auction featuring various goods hand-made in Ethiopia, including students’ paintings.

Studio Samuel’s original song “Her Path” will be woven throughout the event programming, performed and produced by Ethiopian artist Esy, mixed and executive produced by Chiiild and Jesse Boykins III, with music by Beata Moon and lyrics by Studio Samuel Founder and Executive Director Tamara Horton: “Imagine hope in her path; she will amplify change for all girls.”

Said Tamara Horton of the event, "With community gatherings not possible this year, we embrace going virtual, as it truly allows our students to be front and center, sharing their stories and bringing a bit of Ethiopia into homes around the globe. Through this, guests will hear firsthand experiences of girls using education to overcome challenges, further shining a light on our students' strengths. Our girls inspire me every day!"

Studio Samuel is grateful for its event sponsors, The Midtown Group and The Menopause Movement.

CELEBRATING THE ACHIEVEMENTS OF STUDIO SAMUEL STUDENTS WITH IWD EVENTS IN LOS ANGELES MARCH 7-8

Thanks to The White Feather Foundation, Studio Samuel Relaunches HIV/AIDS Program for its Students in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia 

[Los Angeles, CA - March 6, 2020] New York/Addis Ababa-based NGO and non-profit organization Studio Samuel, which empowers at-risk girls to reach their potential through education and employable skills, is celebrating International Women’s Day (March 8) with its first events in California. This year’s theme ‘each for equal’ elevates the message that gender equality is essential for economies and communities to thrive, which is at the heart of Studio Samuel’s mission. On Saturday, March 7, Studio Samuel US team members are participating in the 5K Rodeo Run in Huntington Beach for awareness and fundraising for its life skills program Training for Tomorrow. On Sunday, March 8, with support from Ethiopian Airlines and Ethiopia Healthcare Network, Studio Samuel is hosting a private event with performance by Esy at the Ethiopian restaurant Rosalind’s in Los Angeles to share its mission and stories of girls’ empowerment with the goal of building community and driving support for student scholarships.  

One such story of empowerment is that of Studio Samuel student Melesse’s mother, who was denied an education and is determined to support her daughter’s path. When she was struggling to afford rent in Melesse’s early years, she moved into a plastic container room strategically located roadside, where she could sell biscuits and candy to passersby while her daughter was safe. This allowed her to save money for uniform and supplies when Melesse started school. Melesse, who excels in science, is aware of the sacrifices her mom has made to keep her in school, and her goal is to be first in the family to reach 10th grade and earn a university degree.

From its training center in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Studio Samuel is participating in the International Women’s Day global conversation for gender equality by sharing imagery of its students striking the IWD #EachforEqual pose. Engaging in the movement opens up a vehicle for Studio Samuel students to learn about the challenges girls face globally, and brings their voices to the collective fight for girls’ empowerment everywhere. 

Studio Samuel is excited to announce that the life-changing campaign to restore its HIV/AIDS Prevention Course is fully funded, thanks to The White Feather Foundation. Currently there are 100 girls in Studio Samuel’s after school program Training for Tomorrow, and 50 girls enrolled in the Studio Samuel Institute of Art & Technology, the government accredited college program that launched in late 2019. The HIV/AIDS Prevention Course has been an important part of the Training for Tomorrow curriculum, implemented out of need after a 10-year-old student became the sole caregiver to her HIV+ mother in 2015. After becoming inoperable last year due to lack of resources, the organization is grateful to bring it back for Spring 2020. Access to healthcare resources is another facet of empowerment and a necessity for all in an equal world. Studio Samuel’s vision is a world where girls everywhere, no matter where they were born, know that they have the same hope and possibilities.

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"I've been impressed and energized by Studio Samuel Foundation's sustainable model and approach for women's empowerment in Ethiopia. The organization stands to make an impact with women, not just for women - and most importantly with the local communities, not over them."                                                       -Philanthropist, Photographer & Musician, Julian Lennon

About Studio Samuel

Studio Samuel opened its training center doors to the first class of 25 girls in January 2015 after being granted an International NGO license by the Charities and Societies Agency in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Studio Samuel’s mission is to arm at-risk girls to reach their potential through education and employable skills with Training for Tomorrow, the organization’s trademarked life skills program. Today, the program has reached over 2,200 girls (9-18 years old) in Ethiopia and its vocational arm has been accredited as a college. Studio Samuel Institute of Technology opened in October 2019 to 50 young women (18-24 years old).

Tamara Horton, FIT graduate, Women’s Campaign International Global Ambassador to Ethiopia and Board Member of Ethiopia Healthcare Network, founded Studio Samuel following the international adoption of her son, Samuel. Tamara saw firsthand that safe options were stripped from a girl when she is born into poverty and is denied an education. Her goal was to create a 'teach a man to fish' platform which would result in opportunity and safe options, steering girls away from the all too common pathways of child marriage, trafficking, and child labor, which deny them education and voice.

Training for Tomorrow is held after school and on weekends and impacts young Ethiopian women through mentoring, counseling, self-defense training, occupational training, healthcare and more. Studio Samuel graduates are enrolling in college, mentoring peers and using their voice for change in their communities.

Event in New York City on October 10 Introduces Mentorship Program and Shares Story of Studio Samuel’s Martial Arts Teacher

Generating Movement In Step with United Nations IDG Theme GirlForce: Unscripted and Unstoppable

New York/Addis Ababa-based NGO and non-profit organization Studio Samuel, which empowers at-risk girls to reach their potential through education and employable skills, is participating in International Day of the Girl (October 11), honoring achievements by, with and for girls, with an event at Meske Ethiopian Restaurant in New York City on October 10.

Studio Samuel’s International Day of the Girl theme is Fighting (and Kicking) to Make a Difference, which runs parallel to the UN’s theme GirlForce: Unscripted and Unstoppable. One of the pillars of the curriculum at Studio Samuel’s center in Addis Ababa is self-defense training through martial arts, and the instructor’s story is just one of many illustrations of these themes. She grew up in a plastic container home with siblings and joined martial arts to protect her younger brother who was bullied on the bus by older boys. Martial arts boosted her self-esteem and she had the courage to confront her brother’s bullies. Today, she is a black belt and earns an income for her household by teaching martial arts part-time for Studio Samuel, while studying to be an accountant.

Studio Samuel’s event in New York on October 10 will raise awareness for its martial arts program and the impact it has on its students.  The organization will introduce its new Be Her Mentor program, and will present guest speaker Josh Rosenblatt, author, MMA fighter, former Fightland/VICE Media.

Currently there are 100 girls in Studio Samuel’s after school program Training for Tomorrow, and 50 girls enrolled in the Studio Samuel Institute of Art & Technology, the government accredited college program for which students start classes on October 8. In aligning with Studio Samuel, the government in Addis Ababa will be providing assistance to graduates for job placement. This is in tune with the international community today engaging focus on employable skills for women transitioning from education to the workforce.

Said Tamara Horton, Founder and Executive Director of Studio Samuel, “Our girls fight every day to make their voices heard, to stay in school and to be recognized equally in their community. In addition to the needed value of self-defense, martial arts targets our students at their very core by increasing self-esteem and removing any doubt in the power of their voice.”

For one week leading up to International Day of the Girl 2019, Studio Samuel’s Training for Tomorrow students are working as field reporters, collecting data and stories from women of different generations in their families and villages. Upon conclusion, they will present their findings on the advancement of girls’ empowerment in their own community and open the dialogue further to determine what they can do to amplify the message of Unscripted and Unstoppable.

Since 2012, October 11 has been marked as the International Day of the Girl. The day aims to highlight and address the needs and challenges girls face, while promoting girls' empowerment and the fulfillment of their human rights. Studio Samuel champions education, fosters employable skills and contributes to the global movement through the ripple effect around the girls in its program. Studio Samuel has impacted over 2,200  girls to date in Ethiopia.

About Studio Samuel

Studio Samuel opened its training center doors to the first class of 25 girls in January 2015 after being granted an International NGO license by the Charities and Societies Agency in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Studio Samuel’s mission is to arm at-risk girls to reach their potential through education and employable skills with Training for Tomorrow, the organization’s trademarked life skills program. Today, the program has reached over 2,200 girls (9-18 years old) in Ethiopia and its vocational arm has been accredited as a college. Studio Samuel Institute of Technology opened in October 2019 to 50 young women (18-24 years old).

Tamara Horton, FIT graduate, Women’s Campaign International Global Ambassador to Ethiopia and Board Member of Ethiopia Healthcare Network, founded Studio Samuel following the international adoption of her son, Samuel. Tamara saw firsthand that safe options were stripped from a girl when she is born into poverty and is denied an education. Her goal was to create a 'teach a man to fish' platform which would result in opportunity and safe options, steering girls away from the all too common pathways of child marriage, trafficking, and child labor, which deny them education and voice.

Training for Tomorrowis held after school and on weekends and impacts young Ethiopian women through mentoring, counseling, self-defense training, occupational training, healthcare and more. Studio Samuel graduates are enrolling in college, mentoring peers and using their voice for change in their communities.

New York/Addis Ababa-based NGO and non-profit organization Studio Samuel, which empowers at-risk girls to become self-reliant through its life skills program Training for Tomorrow, is participating in International Day of the Girl (October 11), holding the 100 Girls Summit October 11, 2018 in Gulele, Ethiopia. Studio Samuel’s core message is “An educated girl will change her world,” which is in tune with the UN IDG theme this year, With Her: A Skilled GirlForce.

Studio Samuel currently has 100 girls enrolled in its after school program held at the Studio Samuel Training Center, with curriculum including sewing and computer coding. This week, the students will participate in the 100 Girls Summit in Yaya Village at the African Athlete’s Center (founded by Ethiopian marathoner Haile Gebrselassie), and will participate in mentoring workshops, yoga and martial arts. The panel of speakers includes Studio Samuel students, a former trafficking victim, and Sayat Demissie (entrepreneur, actress, singer, humanitarian, and formerly Miss Ethiopia). The 100 Girls Summit will celebrate the girls’ hard work and voice the need for all girls to have access to education and healthcare.

Additionally this week, Studio Samuel students will distribute 100 menstrual kits to two rural schools, continuing its tradition with International Day of the Girl. In Studio Samuel’s occupational training sewing class, girls learn basic sewing skills by making the kits, which help girls who lack access to proper feminine hygiene stay in school.  When distributing kits, Studio Samuel students give menstrual health presentations, accompanied by the Studio Samuel nurse and social worker. More than 1,550 kits have been distributed to date.

Said Tamara Horton, Founder and Executive Director of Studio Samuel, “There are millions of girls around the globe fighting for their education. Until communities truly embrace the value of their young women, it is up to these girls to use their voices, embrace their strengths and lift each other. “

As the United Nations puts forth a call for advocacy for and attention to “the most pressing needs and opportunities for girls to attain skills for employability,” Studio Samuel aims to contribute to the global movement through the ripple effect around the girls in its program, and with amplification of its mission through Global Ambassadors, Julian Lennon and Izzy Bizu. 

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About Studio Samuel 

In late 2014, Studio Samuel was granted an international NGO license by the Charities and Societies Agency in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, and the Studio Samuel training center opened, enrolling its first class of 25 students in Training for Tomorrow (Studio Samuel's trademarked life skills program). In 2017, the organization celebrated the enrollment of the 100th Studio Samuel student.

Tamara Horton, FIT graduate, Women’s Campaign International Global Ambassador to Ethiopia and Board Member of Ethiopia Healthcare Network, founded Studio Samuel following the international adoption of her son, Samuel. Tamara's goal was to reach one girl by creating a 'teach a man to fish' platform which would result in opportunity, steering girls away from the all too common barriers prone to those living in poverty.

LAUNCHES SHORT FILM CREATED BY STUDIO SAMUEL STUDENTS EXPLORING CHALLENGES FACED BY GIRLS BORN INTO POVERTY

Girls in Studio Samuel’s Training for Tomorrow Program Made 500 Feminine Hygiene Kits to Impact Girls in Need in Ethiopia, Empowering Girls to Stay in School

New York/Addis Ababa-based NGO and non-profit organization Studio Samuel, which operates with the mission of providing life skills to vulnerable young women in Ethiopia through its impact program Training for Tomorrow, is participating in International Day of the Girl (October 11). Today, Studio Samuel launches a short film Her Path (view/share on YouTube) posing the question: Has birthplace played a role in your poverty or prosperity?. Created by Studio Samuel students and narrated by Julian Lennon and Izzy Bizu, the film explores challenges faced by girls born into poverty, including child labor, child marriage, trafficking and lack of access to education.    

As referenced by UN Women, the theme for this year’s International Day of the Girl Child, “Girls’ Progress = Goals’ Progress” is a “call for action for increased investment in collecting and analyzing girl-focused, girl-relevant and sex-disaggregated data.” The UN’s 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development calls for improving data on girls and addressing the issues that are setting them back. One issue exemplified as standing in the way of girls’ progress is child marriage, which is explored in the Studio Samuel short film.

Studio Samuel, an Alliance Member of Women Thrive Worldwide, targets 6 of the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals: No Poverty, Good Health and Well-Being, Quality Education, Gender Equality, Decent Work and Economic Growth, and Partnerships for the Goals.

Additionally, in honor of International Day of the Girl, the Studio Samuel team and Training for Tomorrow students will deliver 500 sustainable feminine hygiene kits to schools in areas facing poverty. The Studio Samuel girls are doing work to keep peers in school, to help the community see that education is the key that opens girls to progress and breaking poverty cycles. In developing countries such as Ethiopia, many girls do not move on to secondary school, one common cause of dropping out being the lack of feminine hygiene supplies. Studio Samuel helps combat this tragic problem with feminine hygiene kits made at its training center, while Training for Tomorrow fosters employable skills for the girls in the program.

Studio Samuel honors this day, International Day of the Girl, which recognizes the importance of empowering girls around the world for equality,

Her Path short film created by Studio Samuel students (view/share on YouTube): http://www.herpath.world  

“I’ve been impressed and energized by Studio Samuel Foundation’s sustainable model and approach for women’s empowerment in Ethiopia. The organization stands to make an impact with women, not just for women - and most importantly, with the local communities, not over them." - Julian Lennon, philanthropist, photographer and musician (and Advisor to Studio Samuel)

100th Girl Entered Studio Samuel’s Training for Tomorrow Program and New Computer Lab Completed for Coding Curriculum

Studio Samuel Expands US-based Board of Directors

New York/Addis Ababa-based NGO and non-profit organization Studio Samuel, which operates with the mission of providing life skills to vulnerable young women in Ethiopia, celebrates International Women’s Day (March 8) and shares the IWD messaging advocating for a better working world, one that is more inclusive and gender equal, and being bold for change.

Studio Samuel’s flagship program Training for Tomorrow prepares adolescent girls living in poverty with critical skills, and opens pathways for the girls to realize their potential and become self-reliant. Training for Tomorrow launched in 2015 with 25 girls and kicked off 2017 with the 100th girl entering. The program is held after school and on weekends at Studio Samuel’s Training Center and includes occupational training, counseling, mentoring, computer programming, karate classes and access to healthcare. Recently Studio Samuel completed work on its new computer lab, made possible through grants from The White Feather Foundation and GO Campaign.  The coding course is a favorite among the girls and helps build vital skills, including problem solving, collaboration, critical thinking and creativity.

Thus far Studio Samuel’s Training for Tomorrow program has seen 94% of students elevate performance at their respective schools. Further evidence of the impact is seen with two girls having recently secured scholarships to attend college.  

Studio Samuel kicked off 2017 with a restructuring of its US-based team, and welcomed three new women to the Board of Directors, with two additional appointments to follow soon. Further information on the Studio Samuel Board is here.  Newly appointed Chair, Lynn Hazan, who has served on the advisory board the past four years, adds: “For me, the time is now to get involved on a deeper level and support a mission aligned with lifting girls and women. I’ve seen the impact in girls’ lives through Studio Samuel’s work and now as Chair, I’m excited to help lead this team even further.”

Studio Samuel “About Us” | View Here

“I’ve been impressed and energized by Studio Samuel Foundation’s sustainable model and approach for women’s empowerment in Ethiopia. The organization stands to make an impact with women, not just for women - and most importantly with the local communities, not over them.”  -Philanthropist, Photographer & Musician, Julian Lennon

“Supporting the girl means impacting the community at large. Educating the girl means educating the community while breaking through to a future generation. I applaud Studio Samuel.”

- beloved Ethiopian singer, Gigi

Girls in Studio Samuel’s Training for Tomorrow Program Made 250 Feminine Hygiene Kits to Impact over 1,000 Girls in Need in Ethiopia

Two Training for Tomorrow 2016 Graduates Are College Bound!

New York/Addis Ababa-based NGO and non-profit organization Studio Samuel, which operates with the mission of providing life skills to vulnerable young women in Ethiopia through its impact program Training for Tomorrow, is participating in International Day of the Girl for the fifth consecutive year, in tune with 5 Years of IDG being officially recognized (on October 11), thanks to Plan International and the United Nations.

This month in honor of International Day of the Girl, the Studio Samuel team and Training for Tomorrow students will deliver 250 sustainable feminine hygiene kits to 16 schools in the Oromio region of Ethiopia, reaching over 1,000 girls in need. Based in Addis Ababa, Training for Tomorrow prepares adolescent girls living in poverty with critical life skills, through after school programming with a range of curriculum, including occupational training. In sewing class, the girls have been making feminine hygiene kits, which are comprised of underwear, liners, liner holders, soap and a washcloth. The White Feather Foundation, founded by philanthropist, photographer and musician Julian Lennon, covered costs of three sewing machines and all materials needed. In true “girls for girls” spirit, the Training for Tomorrow students are helping to keep other girls in school, while learning an employable skill.

Countless statistics show that education is the key that opens girls to progress, helping to break poverty cycles. In developing countries such as Ethiopia, many girls do not move on to secondary school. One common cause is that they lack feminine hygiene supplies, and as a result miss school during their period, which brings many to drop out. The feminine hygiene kits initiative with Training for Tomorrow is helping to combat this tragic problem while fostering employable skills for the girls in the program.

Said one of the girls, “When thinking of myself living in the rural area of Ethiopia I know it’s very hard to have pads. Many girls were absent from school. I am proud of doing this for the girls who have no access, because I know the pain.”

   In the current Training for Tomorrow program, 94% of students have seen an increase in school performance. (The two-year program launched in 2015 with 25 girls; current enrollment is 60 girls, and will scale to 100 girls at the end of 2016.) Evidence of the impact is seen with two girls having just secured scholarships to attend college.

 Mekdelawit, who is 15 years old and in grade 10, is one of three recipients in Ethiopia of an academic scholarship from a university in South Korea, selected from thousands of nominees. Mekdelawit lost both parents to AIDS at a young age and has lived with cousins in extreme poverty (on the equivalent of less than $2/day). She will travel to South Korea for one week this month to tour the campus, select her major and attend cultural events, including meeting the mayor. She will then return to Ethiopia well informed to select the correct college-prep courses for the remaining two years of high school. Upon graduation, Mekdelawit will begin her four years of college in South Korea.

Nahome, who is 18 years old and in grade 12, passed her National Exam this Spring and will enter the University of Gondar in the Fall 2017. Nahome lost both parents to AIDS at a young age and lives with her older sister in extreme poverty. She is the first in her extended family to take the National Exam. Her favorite parts of the Training for Tomorrow program are the mentoring initiative and the library, where she spent a lot of time preparing for the exam. She plans to study to become a teacher.

New York/Addis Ababa-based NGO and non-profit organization Studio Samuel, which operates with the mission of providing life skills to vulnerable young women in Ethiopia, announces that its new computer lab for programming and coding curriculum with its flagship impact program Training for Tomorrow will reach 100 girls by the end of this year. Through the combined efforts of The White Feather Foundation, founded by philanthropist, photographer and musician Julian Lennon, and GO Campaign, co-founded and board-chaired by Vicki Kennedy, Studio Samuel has the resources to reach three-fold the amount of girls from January to December 2016.

Through the Training for Tomorrow program, Studio Samuel works to impact the turning point in a girl’s life and to open pathways for girls to realize their potential and become self-reliant. Training for Tomorrow reaches a community in Addis Ababa that too often loses girls to child labor, trafficking, child marriage and more. The current students range in age from 9-18. Computer programming and coding arms the girls with vital skills, including problem solving, collaboration, critical thinking and creativity. Training for Tomorrow is held after school and on weekends at Studio Samuel’s Training Center, which also provides the girls with a safe haven while they learn. 

 Says Julian Lennon, Advisor to Studio Samuel and Founder of The White Feather Foundation, “I’ve been impressed by Studio Samuel’s sustainable model and approach for women’s empowerment in Ethiopia. The organization stands to make an impact with women, not just for women – and most importantly, with the local communities, not over them.”

Scott Fifer, Founder & CEO of GO Campaign, adds, “GO Campaign champions Local Heroes around the globe who are lifting up children in their communities, and Hilawi Alemayehu is doing just that. As part of our 'GO Girls!’ initiative, we are honored to support this computer lab at Studio Samuel that will give girls the opportunity they deserve to further their education and realize their great potential.”

Studio Samuel again will participate in Africa Code Week in October 2016, after being one of eight events in Ethiopia in 2015. Africa Code Week brought hundreds of coding workshops to 20,000 youth from various age groups across 17 countries in Africa in October of last year.  Studio Samuel held a hackathon at its training center, and used the MIT youth-inspired coding program Scratch, which has been incorporated into the Training for Tomorrow curriculum. As a sponsor of Africa Code Week, Google held a micro-grant competition for over 350 participants throughout Africa to aid in logistics surrounding the event, and Studio Samuel was one of 46 winners.

Of last year’s participation, Claire Gillissen Duval, Corporate Social Responsibility Director for SAP (Europe, Middle East, Africa) and part of the Global Steering Committee for Africa Code Week, stated: “Studio Samuel together with Camara Education played a pivotal role in the success of Africa Code Week in Ethiopia by enabling hundreds of young girls to embrace the literacy of the 21st century, empowering the next generation of female leaders, innovators and entrepreneurs along the way.”

A quote from President Barack Obama posted on the Africa Code Week website states: “Don’t just buy a new video game, make one. Don’t just download an app, help design it. Don’t just play on your phone, program it.”

[Julian Lennon, photo credit: Deborah Anderson]                             

Help us meet our goal with a donation to Studio Samuel's INDIEGOGO campaign, and receive a gift at any level.

All proceeds benefit the computer lab where the girls in Studio Samuel's Training for Tomorrow program learn coding. Click here for full campaign details and offers: http://bit.ly/1kKhhf7

Training for Tomorrow focuses on life skills and impacts girls ages 9-17 in Ethiopia, with the aim of helping to break their poverty cycle. Give $50 and receive a hand strung friendship bracelet crafted by young women in Addis Ababa, made with black yarn and melted artillery trade beads. Give $100 and receive a 1/2 lb of Fair Trade organic coffee direct from Ethiopian farmers through our friends at Buunni Coffee, packaged in a raw cotton drawstring bag hand signed by Studio Samuel Advisor, Julian Lennon.‪

Additionally, there are very special items available in return for your donation. Thanks to collaboration between award-winning fine art photographer John Delaney and philanthropist, photographer and musician Julian Lennon, we have a one of a kind Portrait of a Girl and additional prints. Portrait of a Girl ($2,500) is an original John Delaney photograph of one of the girls in our Training for Tomorrow program, mounted on a raw paper and burlap background and trimmed with sourced melted artillery beads. Julian Lennon, founder of The White Feather Foundation and Studio Samuel Advisor, personally wrote a line of lyrics from his heartwarming song "Invisible” on the left side, mirrored by the same message—“Know that love surrounds you. It’s Invisible”— written in Amharic on the opposite side of this 31”x38” work of art. For your $1,000 donation, you have a choice among five 11”x14” prints of John’s portraits.

Julian Lennon, signing the original canvas framed portrait.

New York/Addis Ababa-based NGO and non-profit organization Studio Samuel, which operates with the mission of providing life skills to vulnerable young women in Ethiopia, is participating in key October events with national and international scale, for the benefit of the girls in its Training for Tomorrow program, including International Day of the Girl (officially recognized by the UN on October 11).

[Portrait of Training for Tomorrow student by Photographer John Delaney]

Studio Samuel is one of eight events in Ethiopia for Africa Code Week, which has brought hundreds of coding workshops to 20,000 youth from various age groups across 17 countries in Africa from October 1-10. Studio Samuel is holding a hackathon at its training center in Addis Ababa with the girls in its life skills program Training for Tomorrow, who range in age from 8-17. The organization recently formed a computer lab at the center, and is using the MIT youth-inspired coding program Scratch this week, which will be incorporated into the Training for Tomorrow curriculum going forward. Google, a sponsor of Africa Code Week held a micro-grant competition for over 350 participants throughout Africa, and Studio Samuel was one of 46 winners, to aid in logistics surrounding the event. 

After a stimulating week with coding as the focus of the Training for Tomorrow activity (which runs after school each day), the girls will embark on a journey together taking them north of the city, in celebration of International Day of the Girl. On October 11, the Studio Samuel team and Training for Tomorrow students will hike Washa Michael, where they will reach the ancient rock hewn church of the same name, which is believed to be over 1600 years old dating back to 3rd Century AD. The determination and strength of the girls to make choices for their future path in life is parallel to the symbolism of the ancient structure and artifacts prevailing over time.

In the current Training for Tomorrow session, which commenced in January 2015, 96% of students have seen an increase in school performance. The sustainable nature and community approach to Studio Samuel’s initiatives has drawn the support of philanthropist, photographer and musician Julian Lennon, who joined the Advisory Committee for the organization in December 2014. Recently Lennon’s organization, The White Feather Foundation, which is dedicated to supporting charities and non-profit organizations globally on environmental and humanitarian issues, has extended a grant to Studio Samuel and Training for Tomorrow.

Earlier this year in tandem with International Women’s Day, Studio Samuel released a short documentary that illustrates the organization’s mission.  Central to the approach is ”empowerment without pity.” Studio Samuel commends the courage of women choosing sustainable options, and the short film, narrated by Julian Lennon, highlights the perspective of one young woman from the countryside in Ethiopia who exercised choice against at-risk alternatives. Lennon describes, “When you look into the eyes of a young woman in Ethiopia, as she tells you her story, with pride, you see nothing but strength and determination.”