Wildlife and nature

Animal shelters and rescues

Theater and dance

Rivers, parks and trails

Hunger and food

Schools and learning

Housing and homelessness

Community health

Mental health

Mentoring and foster care

Legal help and rights

Jobs and money help

Atlanta

The Triangle

Everywhere

The Collective Workshop

Royal Animal Refuge

Asian Americans Advancing Justice-Atlanta

Georgia Advancing Communities Together

Atlanta Writers Club

Cobb Collaborative

Bosleys Place

Jewish Fertility Foundation

​FIT graduate, Women’s Campaign International Global Ambassador to Ethiopia and Board Member of Ethiopia Healthcare Network, Tamara founded Studio Samuel Girls Academy following the international adoption of her son, Samuel. ​She 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 woman 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.
Studio Samuel opened its training center doors to the first class of 25 girls in January 2015 after being granted an NGO license by the Charities and Societies Agency in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Studio Samuel’s mission is to create pathways for girls to reach their potential through education and employable skills with Training for Tomorrow, the organization’s trademarked life skills program.
Today, Training for Tomorrow has reached over 25,000 girls (9-18 years old) in Ethiopia. Classes are 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.

Give

One Class Graduates. Another Begins.

October 8 is DAF Day: Support Girls’ Education in Ethiopia Through Your Donor Advised Fund

More Than 250 Girls Gather for Menstrual Hygiene Day in Addis Ababa

Expanding Academic Access: Our Partnership with FidelPortal

At 18, everything starts to matter more.

Celebrating Voices and Dreams this International Women’s Day.

UN | International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation

Education Existed Before Schools

Christmas Around the World: From Ethiopian Gena to Western Traditions

Menstrual Education App Fills a Critical Gap

Tamara Horton

Hilawi Alemayehu

Meron Alemayehu

Tsega Bekele

Genet Gebremariam

Abigail Endale

Jeffrey Heinbach

Braden Kuhlman

Sarah Landy

Marissa Putney

100 girls. 100 voices. Endless possibilities. 💚 💛 ❤️ The incoming class brought our My Voice Matters wall to life, sharing their hopes and goals for the year ahead. One year from now, at graduation, they'll revisit their words and celebrate how far they've come. Imagine what a year of education, confidence, and opportunity can make possible. Education is Her Protection. 💚 What would YOU tell your younger self?

There's a day celebrated around the world dedicated to girls JUST LIKE YOU! That's how we welcomed our newest 100 students to their first International Day of the Girl celebration at Studio Samuel Girls Academy! This year's United Nations theme, "End Child Marriage and Invest in Girls' Rights," couldn't be more personal. Every girl in our program knows someone married too young, or fortunate enough to escape that fate. For us, investing in girls' rights begins with a desk in a classroom. And the opportunity to stay there. Help us keep 100 more girls learning this year.

100 girls. One incredible year. And so much ahead. Our Class of 2026 has officially graduated! Behind every cap in the air is a year of hard work, new skills, stronger voices, and big plans for what comes next. As we celebrate this class, we’re preparing to welcome our next 100 girls on October 6 — because education is her protection, and together, we can make her year possible.

Happy New Year to everyone celebrating! Melkam Addis Amet! Wishing you a joyful and peaceful 2019 E.C., filled with hope, opportunity, and many reasons to celebrate.

We’re celebrating! 67% of SSGA’s Grade 12 students passed Ethiopia’s National Exam! Compared with a 12% national pass rate, this is an extraordinary achievement and one we’re incredibly proud to share. Preparation matters. With access to academic support, technology, and the right tools, students put in the work and the results followed. Congratulations to the students and the entire SSGA team in Ethiopia. And thank you to the donors, partners, and stakeholders who make this work possible. Together, we’re showing what girls can accomplish when given the opportunity to prepare and succeed.

We did it! 🫧 Our first Bubble Run is in the books — but our Back to School fundraiser isn’t over yet! Help send 100 girls back to school: www.studiosamuel.org/bubblerun School starts in just a few weeks! Your gift helps provide uniforms, books, and essential classroom supplies for 100 girls at Studio Samuel Girls Academy in Ethiopia. Thank you to everyone who has already donated and cheered us on! 📚🎒🚌

Tigist is 14 and determined to stay in school. This September, she'll join Studio Samuel Girls Academy, where education, skills training, and a community committed to her future will help her reach her potential. She's one of 100 girls who'll walk through our doors in just a few weeks. Follow our page and be part of what comes next. Name and image have been changed to protect her privacy. Photo by Shalom Melaku on Unsplash.

Today, we're celebrating every student who worked for this moment, every teacher who stood beside them, and every supporter who made it possible. Passing this exam means far more than earning the right to move to Grade 9. It represents another year in school. Another year of opportunity. Another step toward a future they are choosing for themselves. Congratulations, girls! We couldn't be prouder. #GirlsEducation #EducationIsProtection #Ethiopia #Nonprofit #StudioSamuelGirlsAcademy

Every girl deserves the opportunity to stay in school. We're honored that our Country Director, Hilawi Alemayehu, accepted an award from the Bureau of Women's and Children's Affairs in recognition of Studio Samuel Girls Academy's work advancing menstrual health education in Ethiopia. From menstrual education and reusable menstrual kits to Yewer Abeba—our free, multilingual menstrual health app created by girls, for girls—we're working to ensure that a girl's period never stands in the way of her education. This recognition belongs to our incredible team, our supporters, and the remarkable young women who inspire us every day. Education is her protection. #EducationIsHerProtection #StudioSamuelGirlsAcademy #MenstrualHealth #GirlsEducation #Ethiopia #GirlsEmpowerment #PeriodEquity #DigitalHealth

For many girls, a first period arrives with confusion, fear, or silence. But education changes that. 🩸 This Menstrual Hygiene Day, we’re proud to share Yewer Abeba (“Monthly Flower🌸”) — trusted menstrual education designed for girls, by girls. 💚 Free to access 📱 Works offline once downloaded 🔒 No data tracking 🗣️ Built with girls, for girls 🌍 Designed for local realities Because no girl should have to learn about her body through shame. #MHDay2026 #PeriodFriendlyWorld #MenstrualHealth #GirlsEducation #PeriodEquity #CommunityImpact

Princess Ariana Austin Makonnen knows firsthand how a desk—a dedicated place to focus and learn—can shape a young woman’s path. As our Ambassador, she’s helping highlight that same opportunity for girls through Invest in Her Desk. Join her in supporting monthly giving that keeps girls in school. StudioSamuel.org/donate #InvestInHerDesk #HerPath #GirlsEducation #MonthlyGiving #StandWithGirls #Ethiopia

For more than 10 years, Julian Lennon has stood with our girls as our Global Ambassador. Today, he reminds us that a dedicated space to learn and grow can change everything. Give monthly through Invest in Her Desk and help one more girl stay in school. StudioSamuel.org/donate #SDGs #Community #education

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