By LOIS KINDLE
Lea Manningham wants every girl to be empowered to pursue whatever goal she sets in life and have the knowledge, self-confidence and skills to overcome whatever challenges life throws her way.
In 2009, while she was living in Pasco County, she founded Girls of the World Inc., a nonprofit group aimed at providing girls ages 8 through young adulthood the tools they need to lead happy, productive and rewarding lives.
GIRLS OF THE WORLD PHOTOS
Apollo Beach resident Lea Manningham is the founder of Girls of the World, a 501 (c)3 nonprofit organization providing girls ages 8 through young adulthood the tools they need to lead happy, productive and rewarding lives. Its services are free.
“My mission is to assist young women through education and life skills training, mentoring, listening to their concerns and mentally equipping them with a positive sense of identity,” said Manningham, who now lives in Apollo Beach. “I always wanted to give back to girls of different walks of life, especially those who may be experiencing difficult situations.”
Girls become involved for many reasons. They can include low self-esteem; the lack of a proper female role model in their lives; adjusting to living in a blended family or, in the case of a foster child, an adoptive family; pregnancy; relationship issues; or drug and alcohol abuse.
Girls of the World members, ages 13 to 19, enjoy a day to hang out together and bond, while having fun at Painting with a Twist.
“We no longer have a village to support them and provide structure in their lives now,” she continued. “Many are growing up without life skills. They’re lacking positive role models.”
Girls of the World Inc. offers a very diverse program, including the following classes: general education and development, job training and placement, junior entrepreneurship, time management, budgeting and money management, Beauty in You, cooking, etiquette, sexual education and personal wellness, bullying, mental health, Hope and Focus journaling and teen-suicide awareness.
Lea Manningham, founder of Girls of the World Inc., conducts a mock job-interview session with a small group of members. The teens also learn how to build resumes and apply for a job.
“We also volunteer in the community, local churches, nursing homes and schools,” Manningham said.
She takes girls in the program on tours of local colleges, including Hillsborough Community College, the University of South Florida, University of Tampa, Warner University, Mercer University, Florida A & M and the University of Miami.
“The focus is on whatever each child needs,” Manningham said.
This includes working with school guidance and mental health counselors, providing information on Bright Futures and other local scholarships, providing volunteer opportunities for required community service hours, offering college testing information and more.
Girls learn how to build a resume, apply for a job and participate in a mock interview. There’s also an entrepreneur program for those who want to go into their own business.
Teenage Girls of the World members put on their strong businesswomen faces for a group photo for the organization’s website. From left are Tatiana Brown, Nija Andrews, Kashlya Horne, founder Lea Manningham, Serenity Jacobs, Yasmin Gutierrez and Dayanna Rodriguez-Frasco.
Parents say good things
Tina Thompson signed up her 15-year-old daughter, when their family moved from Boston several years ago. Not knowing anyone, she began looking for a peer group for Saige, where she could make friends, network and get involved in worthwhile activities.
“I really liked the community service aspect of the program, how the girls learned to set goals and the great relationships she developed,” Thompson said. “It’s such a wonderful program and was exactly what I was looking for. The trust I placed in Lea was well-founded. I’d recommend her and Girls of the World to any family member or friend.”
Shaune Mayo-Andrews agrees. Her daughter, Nija, was 16 when she joined the program back in 2018.
“She got so much out of the program: leadership, confidence, an improved sense of self-worth; personal responsibility and accountability; improved communication skills and sisterhood,” Mayo-Andrews said. “She [and the other girls in the program] went on college tours, participated in workshops and classes, [were] involved in community-service projects and enjoyed lots of fun activities,” she added. “They actually looked forward to being involved pretty much every Saturday.”
Manningham’s life experiences prepared her well for the role she now plays. In the late 1980s, she was a young teen mother, raising her daughter alone. The child’s father was a physically abusive man with whom Manningham had a relationship at the time. She lived twice in a homeless shelter until a family member finally took in her and the child.
“I just kept moving,” she said. “Eventually I became certified as a welder to support my family [which by then included a son]. I was youth minister for a nondenominational church in Tampa for five years before receiving a degree in ministry from Warner College in 2013.”
Junior Girls of the World members, ages 8 to 12, are shown here dressed for a Christmas parade at Waterset.
Manningham’s husband, Scott, a licensed mental health counselor, is available should any girl need extended mental health services.
Girls of the World meets every Saturday as a group from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at The Landing in Waterset. Everything the program offers is free, except for Scott Manningham’s professional counseling.
Manningham is hosting a tea fundraiser from 1 to 4 p.m., March 5, at South Shore Falls, 5831 Cascade Falls Lane, Apollo Beach. It will be the perfect opportunity for moms and daughters to bond, network and learn more about Girls of the World.
The cost is $25 person and includes a catered lunch, beverages, photographs and a DJ.
Visit www.girlsoftheworldinc.com or call 813-810-1396 to learn more or RSVP for the tea.