Millions of girls worldwide continue to face barriers that prevent them from completing their education.

According to AP News, former First Lady Michelle Obama has announced a $2.5 million pledge through her Girls Opportunity Alliance to help address those challenges.

The Obama Foundation initiative shared the news on Oct. 11, International Day of the Girl, committing funds to dozens of grassroots organizations that support girls’ education, the outlet reports. The grants will assist groups working to cover school costs, prevent child marriage, provide counseling for survivors of abuse, and promote access to learning opportunities.

“These groups are changing the way girls see themselves in their own communities and in our world, helping create the leaders we need for the brighter future we all deserve,” Obama said in a video statement. “Because when our girls succeed, we all do.”

Launched in 2018, the Girls Opportunity Alliance grew out of a White House initiative that invested more than $1 billion in U.S. government programs promoting adolescent girls’ education around the world, the outlet reports. The program focuses on helping girls between the ages of 10 and 19 complete their schooling.

The announcement follows reports of declining international education funding. The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has warned that a 24% decrease in contributions from wealthier countries could push 6 million girls out of school by the end of next year, according to its website.  In addition, the agency estimates that nearly three-quarters of the 119 million children currently out of school are girls of secondary school age, AP News reports.

“The need right now, more than ever, is crucial,” said Tiffany Drake, executive director of the Girls Opportunity Alliance, per the outlet. “We were just in Mauritius and we heard it time and time again that organizations need funding. They need support.”

In early October, the Alliance hosted a meeting in the African country of Mauritius that brought together network members from Africa and Asia. According to AP News, among them was Jackie Bomboma, founder of the Young Strong Mothers Foundation in Tanzania, whose organization offers mental health support, vocational training, and reproductive health education for girls at risk of child marriage or school dropout.

Bomboma said the grant and connection to the Alliance provide both resources and visibility. “We call ourselves ‘watoto wa Michelle Obama,’ which means ‘the children of Michelle Obama,’” she said. “So, everyone feels so proud to have such a mother who is very strong, who is very powerful and who is very loving.”

Through its funding program, the Girls Opportunity Alliance awards up to $50,000 to local organizations aimed at specific projects, AP News reports. The initiative also helps organizations promote fundraising campaigns through its GoFundMe and donor network to help expand its reach.