As our holiday celebrations begin to wind down, our partners around the world are hard at work ensuring that students at the margins – especially girls and women – have what they need to survive and to thrive despite the many challenges and obstacles they face. Gifts directed to our year-end “Kindle a Flame” campaign are already at work, investing in teacher trainings and educational programs.

Highlights of the Impact You Made in 2024

Your gifts made this important work possible in 2024! Because of your support:

• In India, boarding home students recently celebrated the birth of Jesus and received their “Christmas Wishes,” made possible by friends like you.
• In the Central African Republic, our partners in the Evangelical Lutheran Church of C.A.R. continue to teach basic literacy to women and girls through our joint initiative.
• Our partners in Guatemala are busy hosting WALC students on their campus high in the cloud forest, introducing them to key concepts regarding agriculture, ecology, health, nutrition, and more. And your scholarship support will keep them from dropping out of school!
• And in Tanzania, Mwangaza leads peace training for teachers and students, and the expansion of Eripoto’s safe house continues. You are sharing God’s love, giving vulnerable students a chance at an education and a better future!

India Boarding Home Refresh

This spring, Mary, LPGM's Program Director, told you about crucial maintenance and repair projects at the four boarding homes in India. You learned about the pressing need for fresh paint, new toilet doors, roof repairs, and more! YOU answered her call and blew her away with your enthusiastic response. You helped us exceed our goal of $40,000 by June 15! Thank you!

YOU showed us that you understand the importance of investing in the physical space where students live and study. YOU are making a direct and tangible impact on the lives of boarding home students in India. Read more about the 2024 Spring Refresh»

Safe House Starts Expansion to Protect More Students in Tanzania

Eripoto for Girls & Women runs a safe house for survivors of forced early marriage and pregnancy in Tanzania. Safe house residents receive a secure place to live during school breaks, as well as meals, healthcare, counseling, school supplies, child care, vocational training, and more!

However, the need is rising, and Eripoto’s founder, Esuvat Lukumay, felt called to plan an expansion project for 2024. More bedrooms means more housing for girls who have nowhere safe to go, so they can stay in school and work toward brighter futures.

Thanks to your generosity, Eripoto has broken ground on a new building next door to the original safe house. Learn more about the expansion»

WALC Program in Guatemala Reaches New Heights

Women in Agroecology Leadership for Conservation (WALC) is a holistic leadership training program for Q'eqchi' Maya girls and single young women ages 13-26 in the Central Highlands of Guatemala. WALC's most recent session was a great success, drawing 143 participants from 48 vilages! Rob Cahill, CCFC's co-founder, reported that this WALC session was "probably one of the best WALC sessions ever" due to the exceptional depth and maturity of the 18 teachers. He gushed, "This was a zenith - a real high point - for the WALC program."

Looking Ahead to 2025

We have so much to be grateful for as we look back at 2024. And so we look ahead to the coming year filled with hope! We've already begun sending funding support to our global partners so that they can start the year with confidence.

Advancing Access to Education

As students continue to face barriers that keep them out of school, LPGM's Advancing Access to Education Fund will continue to help remove those barriers. Your sponsorship support of marginalized students in India is a driving force that ensures Dalit and Tribal (Indigenous) students overcome these economic and social barriers. 

We're excited about the continued expansion of the Eripoto Safe House in Tanzania that will support more girls (and boys!) who need support.

Community Cloud Forest Conservation (CCFC) will continue to provide scholarships to young women through their WALC program that will help increase their incentives to stay in school for another year.

Read more about how extreme weather threatens access to education.

Elevating Excellence of Education

Removing the barriers that stand in the way of education is half the battle, but THANK YOU for giving to also increase the quality of that education through LPGM's Elevating Excellence of Education Fund!

The programs funded through Elevating Excellence help to improve the quality of education that student's receive, helping open new doors to further studies, deepening the knowledge and skills of teachers, and giving students a depth of learning they never thought possible!

The English+ program in India will continue to deepen the language skills of Tamil-speaking students in India, giving them opportunities to pursue studies and careers in other areas of India where English unites different language groups.

And we're also proud that the Women's Literacy program in the Central African Republic will expand to even more villages in the coming year!

Updating our Look

While we continue to live out our Lutheran identity, vision and mission, we realized that our visual identity needed an update that reflects what we're up to in 2025 and beyond.

We hope this update helps even more people recognize the powerful work that you enable, and reflects the deeply held values that drive our mission.

Thank You

Thank you for your continued investment in education. Your gifts in 2024 and 2025 provide the resources and opportunities that people need to thrive, as you provide access to quality education for people at the margins—especially women and girls.