P.E.A.R.L.S. Mentoring Girls Inc.

Aisha Erma Lenora Saffold is the Founder and Executive Director of P.E.A.R.L.S Mentoring for Girls Inc, which strives to "Change Lives, One PEARL at a Time.” In Mississippi, where they operate, this means helping rural teenage girls build self-esteem, develop leadership skills, and recognize the value of community service. P.E.A.R.L.S. members, who focus largely on building up young African American girls, are led by young professional women who serve as mentors, and who themselves acquire leadership skills that carry them through life. P.E.A.R.L.S Mentoring for Girls Inc used its Giving Joy grant to organize community events to raise awareness of the importance of menstrual hygiene. Public activities shed a positive light on the organization by just seeing teen girls doing something positive in their communities.