Monthly Archives: March 2012

Karzai Calls for Girls’ Ed, Saudi Arabia’s Students Protest & More

Saudi Arabia’s Female Students Protest
In a rare display of protest for women in the Islamic kingdom, students at an all-female university in Saudi Arabia boycotted classes when the school canceled campus cleaning services. According to the report, one student said the protests were triggered by “the accumulation of rubbish and the mistreatment of the students.” Read more here.

Women in Angola Hold Leadership Posts by Merit
At a recent discussion held in Angola, “Women in society and their participation in political life,” officials said that women in leadership positions have achieved their role based on their merit and not exclusively because of the state policy on gender. Officials say that while women were looked upon as inferior beings in the past, they are now seen for their intelligence and capabilities. Read it here.

Current Law Highlights Women’s Rights in Lebanon
Current laws in Lebanon prevent women from passing their nationality on to their children. Interior Minister Marwan Charbel has proposed an amendment to the law which will give women that right and the Cabinet is expected to discuss the issue in the near future. Former Prime Minister Saad Hariri is also showing his support for the amendment and continues to pledge his commitment to promoting women’s rights. Read more here.

Afghan President Says Education of Girls is Crucial
As the school year begins in Afghanistan, President Hamid Karzai recently called on tribal and religious leaders to encourage the education of girls, a right which was denied under Taliban rule. Even more, Karzai urged insurgent groups to not attack teachers or school children because education is key if the country is to continue developing. President Karzai said, “To encourage children towards education, particularly the education of girls, is vital and important.” Read it all here.

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Introducing Our Zinch.com Poetry Contest Winner: Julia Solano

We’ve spent the last month reading and editing thousands of poetry entries submitted to the She’s the First #VoiceYourVerse Poetry Anthology via Zinch.com’s poetry contest for a chance to win a $500 dollar scholarship (including a $500 scholarship for Jancy, matched by Chegg)!

We read and experienced so many beautiful entries but we picked a winner that we think you all will adore! This winner will be featured in our first ever She’s the First Poetry Anthology (now on sale!) and her poem will be performed at the She’s the First Poetry Fundraiser on April 17th.

Meet Julia Solano from Hayward, California.

 

What was the inspiration behind your poem?

I’m not a ‘guru’ or specialist on anything, but I’ve always liked giving advice to those who are willing to listen. Also, the thought of being a starving college student is just a little terrifying.

What is one piece of advice you’d give to an incoming freshman?

Have fun. No, really. I’ve met way too many smart, dedicated kids that are so terrified of their futures that they don’t even enjoy the present. High school happens once. Enjoy it responsibly.

If you could study abroad any place in the world, where would it be?

Anywhere with good food. Just kidding! Kind of. Honestly, I would be excited and more than willing to go anywhere. Australia, England, Italy, Taiwan – you name it.

How are you more than a test score?

I personally dislike standardized testing. Don’t get me wrong; while it’s definitely important to do well and study for them, there’s just something unappealing about a four hour bubble sheet escapade. Now if my entire personality were distilled down to that, I feel like I’d have a rather dull existence. Fortunately, it’s not.

This interview is also available on Zinch’s Scholarship Blog: More Than a Test Score.

And now, without further ado, we bring you the winning entry by Julia Solano:

If the world was my classroom, and each thought was my stage

I would teach a girl to stand upright, even in the most perverse of days.

I’d tell her to listen intently to the sound of raindrops on windowpanes and to savor good meals and hearty conversations,

to stock up memories, for the harder days.

I’d tell her to find passion.

Which sometimes sits in creased eyelid and tilted back heads. It drips down cheeks and lands on laps where twiddling thumbs and impatient lovers gasp and thighs and arms brush.

Is sometimes found in the fury of violin strings or the pit-pat of fingertips on keyboard keys.

It’s sometimes found in careers and other times in songs, anywhere where souls drop themselves like beats and bombs or arms link like they belong.

Found sometimes in Starbucks tea on warm summer days or in rushed paintings or in heated debates.

Passion, like the electricity that tap-dances over feelings and fingertips, late nights and eager hips.

I’d tell her to wait for patience

Which sometimes pounces behind trial and error, raised voice and silent terror.

Patience.

The quiet ideal that breathes slowly whilst angered storm and untaken back mistake.

I’d tell her to never sell herself to fall in love

I’d show her the scars on this worn heart of mine, the bruises in bulk and sanity that I sacrificed for a once lover once upon a time.

Because being herself is the greatest gift she could give.

I’d tell her to search for wisdom.

Because every moment has its lesson, every scar represents a past transgression. Many know but fewer understand, life’s a gamble and the cards are in her hands.

I’d tell her that life isn’t about checklists, calendars or to-dos.

Life is a dance, a journey.

It exceeds a classroom and trickles into every essence, every part of you.

Julia’s entry and many more will be available in print edition on April 7th. Pre-order here!

We are also proud to announce the runner-ups to this contest. They will both receive a Beats by Dr. Dre prize pack. Their poems will be featured on the She’s the First Tumblr in the near future:

Entry #99 Katherine Davis

Entry #1844 Crystal Townsend

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Community Service at Kopila Valley

Students from Siddha Bahira practice sign language with Kopila Valley

Last month was community service month at the Kopila Valley Children’s Home in Nepal.  Within the first week of the service celebration, the students had already cleaned litter from a local park, visited and gave gifts to hospital patients and cleaned the city’s iconic Deuti Bajay temple.  Their good work was featured on the front page of the local newspaper as well as on national Nepali television!

On February 3rd, children from Siddha Bahira, a local school for deaf students, visited Kopila Valley. No talking was needed to play games, share a meal, or face-off in a soccer match. After Siddha Bahira’s chairman taught the Kopila Valley students basic sign language, the students divided into different classrooms to practice together.

As the week drew to a close, the students at Kopila celebrated Sabita’s birthday and helped out with the construction of the school’s new science and computer lab. Despite all of this exciting activity, Maggie, the school’s founder, writes that things are quiet and happy at Kopila Valley. However, she warns to tuned because some “big dreams are brewing!”

To read more about day-to-day life at Kopila Valley, visit Maggie’s blog.

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Let’s Discuss: Ellen Johnson Sirleaf is Anti-Gay…?!

Earlier this morning, we sent a tweet from the She’s the First account labeling Ellen Johnson Sirleaf as one of the women we’d most want to interview if we had the chance—and received a response from a follower who linked to this Guardian article, published on Monday, with a video of the Liberian president acknowledging that she is not in support of repealing anti-gay laws, as Liberia has “certain traditional values that we would like to preserve.”

Yikes.

First, a little background on Sirleaf, and why this comes as such a shock: She was the first woman to ever be elected in Africa, and has over 25 years of political experience both in Africa and in the international realm. She’s largely credited with starting the healing process for Liberia after years of civil war, rebuilding infrastructure and institutions within the country while working to pay off their international debts. She was re-elected as president in 2011, when she also won the Nobel Peace Prize (along with two others) for her work in promoting the health, safety, and equality of women in Africa (who, by and large, drive her to victory in both elections). Her memoir, This Child Will Be Great, chronicles not only her own path to the presidency but Liberia’s struggles over the years to reach stability. It’s safe to say that she’s been heralded in the international community as a great politician, a remarkable leader, and a strong voice for women.

And now, this:

So here are our discussion points:
• Can a Nobel Peace Prize winner be anti-gay? The honor is bestowed upon those who fight for human rights—and without a doubt, Sirleaf has been an amazing advocate for women’s rights in her own country and throughout Africa. If women’s rights are human rights, should gay rights be human rights, too? Currently, the law punishes anyone charged with “voluntary sodomy” with up to a year in prison. Should a president who accepts that law be considered on par with Elie Wiesel and Martin Luther King, Jr.? Or does her extended good works for the people of Liberia in a time of healing and for women across Africa cancel this out?

• It would probably be political suicide for her to repeal these laws. Liberia is not a liberal country. My guess is that should she come out in favor of repealing these laws, or make it a part of her goals for this term, she would find herself facing repeated backlash (and riots) from her own electorate, with a smattering of international applause. Her first responsibility is to follow the will of her people, and she’s doing that here. Of course, this is her last legal term as President, but her 25 years of past political experience suggests she doesn’t plan on quitting the arena anytime soon. Leaving her personal feelings for the issue aside, is it okay for her to leave these laws on the books if it means that ultimately, she can do more good for her country and her people in other ways (education, infrastructure, job creation) that those before her have utterly failed to do?

In the end, she’s still at the top of my list for women I’d want to interview: Her tireless work for women and for Liberia has to be respected, and while I absolutely disagree with the current Liberian laws and her stance on their repeal, it would certainly make for an interesting tête-à-tête, wouldn’t it?

Comment time: Tell me what you think.

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Shanti Bhavan: A True Life Cinderella Story

A few weeks ago, we touched on the subject of the caste system in India, an archaic social structure that is preventing the Dalit caste, which is a large portion of India’s population, from getting the opportunities they deserve and the opportunities that are their legal right.  The founder of our partner school in India, Dr. Abraham George, founded Shanti Bhavan based on the principles that every child has the capability to change the world if given the right resources, an idea we definitely believe in. So I dived into the philosophy behind Shanti Bhavan a bit more, and loved what I found:

Dr. George even wrote this book, "India Untouched," about his experiences opening the Shanti Bhavan school in India.

Dr. George realized that a country with a government plagued by corruption is not capable of taking care of its population; and simply giving money to the government in support of support educational projects did no good. In 1995, Dr. George left a lucrative Wall Street career to return to India and set up Shanti Bhavan. This way he could ensure that every penny donated would go towards educating the students admitted to his school. Shanti Bhavan is a truly progressive school where students get a well-rounded education and are encouraged to take part in extracurricular activities, a truly radical idea if you look at the education system in the rest of India. Here are some fast facts about Shanti Bhavan:

The Shanti Bhavan model…

  • The Shanti Bhavan model identifies and educates tomorrow’s leaders of professions, politics, and society from within the ranks of India’s most deprived families.  The school’s model rests on three pillars: promoting academic achievement, instilling values and inspiring leadership.
  • 95 percent of shanti Bhavan’s students belong to the Dalit, or formerly termed “untouchable” communities, from families well below the Indian poverty line of $48 USD per month for a family of four or more.
  • Children are exposed to a diverse curriculum of academics that ensures all-around development, such as liberal arts, athletics and debate taught by both a local faculty and international volunteers representing 12 countries.

The Shanti Bhavan model seems to be working…

  • All students who took the level X ICSE exam in 2008, 2009 and 2010 passed with First Division, equivalent to a 3.5 GPA and higher by U.S. standards.  Half of the students scored “Distinctions,” above 75 percent, the highest scoring category.  No other Indian school in history has achieved such success within the Dalit community
  • In 2010, Shanti Bhavan celebrated its first graduation of 14 students.  All 14 graduates were accepted into top colleges in Bangalore, many of which are considered among the top 10 undergraduate colleges in India.

While Shanti Bhavan is a fairly young school (the first class graduated in 2010), I have no doubts that its graduates will go far. Already, the students are attending the top universities in India! Shanti Bhavan students are truly a real life Cinderella story. To learn more about the school, check out this link.

 

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Women’s Rights in Nigeria, Business Skills in Egypt & More

Women Refugee Teaches Business Skills in Egypt
Fatma Soleman is an inspiring entrepreneur in Cairo, Egypt. She fled from conflict in Ethiopia when she was 17 years old and has since been running a handicraft business to support herself and family. After partnering with a local NGO, Fatma now works to train other female refugees living in Cairo on business skills and various handicraft techniques. She even teaches her students how to approach stores throughout Cairo and find business opportunities at community bazaars. Read her story here.

Struggle Continues for Girls and Women in Tanzania
A recent four-day event in Arusha, Tanzania highlighted the plight of girls and women in the country, particularly those living in nomadic pastoralist communities. Things are especially difficult for females in the Northern Zone of Tanzania, including the Maasai, Meru, Barbaig, Iraqw (Mbulu) and Chagga communities. In these areas girls do not inherit property or land and their mothers do not have any say in the matter according to traditional laws. Activists joined together to discuss these issues, including violence against girls and women, education, and civil rights. Read it all here.

Iran’s Women Activists Say No to War
Human rights activists in Iran are voicing their concerns for the rights of girls and women in the shadow of war. A joint statement issued by more than 200 women’s rights activists and 15 political organizations, states that Iran is currently in a very dangerous situation with the peace and well-being of Iranians in the balance. The statement goes on to say, “The continuation of this situation, will cast a shadow of war and a militarized atmosphere over our country, exposing our people, women in particular, to further discrimination, various kinds of violence, poverty and adversity.” Read it all here.

Nigerian Lawmakers Split Over Property Rights for Women
Lawmakers in Nigeria’s State House of Assembly recently discussed a proposed bill to ensure women’s inheritance and ownership rights. Members were divided, with some opponents saying the issue is not relevant at this time and the bill should be dropped. Supporters of the bill argued that female children should have the same rights as males and should be able to inherit their parents’ property and wealth. The bill was sent to the Committee on Women Affairs where members will organize public hearings and report back to the House in a few weeks. Read all the details here.

US Department of State Expands Techwomen to Sub-Saharan Africa
The U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs announced that TechWomen, an international exchange program that uses technology to empower women and girls around the world, will expand to sub-Saharan Africa for the first time in 2013. The program, which was launched by Secretary Clinton in 2011, will pair up women from Cameroon, Kenya, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, South Africa and Zimbabwe with their American counterparts during a four week mentoring program in the United States. The American mentors will then travel to Africa to do follow-up with the women and conduct workshops and training in the technology sector. Read more here.

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Finance Committee

Laura Simion, Co-Chair
Beach, yoga and travel enthusiast who goal is to explore the world.
When I’m not on shesthefirst.org, I’m surfing: Gawker and National Geographic.
Trailblazer I’d Like to Meet: Amelia Earhart
My First: First in my family to go to college in America.
laura@shesthefirst.org


Tom Somerville, Co-Chair
Business development and strategy pro with an interest in cars and travel.
When I’m not on shesthefirst.org, I’m surfing: Business Insider
Trailblazer I’d like to meet: Margaret Thatcher
My first: First in my family to climb the three tallest mountains in the Presidential Range.
tom@shesthefirst.org

Aishwarya Bhake

Anita Colby

Amanda Collinson

Alexandra (Lex) Beech

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Reading Time at Selamta Family Project

Selamta Family Project's own story, An Unlikely Family

Last week, I wrote about reading time at the Kibera School for Girls in Kenya and Kopila Valley Children’s Home in Nepal. I’m happy to bookend that report with an update from Mia Brown at the Selamta Family Project in Ethiopia. Just like the children in Kenya and Nepal, Selamta’s students love to read everyday! From in-class reading exercises to reading for fun after school, Selamta students dedicate a great portion of their day to reading.

The children at Selamta used to meet every Saturday morning to read together, but their family has grown so large they had to divide into three groups! The youngest children have the earliest reading time, and meet with Abel, Selamta’s director, for about an hour. Abel typically chooses Ethiopian fables, or other stories with moral lessons. The older children are often found reading Ethiopian novels long after the school day ends.

Each home at Selamta has its own bookcase that’s stocked with donated books. Most of the children’s books are in Amharic, Ethiopia’s national language. Mia commented during her recent trip she read “Knuffle Bunnies” and “Zak the Yak” to the students.

Of course, I couldn’t write a blog post about books at Selamta without highlighting that Selamta has its own book! Winner of four literary awards, “An Unlikely Family” tells the tale of the children whose lives have been uplifted by the Selamta Family Project. The book was written in collaboration with American volunteers and Selamta students. All children at Selamta have read “An Unlikely Family,” a story about their stories. To read my last post on this book, check out this link. One hundred percent of the book sales directly support the children at Selamta Family Project.

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Celebrating Women’s Day with the Kibera School for Girls

The girls at the Kibera School for Girls are all style and substance!

Last Thursday, our friends at the Kibera School for Girls in Kenya celebrated International Women’s Day with song, dance, poetry, a fashion show and soccer match. The day was filled with joy as the entire community honored the strength and contributions of women. The girls were all smiles on the fashion show catwalk, stopping the show in shimmery gold dresses, feather boas, sparkly tiaras and colorful beads. Community members also cheered on a friendly soccer match between Shining Hope for Communities and Kibera Women for Peace. The Kibera School was joined in the festivities by local organizations like CareKenya and Fairness and Women’s Empowerment Link.

Though the day was filled with happiness, the Kibera Schools took time to call attention to a critical issue impacting women worldwide. They recited a poem that encouraged women to have the courage to rise above domestic abuse.

The girls read,

“It’s all up to you
You just have to get the courage to move on to something new
It’s not going to be easy.
Take it one day at a time.
They have to subside and you will finally have a peace of mind.”

The day’s theme, “Connecting Girls, Inspiring Futures” epitomizes the incredible work of the Kibera School for Girls. Everyday, they nurture the minds, bodies, and spirits of their young girls to be tomorrow’s leaders. To catch a glimpse of day’s big celebration, click here to see photos taken by The Kibera Mirror, the local newspaper.

How did you celebrate International Women’s Day? Tweet us your answer and share in the comment section below!

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How Tech Can Aid Education & More

Transforming the Lives of Marginalized Girls Through Technology
The voices of marginalized girls living in rural regions throughout the world are often never heard. A panel of experts at the UNICEF headquarters in New York recently discussed how to help aid organizations utilize technology to empower and support girls and women. Not only does technology have the power to bring people together, it also has the potential to break down harmful cultural traditions and practices. The panel called on donors to start small communication programs in order to develop long-term solutions. Read more here.

Rwandan Students Excel in National Exams
The Workforce Development Authority in Rwandan recently announced the results of last year’s A’Level Technical and Professional national exams of which over 90% of students passed. Many of the best performing districts were rural based, including Gisagara which scored at the top the list for the second year in a role. Girls made up approximately half of the students who passed the exam. Read more here.

Burkino Faso Launches Research Fund
The government of Burkino Faso has agreed to set up a fund dedicated to scientific research and innovation in order to help meet the country’s development needs. The country has struggled to fund research in the past and currently only allocates less than one percent of its gross domestic product to research and innovation. Read more here.

Fire in Peru Destroys $100 Million in School Supplies
Just a week after the school year began in Lima, Peru a fire has destroyed approximately 500,000 school books and 60,000 computers at the country’s main state educational warehouse. Officials say many of the books destroyed were in indigenous languages including Quechua and Ashaninka. The cause of the fire is currently under investigation. Read more here.

Malaysian Minister for Women, Family and Children Steps Down
After months of pressure from from the public, Shahrizat Abdul Jalil has decided to step down as Malaysia’s minister for women, family and children. Her decision comes after much controversy surrounding an alleged scandal involving the misuse of government funds in which her family is accused of using money meant for a cattle project on personal expenses. The minster denies any wrongdoing and claims her decision to resign was related to the accusations. Read more here.

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Let’s Discuss: The Kony 2012 Campaign

If you’ve logged onto Facebook or Twitter in the past 24 hours, chances are that you’ve already seen mention of the Kony 2012 campaign—along with endless comments on it. Whether your friends are excited to “cover the night” on April 20 or critiquing Invisible Children’s mission, there is a big conversation going on.

At She’s the First, we’re having the same discussion you are. As a story-driven non-profit, we have to admire the way IC created such a huge viral campaign, becoming a household name literally overnight. And with it? They’ve made a truly despicable man notorious for his crimes against the most innocent of humanity, and pushed our generation into becoming more globally aware. So far, so good. But there are a lot of other, less positive reactions floating around too. For every “Now is the time” post I see, there’s another stating “Know where your money goes: Invisible Children only gives 32 percent of its funding to programs!” (You can see their financials here.) But we want to hear what you think about all of this, so let’s run through some of the major arguments floating around out there:

• The film is too simplistic vs. Awesome cause marketing. It just isn’t as easy as “Capture Kony, end the war, end the use of child soldiers.” Obviously, the children affected by war will need more than a ride home, and IC has addressed some of this (and various other critiques) on its page (read it here). But just as complex as what happens next is what came before: The history of the LRA is long and complicated, as are the various political forces in action in the region. You can get an idea of just how complex in this article by Foreign Affairs, written in November of last year. Of course, the simplicity of the video is a large part of what made it successful, and turned it into what is now a verifiable movement. So the big question here: Should we dumb down the message if it means the message will spread further, faster? Or does the nonprofit world have an obligation to illuminate the full story, even if it means no one will take the time to sit through the video and learn all the complexities of a situation? (Dave Algoso identifies “Advocacy’s Golden Rule” in his post, and I think it’s one to live by: Simplify, but don’t distort.)

• “We need military intervention to capture Kony” vs. “We shouldn’t work with the Ugandan military.” The campaign wants the U.S. to continue to work in Uganda to stop the LRA and capture Kony, and supports working with the Ugandan military. The Pros: The Ugandan military is, while not perfect, the most stable and equipped in the region, and has reason to want Kony captured for past ills. The Cons: Ugandan military does have many of its own issues in maintaining authority without violence and/or rape, and the LRA hasn’t actually posed a threat to Uganda since around 2003. (More on those points here.) One of the very few Ugandan views of American military intervention—an important view to include, I think—I’ve found is here, on the blog Africa is a Country. This question gets into much larger issues (When is it okay for the U.S. to intervene? When are we obligated to?) and gets very political very quickly, but the easiest question to tackle here might be whether this is the most strategic way to end the violence, or if militarizing the area further will simply lead to more violence down the road.

• White Man’s Burden vs. Youth Activism. Chris Blattman argues this on his blog: “There’s also something inherently misleading, naive, maybe even dangerous, about the idea of rescuing children or saving of Africa.” Even more notably, take a look at this comment by Ugandan reporter Rosebell Kagumire, on the blog Under the Banyan, which starts with, “I viewed it [the video] this morning and the first 5 minutes told me this was another effort by a good white American guy trying to save my people.” On the flip side of this argument is that encouraging youth to be more globally-minded, to engage in service, and to care about humanity can only be a good thing, right? At She’s the First, we talk every day about the power of youth to change the world, and we believe it—but we also believe that education is the key to helping yourself, and your country, to overcome obstacles. So where is the line between “Youth as activists who can change the world” and “Youth as saviors for the downtrodden”?

So let’s discuss. What do you think, about the campaign’s marketing techniques, about the U.S. presence in Uganda, about youth activists?

(Again, for good measure, Invisible Children’s response to various critiques is here, for reference.)

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Inspiring Words from a Soon-to-Be Author at Shanti Bhavan

Shilpa Raj: Shanti Bhavan alum, 4th Grade Teacher and Soon-to-Be Author

Our guest blogger, Isabel, has been working closely with Shilpa Raj, a Shanti Bhavan alum who graduated last year and decided to stay on to teach the 4th Grade at Shanti Bhavan while finishing up her memoir. Isabel has been working closely with Shilpa and Dr. Abraham George (the founder of Shanti Bhavan) to edit the book, which they hope will be published in the next year. Check out this excerpt of an interview that Isabel did with Shilpa:

One of my greatest joys at Shanti Bhavan has been getting to know eighteen-years-old Shilpa Raj who is setting out to write a book that captures her experience as a young girl leaving a life of poverty behind to study at Shanti Bhavan. Letting Shilpa explain herself in her own words, I asked her the following questions:

Isabel Rutherfurd: What would you say your book is really about?

Shilpa Raj: My book is the story of my life. The book has been divided into three major parts: The first part describes the lives of my father and generations before him. I come from a community in which people made their livelihood from brewing liquor illicitly. I tell the story of the day to day lifestyle of these people, what motivates them, what drove their actions and their understanding of live. It is my understanding of my family.

The second part of the book talks about my life between school and home. My life is divided between school and home which I get to visit during vacation. As I get older I begin to get confused as to where do I actually belong, what are the principles that I want to guide my life by or the individual I want to grow to be.  As a teenager living between these two contrasting worlds, I always do not make the smartest decisions. Along the way I begin to learn from my mistakes.  I am on a quest to find my identity and find my purpose of being.

The third part of the book deals with me choosing the world I want to lead the rest of my life in and the person I want to grow up to be.

IR: What is your book called and why did you decide to title it that?

SR: My book is called, ‘The Elephant Chaser’s Daughter.’ We grow sugarcane in my village. The elephants come and feast on these plantations, causing a lot of destruction to the livelihoods of the farmers. At night men like my father go out to chase the elephants away. That is why I call myself the daughter of the elephant chaser.

This title in a subtle way brings out the theme of living between two worlds. Even though I am the daughter of the elephant chaser, my life is completely different from the way his is. I think and believe differently. As father and daughter, we are very different.

IR: What unique perspective do you think your book offers the world and what are some of the main points that you hope to communicate through your book?

SR: Coming from the voice of a girl who came from poor circumstances but studied in a school that offered her a good future, this book talks about the need of an education for every child and the empowerment it can bring about.

IR: What have been some of the challenges in writing this book?

SR: There were times when some of my family members did not want to tell me their story, either because they were shy or because they didn’t see any point in what I was doing.

IR: How do your family and friends feel about your undertaking to write a book?

SR: It is a very strange idea for my family. Everybody at school supports me and believes in me. Initially it was very hard to explain to my family as to why I was taking the year off to work on a book instead of going to college. No one in my village has ever done something like this before and I can understand why my family was uncertain of my decision. Some of them are disappointed that I do not want to become a lawyer or something more conventional.

IR: Is there anything you want to challenge your readers with in your book?

SR: The message that I want to convey to the readers is about change. Dr. George brought about change in my life by giving me the opportunity to study at his school. This opportunity has broadened my chances to a better future. If one man could do so much, then surely a whole group of people can do more.

What do you think of Shilpa’s journey and decision to write a book? I find her absolutely inspiring given everything she has had to overcome to live her dream. I can’t wait to read her memoir!

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Thank You, Her Campus!

When Windsor Hanger, Her Campus Co-Founder/Publisher/President, asked me in February if She’s the First would like to be their charitable partner in the One Million Collegiettes campaign, you can imagine I said, oh my goodness, YES!!! In February, Her Campus set out to reach a record-setting traffic goal of one million visits to their ultimate online home for college women, and they did it!! (They actually had 1.2 million visits!) As a result, She’s the First will receive ONE MILLION ad impressions on hercampus.com later this month! That’s worth more than $20,000.

Stephanie Kaplan, Her Campus Co-Founder/CEO/ Editor-in-Chief officially announced the good news here! Please join me in sending a big virtual hug and thank you to the more than 200 Her Campus chapters that tweeted and Facebooked their hearts out to reach this goal!

Her Campus has been a dream partner for us (you may remember that sweet tie-dye cupcake t-shirt design contest last fall, which Annie Wang, Co-Founder/CTO/Creative Director judged!) Many of our chapters, like She’s the First*{Hofstra}, got off the ground with the support of their local Her Campus branch. Founded just a few months before She’s the First in 2009, Her Campus has always felt like a slightly older, cool big sister to She’s the First–always looking out for us! (A bit of a tangent, but tonight I attended the “office warming” party of Pencils of Promise and HOLSTEE, two organizations I deeply admire, on 28th Street in NYC, which gave me an idea. Her Campus…if you ever move from Boston to NYC, can we be office roommates?)

Above all, it is so meaningful to watch how Her Campus readers and writers integrate what it means to be a “first” into their storytelling and spirit on campus. Website banner ads are an amazing gift, but what each of you are truly and individually advertising — the importance of paying it forward to girls globally as you pursue your own education and purpose-driven career –is priceless. THANK YOU!

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UNICEF Promotes Girls’ Ed in South Sudan, New Farming Infographic & More

Bringing Girls to the Classroom in South Sudan
In an effort to increase the number of girls in school, UNICEF is working with the government of South Sudan and other partners to tackle the barriers that keep females out of the classroom. Aside from the typical reasons, such as deep rooted beliefs that girls should be kept home to help with household chores or married young, many poor families also struggle to educate their children in the midst of conflict. Fifteen-year-old Habiba Ahmed, now in fifth grade, dreams of becoming a nurse and says, “Education is important because an uneducated person has no chance in life.” To read more about this and watch a short video about what UNICEF is doing in this region go here.

Kenya Program Seeks to Increase Women in Politics
Female legislators in Kenya are looking to train young women interested in getting involved in politics. The Kenya Women Parliamentary Program will put together groups of four or five young girls who will shadow a female member of parliament in order to see first hand what it means to be in politics. The new constitution of Kenya states that positions in government should be held by no more than two-thirds of the same gender. The new program hopes to help girls realize their potential and what they can achieve in a political career. Read more here.

Afghan Refugee Studies to Become a Lawyer
A twenty-five year old Afghan woman, Ameneh, is breaking barriers and studying to become a lawyer with the help of a UNHCR run scholarship. With the support of her entire family, she is pursuing higher education in hopes of not only breaking Afghan tradition, but also inspiring other young girls to do the same. Read it all here.

Infographic: Women and Agriculture
The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation has created an infographic to visualize the relationship between women and farming around the world. You can check it out on The Guardian’s site here.

Jeffrey Sachs to Lead the World Bank?
Economist Jeffrey Sachs has thrown his hat into the ring for a shot at heading the World Bank. Sachs already advises UN secretary-general Ban Ki-Moon on achieving the Millennium Development Goals, and has been coined as one of the world’s most famous economists. Read more here.

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“The More That You Learn, the More Places You’ll Go!”

Students at the Kibera School for Girls at reading time

Students at the Kibera School for Girls love reading time!

When I asked the directors of our She’s the First partner schools which books their students liked to read, I had no idea that I’d find myself saying, “That was my favorite book! I remember that one . . . and that one too!” I never would’ve guessed that young students in Nepal and Kenya love Charlotte’s Web or Ella Enchanted as much as I did in elementary school. What I wasn’t surprised by was the students’ absolute love of reading.

At the Kibera School for Girls in Kenya, all students have time set aside everyday for reading. Girls in 1st-3rd grade enjoy daily reading time in either the classroom or in the library.  The students also take turns reading aloud to the entire class. Some of their favorites are the Amelia Bedelia series and Frog and Toad. The pre-K and Kindergarten students love to listen to their teachers read Miss Wishy Washy and Elmo books. They also have plenty of time to practice their reading and look through colorful picture books.

Libby Doyne and Kopila Valley’s English teacher wrote that their students “can often be seen with their noses in a book at recess!” Even though the students read at the library everyday, they can’t get enough of their new favorite book Where the Mountain Meets the Moon.  Their teacher said, “They even yell out to read faster when time is running out because they want to find out what happens before the bell rings.”  Some of the students even take the book home to read it again and again.  A few times a year, older students help teach their younger reading buddy.

These stories reminded me of Dr. Seuss’ quip, “The more you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go!” In writing this post, I was amazed to learn just how far my favorite childhood stories have traveled. Years ago, my friends and I used to giggle over Shel Silverstein’s silly poem “Ickle Me, Pickle Me, Tickle Me Too.”  Now, girls in Nepal are pouring through this same book, maybe even smiling over the same lines I did.  The joy that I found, and that you found too, in learning to read is the joy that our young generation of girls is discovering right now.  From the lines of #VoiceYourVerse poetry to a poem nestled in the well-worn pages of Where the Sidewalk Ends, you, me, and young girls thousands of miles away are united by the joy of learning.

Kopila Valley students' favorite new book!

Kopila Valley students' favorite new book!

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Inspiration for Your Open Mic Night at School

by Amanda Kennedy, @msamandakennedy, Founder of She’s the First*{Bryn Mawr}

She’s the First*{Bryn Mawr} (@shesthefirstBMC) is one of the newest campus chapters, founded this spring 2012 semester! We are located just west of Philadelphia, PA. I wanted our first big event to tie into the Voice Your Verse campaign, so our chapter began to imagine a She’s the First*{Bryn Mawr} Open Mic Night, but not just any open mic night…the best open mic night EVER! Our idea inspired this guide so that you can host one, too!

Feel free to use as many of these ideas as you’d like, or create your own!

FIND A PARTNER
We teamed up with another club on campus with a similar mission, Project Educate in Africa, since they are well established and know the ropes of putting on a large event.

PICK A PLACE & DATE
We reserved a lovely, large space in Thomas Great Hall, inside a building that looks like a castle (we even had an elaborate Harry Potter-themed end-of-year feast here, no joke).

DECIDE YOUR FORMAT

  • We decided to incorporate poetry readings from students, faculty, and administration into the evening, both of their own creation and from the She’s the First anthology, which will be released in April.
  • We also hope to invite students from two public all-girls high schools in Philadelphia to attend and read poems, as a way of establishing a mentoring relationship with them.

FIGURE OUT HOW TO RAISE MONEY

  • Students from the Tri-College Community (Bryn Mawr, Haverford, Swarthmore) and members of the outside community will come free-of-charge to increase audience size, but we will also encourage donations.
  • An array of cupcakes will be on sale, and multiple kiosks will allow attendees to log on to purchase the She’s the First Poetry Anthology online.

SEE IF YOU CAN GET FUNDING

  • We created a budget and then applied for funding from two large student groups on campus
  • To reduce cost, don’t forget that you can reach out to local businesses to donate food, supplies, or door prizes.

ADD FLAIR!

  • Delicious food from a local restaurant will fill the bellies of our audience members before poetry readings begin
  • She’s the First Founder/President Tammy Tibbetts, located not too far away in New York City, will be our guest speaker!

SPREAD THE WORD
We will advertise in our campus newspaper, the alumnae newsletter, our local Patch.com and a local magazine. We’ll send out plenty of tweets and Facebook notifications! We’ll create fliers, posters, and “table tents” (for our dining halls). Sidewalk chalk will also be involved!

Have your own ideas? Tweet them to @shesthefirst — we’ll RT them for all to see!

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She’s the First Poetry Campaign Started with a Tweet!

In March 2011, She’s the First Founder/President Tammy Tibbetts and Hannah Brencher, creator of MoreLoveLetters.com, decided to combine their love of poetry and social media with their passion for girls’ education. They launched She’s the First Poetry Month in April to coincide with National Poetry Month, which the Academy of American Poets inaugurated in 1996.

Celebrating Poetry Month with Girls Globally was born! The goal was to sponsor a girl in South Sudan while working with girls in a New York City public school for the first time. If we could use spoken word poetry to teach girls confidence and what it meant to be a “first,” not only would they empathize with girls in dire circumstances around the world, but they’d also realize they have the power to make a difference.

One tweet in search of a performance poet to lead the school workshop connected @shesthefirst with @azureantoinette, who had just been featured in the April Poetry Issue of O, the Oprah Magazine! Based in Los Angeles, Azure Antoinette spoke to Tammy by phone. Convinced this was a Poetry Month opportunity like no other, she immediately used her frequent flyer miles to book a flight to NYC in mid-April.

The girls jumped out of their chairs at our first workshop!

The workshop was held at the Young Women’s Leadership Network School in Brooklyn on April 15, and it was such a hit, the teachers invited Azure back to run summer camp…and then hired her as a poetry instructor at their Astoria school in the fall! Yes, she moved to the Big Apple permanently!

She’s the First is now an official partner of the Young Women’s Leadership Network Schools of New York City, which reaches 2,000 economically disadvantaged girls—80% of whom will be first in their family to go to college.

Read Annah's letter to us at http://www.shesthefirst.org/annah

While these incredible relationships developed offline, She’s the First shared original poetry from our supporters, as well as sponsored girls in India and Nepal, online. We even created a She’s the First Twitter Poem, with followers tweeting verses to the prompt, “If the world was your classroom, what would you teach a girl?” She’s the First Art Director Genevieve Tabios ultimately created ecards that were sold online to raise more than $360, sponsoring Annah in South Sudan.

In February 2012, the second annual She’s the First poetry campaign began, with an even more ambitious goal–to raise $10,000 through poetry! No longer just a month, we renamed the 90-day campaign Voice Your Verse. In April, She’s the First will publish an anthology of poetry submitted from all over the world and donate 100% of the proceeds to girls’ sponsorships in Tanzania, Ethiopia, Nepal, and India. We relaunched shesthefirst.tumblr.com with poetic inspiration, and Azure Antoinette revived her successful poetry workshops throughout New York City. More than 5,000 poems were submitted!

Jancy, pictured left, will receive a $500 scholarship from the Voice Your Verse campaign. We're raising another $9,500 to help more girls!

Zinch.com partnered with the project and generously offered to provide a $500 scholarship to one U.S. student with an amazing poem! Chegg for Good was inspired to match that award with a $500 scholarship for Jancy, a senior sponsored at the Shanti Bhavan School in India.

Voice Your Verse will culminate in a fantastic poetry night on April 17th at the Poets House in Lower Manhattan. There will be special guest performances by Brooklyn Poet Laureate Tina Chang, She’s the First Chairwoman Karen Karpowich, and host Azure Antoinette.

Now, it is YOUR TURN to get involved! She’s the First is inviting all campus chapters and students nationwide to host their own She’s the First Open Mic at their school.

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It’s the First Day of Women’s History Month!

Jeronima, the first Starfish One by One mentor to have graduated from their program in Guatemala

March is one of our favorite months around here because it’s Women’s History Month! It’s 31 days to celebrate the courage, audacity, and strength of the female pioneers that came before us. From Amelia Earhart, the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean, to Edith Wharton, the first female to win a Pulitzer Prize, every woman has her own story of firsts.

This year’s theme of “Women’s Education—Women’s Empowerment” is especially important to us. As we all know, the equal opportunity to learn and pursue an education is a value unlike any other, one that opens the door to limitless possibilities. That door slowly began to open for women in the late 19th century, when approximately one-fifth of university students were female. Today, the number of American women enrolled in higher education has surpassed our male counterparts for the first time in history.

Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for women everywhere. Let this month serve as your inspiration to not only break down your own barriers, but also help our fellow sisters around the world do the same.

Please take a few moments to consider the many brave women who have come before you, what they’ve done to help you reach your own goals, and what legacy you want to leave for young girls who will carry the torch in the future. We can all achieve our own firsts — but sometimes, we need a little help to get there!

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