A 15-Year-Old’s Mission: Using Music to Fund Girls’ Education Shirley founded Girl Rise Global to turn her passion for performance into action against global inequality

HONG KONG, January 3

On the evening of the new year, Shirley stood backstage at the Methodist International Church HK, her hands trembling slightly. Minutes later, the 15-year-old would not only perform before 150 guests but also speak about an issue that had consumed her thoughts: the millions of girls worldwide denied access to education.

“These girls have the same dreams I do, but they don’t have the same opportunities,” Shirley said moments before taking the stage.

What began as teenage concern has evolved into Girls Rise Global—a youth-led charitable initiative affiliated with the United Nations’ Girl Up organization. On January 3, Shirley’s vision culminated in “Shirley and Friends – A New Year Charity Concert,” where music became a vehicle for change.

Caption: Shirley is performing at the concert

A Calling She Couldn’t Ignore

Shirley’s passion ignited during her studies in the UK, where she encountered a statistic that changed everything: approximately 129 million girls worldwide are out of school, with most denied education by poverty, early marriage, and gender discrimination.

“I couldn’t stop thinking about it,” Shirley said. “I had everything while girls my age were denied even basic education. I knew I had to do something.”

The answer lay in combining her two passions: music and education. In 2025, she registered Girls Rise Global as a Girl Up affiliate. Over the past several months, she has designed a long term plan to help those girls, and the most critical element for enabling this plan is to bring funds for supporting those girls.

The January 3 concert represented Shirley’s most ambitious undertaking yet. She managed everything—from conceptualization and guest recruitment to venue coordination, volunteer management, and hosting—while juggling her academic commitments.

Caption: Shirley is hosting the concert

The evening featured over a dozen performers who rallied behind her cause. Girl Up, the beneficiary of all concert proceeds, is a United Nations Foundation campaign that has reached over 120 countries, providing education, healthcare, and protection for girls in underserved nations.

The Power of Collective Commitment

While Shirley led the initiative, the concert’s success reflected collective dedication.

Her teacher, Li Yang, provided crucial guidance throughout. Li Yang, a Chinese lyric coloratura soprano who has performed leading roles with Hong Kong Opera and Singapore Lyric Opera and collaborated with conductors including Yu Long and Tan Dun, helped Shirley navigate challenges and refine her approach.

Caption:  Li Yang is performing at the concert

The invited musicians donated their talents because they believed in the cause. Shirley’s young friends devoted countless rehearsal hours, understanding their performances served a purpose beyond personal achievement.

Caption:  The invited musicians are performing at the concert

“Everyone could have been doing something else,” Shirley said. “But they chose to be here because they believe every girl deserves the chance to learn and grow.”

Organizing the concert tested Shirley beyond any classroom. “There were so many moments when things went wrong,” she admitted. “Scheduling conflicts, last-minute changes, coordinating across time zones.” What sustained her was remembering those millions of girls without access to education.

Action Over Words

For Shirley, January 3 marks a beginning. She envisions expanding Girls Rise Global’s reach, organizing more concerts, and building a network of young people committed to educational equity. The raised fund will be donated to Girl Up for purchasing learning resources and supporting the girls who are education deprived. In addition, Shirley has planned to host additional fund raising events to enable various learning opportunities for those girls, such as offering workshops, scholarships or remote learning.

“Music can cross borders and languages to convey love and hope,” Shirley told the audience. “Tonight we used music to light that hope. But real change requires sustained attention and action.”

As a 15-year-old, she understands what many adults forget: caring isn’t enough. Impact requires action, persistence, and the courage to turn conviction into reality. For Shirley, this isn’t charity—it’s justice. “Education transforms everything,” she emphasized. “It’s about giving girls control over their lives and dreams.”

Caption: Shirley poses with her teacher and guest performers

About Girls Rise Global

Girls Rise Global is founded by 15-year-old singer Shirley. It’s a London-based community under Girl Up, an United Nations Foundation initiative dedicated to advancing girls’ education, leadership, and empowerment in developing regions.

Website：https://www.girlriseglobal.org/

INSTAGRAM: girl_rise_global