Hope Has an Address: Girls Opportunity Alliance Part 2

In this week's episode, Hope Has an Address returns with Part Two of its exploration of the Girls Opportunity Alliance Fund, showcasing two powerful programs transforming young girls’ lives.

First, we spotlight Girl Up Initiative Uganda (GUIU) in Kampala. This grassroots organization supports over 65,000 girls with education, leadership, and health initiatives, working to reduce school dropouts and build life skills. With backing from the Girls Opportunity Alliance Fund, GUIU is expanding its Adolescent Girls Program and Big Sisters Network, providing mentorship, scholarships, and training so girls can learn safely, lead boldly, and uplift their communities.
That expansion is documented publicly via the Obama Foundation’s Girls Opportunity Alliance.

Next, we feature the Jumping Juniors program run by Beautiful Beginnings to Lasting Legacies in Chicago. This initiative uses Double Dutch jump rope as a tool for physical fitness, teamwork, and confidence-building. With funding from the Girls Opportunity Alliance, Jumping Juniors is expanding into Emmett Till Elementary on the South Side, aiming to reach more than 150 girls, weaving in mentorship and socio-emotional learning along the way.

Through these stories, we examine how hope is built in action — not promised, but rooted in lived community change, resilience, and collective care.

Listen now!

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Hope in the face of difficulty, Hope in the face
of uncertainty, the audacity of hope. I'm asking you to
believe not in my ability to bring about change, but
in yours.

Speaker 2 (00:14):
Yes we can.

Speaker 1 (00:15):
Hope has an address, and it starts with us honoring legacies,
overcoming barriers, pursuing justice, empowering generations.

Speaker 3 (00:24):
Welcome to Hope has an address where we celebrate the
power of change and the people making it happen. Brought
to you by the vision of former President and First
Lady Barack and Michelle Obama.

Speaker 1 (00:36):
I know there are girls just like you all over
the world, underestimated, underinvested in, sometimes faced with physical violence,
and still you're here. And so I want to fight
to make sure that the world sees you because I
know who you are.

Speaker 3 (00:54):
I'm Bree Would. Today we're shining a light onto incredible
girls Opportunity Alliance partners who are transforming lives, one in
Uganda and the other in Chicago. First, let's travel to
East Africa, where the Girl Up Initiative Uganda is rewriting
the story for young women. At the heart of this
movement is Claire Acumu, a mentor and peer educator who

(01:15):
knows the power of possibility. Claire works with girls in
underserved communities, teaching them leadership, confidence, and life skills. I
had a chance to speak with Claire and ask her
how this program is helping to empower these young women.

Speaker 2 (01:29):
Our Song mission needs to create an equitable out where
every girl is about to thrive a need, and we
do that through a comprehensive program that we call the
Adolescent Girls Program. This program is an in school program
WHI gets to partner with schools in Uganda and roll
out an NW program that focuses on equipping adolescent girls
with the life skills that they need to thrive and

(01:50):
in the end, be able to worship their dreams.

Speaker 3 (01:53):
I also asked how partnering with the Girl's Opportunity Alliance
has impacted the work they do.

Speaker 2 (01:58):
We've been able to success support that was directly into
supporting eight hundred girls even ten different schools in Ukanda.

Speaker 3 (02:08):
Through workshops and safe spaces, Claire and her team are
breaking cycles of poverty and early marriage, proving that education
isn't just a right, it's a lifeline. Now, let's head
to the South Side of Chicago, where Jumping Juniors is
turning Jump Ropes into Pathways for Success. Co founded by
paul At Jones, this program uses the art and athleticism

(02:30):
of double Dutch to teach discipline, teamwork, and trust. But
it's more than a sport. It's sisterhood.

Speaker 1 (02:37):
When we started this program, it was just simply double Dutch.
We started with two ropes, and it was just to
teach the girls teamwork, teach them a little rhythm, giving
them a little courage, and hopefully that courage that that
teamwork would translate into their real lives.

Speaker 3 (02:52):
I also asked paul Ette what support from the Girl's
Opportunity Alliance has meant to the success of this program the.

Speaker 1 (02:59):
Girls The Alliance has really helped us by shining a
light on our work. A lot of programs hitters to boys,
so the Girl's Opportunity Alliance is shining the light that
girls do matter in girls' sports do matter. They have
given us more visibility. They have provided us with various resources,
trainings like different methods of how to tell our story

(03:21):
in a more powerful way. They always provide us with
youthful tools and inspiration.

Speaker 3 (03:27):
What ties these two stories together. The Girl's Opportunity Alliance,
an initiative of the Obama Foundation, connecting grassroots leaders like
Claire and Paul led to resources, mentorship, and the global
network of change makers. It's proof that when we invest
in girls, we invest in a future that lifts us all.

(03:47):
As Missus Obama reminds us, when girls are educated, their
countries become stronger and more prosperous. And thanks to the
Girl's Opportunity Alliance, hope truly has an address in Uganda,
in Chicago, and in every community where girls are given
the chance to thrive. To learn more or support these programs,
visit Obama dot org backslash Girls Opportunity Alliance because together

(04:11):
we can open doors for every girl everywhere. Stay inspired.
I'm Breewood for the Black Information Network.