Page 23 - American Girl (January - February 2019)
P. 23
Razia with
Maxime and
friends
ave you ever met a girl I decided that instead of
H who wasn’t allowed to go asking for birthday presents
that year, I would ask my
to school—just because
she’s a girl? Everyone should friends to donate to Razia’s
have the chance to go to Ray of Hope Foundation. That
school and learn. way we could make life a little
better for girls by helping
My name is Maxime, and when them build a school. My
I was seven years old, I heard friends loved the idea, and so
about a village in Afghanistan did my family. We raised
where girls haven’t been $2,000! It was such a great
allowed to go to school for cause, and it felt good to do
many years. Without school, something to help. Fund-raising
they don’t learn to read or with friends
write. But they have dreams But we wanted to do even
just like I do; they want to be more. So, for the last three
doctors and teachers, and they years, my friends and I have
want to learn. Why shouldn’t been selling lemonade, making
girls get the same chances cards, and holding other
boys do? Then I heard about a fundraisers. We’ve raised more
woman named Razia Jan who than $178,000! We also wanted
was helping these girls in other kids to learn about why
Afghanistan by raising money this school means so much to
to build them a school. I us, so we asked Razia to come
wanted to help them, too! and speak at our schools.
Illustrations: Matthew Taylor Wilson “It was such a great cause,
and it felt good to do
something to help.”
January/February 2019 21
