Tag Archives: Maisy

She Just Scored Her First Real Job!

Claudia at work!

Claudia at work!

Claudia knows too well about the “double burden” that her schooling means to her family. Her mother never went to school, and Claudia helps support the family by selling beautiful weavings. She could spend several hours a day behind the loom or taking care of her younger siblings, but instead she is in the 11th grade. There is no high school in her village so she travels in the back of a pickup to a distant city everyday for school. The costs (her uniform, transport, books, photocopies, etc) only go up with every year of her schooling. The “double burden” is the time she is away at school instead of working along with the high costs of her schooling. This puts a ton of pressure on the whole family and makes the situation very difficult.

Claudia in front of her workplace!

Claudia in front of her workplace!

Starfish provides a partial scholarship and the support of a mentor and peer group to help Claudia and her family stay motivated. And more recently, Starfish launched its “Foot in the Door” Program for girls who are nearing the completion of high school. As the daughters of parents who average less than 1.5 years of schooling, the Starfish girls will be the first in their family to seek formal employment. But how will they know what to do when they get there?  Through the BRIDGE Program, Starfish is helping girls like Claudia know what steps to take to ensure that her empowerment and education flourish when she graduates high school. The “Foot in the Door” Program is a part of this BRIDGE Program.

The “Foot in the Door” Program matches each young woman’s professional interests with her first real job. Claudia has always wanted to earn English so she can have the option of working in tourism. She was hired as a part-time assistant in February by the Cacique Inn hotel in a nearby city. In getting hired, Claudia had to do a formal job interview, present her resume, and go through all the standard formalities of applying for a job. She now works on her English with hotel employees and guests.

Today, Claudia is the first in her family to have a formal job. She also earns an important income that helps support her family and studies. Like most first jobs, she will certainly find parts she likes and dislikes. But most importantly, she now has firsthand experience and information that empowers her to become a professional in the future.

STF’s own Kate Lord will be producing a short video on the “Foot in the Door” Program soon!

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A Refresher Course in Programs at Starfish One By One!

A mentorship session at Starfish One by One

Every now and then it’s good to have a refresher course. As a researchers at She’s the First, we can get inundated with information and statistics. So, today, I sat down with one of my recent quarterly reports from Starfish One by One and thought I’d share with you all of the great programs they run for girls in Guatemala!

  1. The POWER Program (7-9th grade) identifies young women who would otherwise discontinue their schooling beyond the 6th grade. These young women are provided with partial scholarships to ensure their access to secondary school. Participants are then welcomed into a positive peer support group of 14 other girls. A community-based mentor facilitates this group on a weekly basis and also monitors the academic and familial situation of each girl. In addition to receiving academic and emotional support, young women receive training in reproductive health, financial literacy, computer literacy, environmental stewardship, social responsibility and critical thinking.
  2. The BRIDGE Program (10-12th grade) takes graduates of the POWER program and ensures that each is fully prepared to apply her unique skills and talents in the professional realm. Via the same peer-support space and mentor, each young woman defines her interest areas to develop a life plan, acquires the professional skills to achieve that goal, and gets practical experience to make informed decisions.
  3. Rippling the “Girl Effect”, Starfish launched its Technical Support Program in August 2011. This program helps other organizations replicate the successful mentorship model. This program is currently being piloted in the remote Ixil area of Guatemala, where with Starfish One by One accompaniment, a local organization is launching a program that serves 30 extremely marginalized girls.

These programs are helping to transform the communities served by Starfish One by One in the Lake Atitlan area of Guatemala. Through education and empowerment programs Starfish One by One is providing these young women with the tools needed to succeed and make a positive change in their communities. To find out more about Starfish One by One, visit their page in our She’s the First Directory!

 

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Arlington Academy of Hope Takes a Field Trip!

Recently, the lovely ladies of Arlington Academy of Hope in Uganda took a field trip to the nearby city of Mbale. In the photos, the girls were writing down some observations they made at the local bakery they visited and are waiting to enter the train station on a Study Tour to Mbale. Always great to see what the girls are up to at AAH!

Taking some notes!

Excited to be on their field trip!

 

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Flexible Learning Programs Help Girls in Bangladesh, Girls Ed Reduces Poverty Level in Nigeria and Aids Development Worldwide

Flexible Learning Programs Keep Girls in School in Bangladesh
In Bangladesh, family poverty and poor quality state education forces millions of children out of primary school. Girls in particular lose out as they are often the first to be called on to get a job or help their parents at home. But a new project of flexible learning centres is hoping to change this. Read more here!

Girls Education Reduces Poverty Level in Nigeria
The South-eastern part of Nigeria has recorded significant reduction in poverty levels, thanks to wide spread education of females across various communities.UNICEF’s Associate Director of Education, Susan Durston, said “the number of out-of-school children has decreased from 115 million to 67 million between 1999 and 2008, with notable increases in enrolment in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia.” Read more here.

Women, Girls’ Education Crucial to Development
A woman is more likely to get a job and earn a higher wage if she has a basic education: one percentage point increase in female education raises the average level of GDP by 0.37 percentage points. Every additional year of primary school boosts girls’ eventual wages by 10-20 per cent, and an extra year of secondary school by 15 – 25 per cent. Read more here.

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Nourishing the Planet: Arlington Academy of Hope

Great news for our Uganda partner, Arlington Academy of Hope! Not only were they announced tonight as the 2011 beneficiary of the GIRLS WHO ROCK concert hosted for She’s the First, but they were recently featured on Nourishing the Planet! This is a project from Worldwatch Institute that studies programs creating sustainable solutions for the world’s problems. In Uganda, agriculture is a way of life. Arlington Academy of Hope recognized the need for children to not only learn academically, but to learn agriculturally as well. This may not seem so relevant if you’re growing up in New York City, or Fort Myers, where I’m from, but if you’re from rural Uganda, there’s nearly a 100% chance that agriculture is how your family survives.

We are so proud that our Uganda partner, @AAHUganda, was recognized by Nourishing the Planet for its exceptional model of education and sustainability. Let Nourishing the Planet research fellow Molly Theobald tell you more about all of the great work going on at Arlington Academy of Hope:

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Mountains and Moments

“How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world.”- Anne Frank

This Maisy Monday is the beginning of the final week of my second semester of graduate school.  While that may not be monumental to a lot of people, it is to me. I had never intended on going to graduate school. It was a mountain that I was uncertain that I would be able to climb. I took a year off after I got my undergraduate degree and tried to figure out what it was that I wanted to do with my life. My first conversations with my mom

My mom and my grandmother, two of my greatest inspirations

My mom and my grandmother, two of my greatest inspirations

about going to graduate school made me slightly nervous because I knew once I uttered those words…the idea was out there. Before my grandmother passed away last year, I discussed the idea with her and she sealed the deal. Her words to me were…”never stop learning…please, keep going to school.” I knew if she believed in me that much, I could do anything. I picked up the GRE book the next day and started to study. The more I studied, the more I remembered how much I thoroughly enjoyed learning. I found myself getting more and more excited about the possibility of throwing myself into graduate school and loving every minute of it. Before I knew it, I was at graduate student orientation.

My first semester came to a close with straight A’s. I worked harder than I ever had before…but the key to this was that I had finally found my passion. It was always there but grad school helped me to tap into it at a deeper level. This semester began my She’s the First adventure…and what an adventure it has been. At this moment, I am currently working on a research paper for my independent study on She’s the First. My paper highlites the epic lengths that She’s the First has come in such a short lifespan and how the millennial generation has utilized social media to make a difference.  She’s the First has built itself upon a foundation of the input and talents of its followers. I was once just a She’s the First twitter follower. Now, here I am….a couple months later…an intern and preparing to get more involved.  I’ve learned so much in my She’s the First journey and it’s far from over. Not only have I learned so much, but I’ve felt so much. I am constantly amazed by the ambition, talent, and generosity of everyone in our network and above all, the passion that everyone has to make a difference.

She’s the First has so many exciting things in the works. There is one thing I can say for certain: no one is going to stop this incredibly talented team of ladies (and now gentleman)! So, if everyone would be so kind as to leave me a comment, my questions for the week to you are these: Who is someone in your life that has inspired you to achieve your firsts and how did they do so?

I have tried to draw inspiration from everything and everyone in my life. I’ve found inspiration in failure and success…in my best of friends and those that have been a challenge to me. Some have been one in the same. My best advice that I can give you at this point in my life is to surround yourself with positive, encouraging people who are going to support you in achieving your dreams.  No matter what though, never give up your belief in yourself and your ability to make a difference in the world. Look at the things that She’s the First has achieved in less than a year. Imagine the possibilities! So, go climb your mountain, whatever your mountain may be.

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“At just the right moment, I light the match.”

Mia Hamm

Mia Hamm

“I am building a fire, and everyday I train, I add more fuel. At just the right moment, I light the match.” -Mia Hamm

Ever since the day I picked up my first soccer ball, it’s been a great passion in my life. I spent nights, weekends, and many holidays traveling with the roughly the same team of girls for about 10 years, one of which is still one of my best friends to this day. For the last few weeks I have been lost in the 2010 South Africa World Cup. It’s absolutely fascinating to me. As I’ve been watching these amazing athletes compete, I’ve been reminiscing a lot about my times as a player.  I learned so much in my time playing soccer, about sportsmanship, perseverance, friendship, and myself. My coaches taught me how to keep going when I thought I had no strength left in my body. My teammates taught me the meaning of friendship, sharing and team work. And then there was Mia.

Mia Hamm (now Mia Garciaparra), my childhood hero, taught me that any adversity could be overcome to achieve whatever your dream you may dream, whether it be winning a world cup in soccer or pursuing higher education (mine ended up being the latter). I will always remember the Mia Hamm poster that I hung in my room as a little girl. I vaguely remember it said something about how she loved orange soda, which I do too. I even chose the number 9 for a while because that was Mia’s number. Every little girl has their heroes, and Mia was mine.

Mia was born with a club foot and had to wear corrective shoes as a child, yet she has scored more international goals than any other US soccer player in history, male or female. She has two Olympic medals and was part of two FIFA women’s world cup championship winning teams. Not only was she a stellar athlete, but Mia, now a mother of twins, is also an author. She wrote a children’s book called “Winners Never Quit,” about the value of sportsmanship and perseverance. She achieved many firsts in her lengthy soccer career and inspired so many young girls to follow their dreams as well. Soccer ended up not being my calling in life, but through the playing of the game I learned so many valuable life lessons that have gotten me to where I am today. So, as I’m intently watching the Chile v. Brasil match on TV, I must say thank you, Mia.

Today, one of my modern day heroes, Queen Rania, has backed the 1Goal campaign promoting the completion of primary schooling by all boys and girls by 2015 AND to ensure that girls have the opportunity for education on all levels by 2015. On October 6th 2009, the 1GOAL campaign kicked off in a satellite-linked ceremony led by the 2010 FIFA World Cup host, South Africa President Jacob Zuma, Her Majesty Rania Al-Abdullah, Queen of Jordan, President of Ghana John Atta Mills, UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown, Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, President of Spain, Jan Peter Balkenende, Prime Minister of the Netherlands, Kevin Rudd, Prime Minister of Australia, Hillary Clinton, the US Secretary of State, Ban Ki-Moon, the UN Secretary General and Sepp Blatter, the FIFA President. So far 9,630,974 people have joined. This combines two of my great loves: soccer and promoting education. Through the awareness that the 1Goal campaign receives, perhaps we will be able make significant progress towards the goal of promoting the girls and women’s opportunity for a quality education worldwide.

Hopefully all of you are enjoying the World Cup as much as I am (other than the heartbreaking defeat of the US team the other day!) Happy Maisy Monday!

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Astronauts and Audrey…a report from your traveling She’s the First intern, Maisy Page

IMG_2471After a very long, exhausting but rewarding weekend, I’m finally back home. While in Biloxi for an offshore powerboat race, I had the opportunity to meet a very precocious young lady.  This young lady was one out of a group that we (OSS Cares) invited out to watch the race from Hope Haven Children’s Shelter. Hope Haven is a place that cares for abused and neglected children that have been taken away from their parents.  Their stories are painful to hear but so inspiring at the same time.  This particular young lady took my breath away. For a fourth grader, she had a mind and soul that extended far beyond her years. I talked with her for a few hours. We even shared Doritos. In these few hours, I realized something that I found very relative to our work here at She’s the First…given the opportunity to have an education and some encouragement, even those of us that have difficult circumstances can achieve our dreams. My little friend, we’ll call her K, wants to be an astronaut when she grows up. She did tell me though that she realized (as a 4th grader) that if she wants to do this, she will have to have lasik surgery when she’s 25 to correct her eyes. This made me laugh.

Little K was the second amazing woman I met this weekend. On the flight to Biloxi, I had the distinct pleasure of sitting next to a wonderful woman named Angela. She was on her way to her goddaughter’s high school graduation…a surprise to her goddaughter. She noticed that I was reading How to Be a Hepburn in a Hilton World by Jordan Christy and asked me what it was about. I explained the concept of emphasizing grace, class, and education in young women who are growing up in a world that has a tendency to put emphasis on other more trivial things.  We got to talking about She’s the First and the importance of education. She was telling me about her children, her job, and how she changed the path of her son’s education by demanding a gifted program be instated at his school.  Talking to her was so inspiring to me. She saw something that needed to be improved and took the necessary steps to make the difference that needed to be made. This is what the world needs more of.  This is what educated women are capable of. I was so thankful for the opportunity to meet this wonderful woman and hear her story.

My weekend capped off with a real first for me….my first checkered flag. In the world of the Offshore Super Series, people are not only rewarded for winning races but also for their efforts off the race course. I’ve always watched people receive these flags and applauded all of the wonderful things they’ve done. This weekend, completely unexpectedly, I received mine for OSS Cares. It was a huge honor. Someday I hope to win my first checkered flag on the race course, but I will always cherish this one.

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Meet She’s the First Intern Maisy Page!

Unlike Sydney, I have yet to have the pleasure of meeting Miss Tammy Tibbetts. In fact, I have  yet to physically meet anyone affiliated with She’s the First. I discovered this amazing organization of women solely through social media. I found She’s the First through a post of theirs that had been re-tweeted on Twitter and decided that this seemed like an organization I would like to keep tabs on. So, I decided to follow She’s the First and watch this wonderful organization blossom.

Maisy Page, one of the three summer interns at She's the First

Maisy Page, one of the three summer interns at She's the First

After graduating from Florida State University in August of 2008, I took a year off to work and figure out what I wanted to do with my life. This past January, I began my first semester of graduate school at Florida Gulf Coast University. I’m seeking a Master’s degree in Public Administration with a concentration in non-profit. For this program I need to do an internship. I was on Twitter one day and it was like a light bulb lit up above my head. I thought to myself, “I should give She’s the First a shot and see if they need interns.” Fast forward to today where I am one of the first three interns ever at She’s the First.

I am so beyond excited about starting my She’s the First adventure. I will be blogging to you on Mondays about what’s going on with She’s the First and me….what Tammy and I have creatively named “Maisy Mondays.” I will also be traveling to NYC on June 10th for Girls Who Rock! I can’t wait to finally meet the rest of the She’s the First team and see the incredible performances from Kat DeLuna, Shontelle, Lenka, MoZella, Cara Salimando, and Kelli Pyle.

Next week on Maisy Monday, I’ll be blogging to you from Biloxi, Mississippi on my way back from the first race of the Offshore Super Series season.  Along with graduate school, work, and She’s the First, I also run the philanthropic arm of one of the nation’s premier powerboat racing leagues, OSS Cares. I have been given so many incredible opportunities in my life to be a part of some wonderful organizations. I have had the opportunity have an amazing education, the type that every girl deserves. Through She’s the First, I am looking forward to being a part of another wonderful organization and sharing that gift of education with other girls and women worldwide.

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