Reuters – Susan Heavey
“First Lady Michelle Obama will travel to Japan and Cambodia this month as part of a U.S. global effort to support education for girls, the White House said on Tuesday. She will visit Tokyo and Kyoto in Japan from March 18 to March 20, and the Cambodian city of Siem Reap from March 21 to 22, it said in a statement. The initiative aims to reduce the number of girls – 62 million worldwide – who do not attend school in an effort to improve their financial stability, health and well-being, according to the administration. The effort, launched last summer through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), will utilize the Peace Corps volunteer program to help expand access for schooling for girls, especially for teenagers. Senior Obama Adviser Valerie Jarrett on Tuesday said corps volunteers will recruit and train other local volunteers and push other community efforts in nearly a dozen countries.”(more)