Empowering Young Women in India
Donation protected
Dear Friends,
This March, I am traveling to Northern India to help educate and empower young women and girls in rural areas. As some of you may have seen or heard on the news, India is not currently the best place to grow up as a female. Women are frequently viewed as property, harassed in all manner of ways, and unable to have their own voice. According to a global poll conducted by the multinational media and information firm, Thomson Reuters, India is the fourth most dangerous country in the world for women, and the worst among the G20 countries. Education of girls is also very low, with just over 26% of women over 25 having received the equivalent of a high school education. I want to do something to change this situation. If you would like to as well, I would greatly appreciate it if you helped support me.
How am I going to do anything about this situation? Through an amazing NGO. I have secured an unpaid internship with Young Women's IDEA and EduCARE India. With this organization, I will be traveling to various villages in the states of Punjab and Himachal Pradesh. There, I will work with the Girls Clubs the organization has established, as well as conduct research on what the local people need and feel are the most important issues for their village. This is one of the reasons I picked EduCARE India to work with over other NGOs. Instead of making assumptions as to what the groups they're working with need, they sit down and talk with people in their villages, finding out what a community needs directly from its members. EduCARE India also works to ensure that the volunteer community organizations they set-up are self-sustaining - meaning that a village does not come to rely on outsiders, but instead, itself.
The two main projects of Young Women's IDEA are the Girls' Club and Young Women's Association. The first is an after-school program for girls between the ages of 8 and 18 "aimed at fostering confidence in girls through educational and creative activities." There, girls can talk openly about issues affecting their lives, and learn new skills through painting, poetry, writing, acting, and gender-related education. The second, the Young Women's Association, focuses on women's issues and rights education for a broader range of ages "“ from 15 to 35. There women can talk and learn about health issues, gender roles, and the importance of political participation.
EduCare India does not accept donations directly, but it does accept the time of its volunteers. I am deeply passionate about women's issues and equality, and want to go offer my skills to this cause. However, I need a little help to get there. This is where you come in. If you sponsor me as a volunteer, I will be able to achieve my goal of helping to educate and empower young women and girls in India. The funding goal I list above is my minimum costs for traveling to India and all the documentation that goes along with that, as well as food for the time I'm there. I will be working with EduCARE India for three months.
Thank you for helping me accomplish a life goal, and providing a better future for women in India.
Kayleigh
P.S. You don't have to select a reward to donate! Any amount you contribute will help and be appreciated. :)
This March, I am traveling to Northern India to help educate and empower young women and girls in rural areas. As some of you may have seen or heard on the news, India is not currently the best place to grow up as a female. Women are frequently viewed as property, harassed in all manner of ways, and unable to have their own voice. According to a global poll conducted by the multinational media and information firm, Thomson Reuters, India is the fourth most dangerous country in the world for women, and the worst among the G20 countries. Education of girls is also very low, with just over 26% of women over 25 having received the equivalent of a high school education. I want to do something to change this situation. If you would like to as well, I would greatly appreciate it if you helped support me.
How am I going to do anything about this situation? Through an amazing NGO. I have secured an unpaid internship with Young Women's IDEA and EduCARE India. With this organization, I will be traveling to various villages in the states of Punjab and Himachal Pradesh. There, I will work with the Girls Clubs the organization has established, as well as conduct research on what the local people need and feel are the most important issues for their village. This is one of the reasons I picked EduCARE India to work with over other NGOs. Instead of making assumptions as to what the groups they're working with need, they sit down and talk with people in their villages, finding out what a community needs directly from its members. EduCARE India also works to ensure that the volunteer community organizations they set-up are self-sustaining - meaning that a village does not come to rely on outsiders, but instead, itself.
The two main projects of Young Women's IDEA are the Girls' Club and Young Women's Association. The first is an after-school program for girls between the ages of 8 and 18 "aimed at fostering confidence in girls through educational and creative activities." There, girls can talk openly about issues affecting their lives, and learn new skills through painting, poetry, writing, acting, and gender-related education. The second, the Young Women's Association, focuses on women's issues and rights education for a broader range of ages "“ from 15 to 35. There women can talk and learn about health issues, gender roles, and the importance of political participation.
EduCare India does not accept donations directly, but it does accept the time of its volunteers. I am deeply passionate about women's issues and equality, and want to go offer my skills to this cause. However, I need a little help to get there. This is where you come in. If you sponsor me as a volunteer, I will be able to achieve my goal of helping to educate and empower young women and girls in India. The funding goal I list above is my minimum costs for traveling to India and all the documentation that goes along with that, as well as food for the time I'm there. I will be working with EduCARE India for three months.
Thank you for helping me accomplish a life goal, and providing a better future for women in India.
Kayleigh
P.S. You don't have to select a reward to donate! Any amount you contribute will help and be appreciated. :)
Organizer
Kayleigh Walters
Organizer
Tarpon Springs, FL
