No Poor Among Us: Informing and Empowering Women through Education
Although education is a basic human right, approximately 520 million women, (nearly two thirds of the world’s illiterate adults) do not know how to read or write. The way of life in any country is a reflection of the percentage of its educated citizens.
Research repeatedly demonstrates that education has a ripple effect leading to a prosperous, productive society.
The UN is particularly concerned with the education of women, as educated mothers are more likely to produce improved health, nutrition, and education in the family, and are vital to a nation’s economic success. Johnnetta B. Cole, the first African American female president of Spellman College said “When you educate a man, you educate an individual. When you educate a woman, you educate a nation.”
A woman’s education or lack thereof has profound impact not only on every aspect of her life, but also upon that of her family, and ultimately, the world. Society is strengthened as women utilize their knowledge and skills in creating stable, loving, and productive families. “Study after study has taught us that there is no tool more effective for development than the empowerment of women.” – UN Secretary General, Kofi Annan.
The Worldwide Organization for Women is committed to changing lives by informing and empowering women through education. Charlotte Hamblin, co-founder of “No Poor Among Us”, exemplifies the power of one woman’s influence for good, and the ripple effect it has already produced.
“When I read in The Wall Street Journal that the best way to keep young African women from contracting AIDS was to keep them in school so that they didn’t go to the streets as prostitutes, I remembered a small village my husband and I had visited six months before in Mozambique. We had been invited by the LDS Church to go to Africa to look for agricultural projects, but shortly after we returned home, we were very disappointed to learn that the Church was not going forward with any projects at that time. The village we had visited was made up of mostly women and children, and many of these women were caring for their grandchildren whose parents had died of AIDS. As we were leaving one woman said, “Many people come and say they want to help us, but they never come back.” As I read that many girls were not attending public school because they couldn’t afford the required $10 uniform, that woman’s statement echoed in my mind. I knew I had to do something.
I contacted everyone I had met in Africa to get ideas for making uniforms. We found that it would be very difficult to send them in from the U.S. and also that the African women needed work. Fortunately, I was finally introduced to a wonderful woman named Lizy, and she became our head seamstress and manager. Though she has suffered greatly in her life, she was anxious to help others. We sent solicitation letters to our friends and family, and through their generosity we were able to buy 4 sewing machines and enough fabric to begin our “No Poor Among Us Uniform Project”. Two of the machines are treadle and are being used in a small village to make uniforms for primary school girls. Some of the other sewers have their own machines or work with Lizy on one of her machines.
We are now making 75 uniforms a month and hope to be making 100 a month by the first of 2010. We would like to buy 2-3 more sewing machines, and continue to increase the program. We would love to supply bus fare to more girls, buy them notebooks and supplies, and even get more girls into school by paying their school fees. Currently only 1/3 of the girls in Mozambique attend secondary school, (and one half of the boys.) We believe it is very important to always have enough money to fund the program for at least one year in advance so the women can count on the work.
When I was in Mozambique in April, I went to three schools where we handed out uniforms. Three girls in particular touched me. One young, 13-year-old girl waited around to talk to me and asked if I had enough money to buy her some juice. She hadn’t eaten in 2 days. She was living with her 15-year-old sister. When I asked how they got by she said her sister went out at night sometimes to work. It was easy to guess what her sister was doing out at night.
Another girl named Saudina asked me if I could help her friend with school fees. Her friend had been with her in primary school, but couldn’t afford secondary school. Of course, we gave the administrator the required $8 fee. Saudina wanted to be a doctor because she thought that would be the best way to help all the sick people in her village. She had to walk one hour each way to school in a pair of very flimsy flip-flops. (We are adding bus fare to our program for girls with very long walks.)
Another young woman suffered from albinism (albino). She was very shy and stayed hidden as much as possible. I realized after I left her school that I hadn’t gotten an individual picture of her even though I thought I had taken pictures of each of the girls as I gave them their uniforms. When we were ready to leave, she approached me and asked if I could possibly buy her some glasses. The sun had burned her very pale eyes and she had difficulty seeing. I was happy to fill such a simple request. People with albinism are generally treated very poorly in African societies because of superstitions about people with perceived disabilities.
I think I realized the impact of what we are doing when our granddaughter from Connecticut called to say that she was asking for donations for the girls in Africa rather than gifts for her 7th birthday party. She sent enough money to buy 27 uniforms.
It is easy to be overwhelmed in Africa when all of the problems become evident. However, when a small, 13-year-old girl wobbles up to you with a beautiful thank-you note, in a very large pair of strappy, high heels because she wanted to dress up for your visit, it is clear that every small drop in the ocean of poverty is worth the effort.”
Charlotte Hamblin
Read about other “No Poor Among Us “ projects…
To learn more, click on www.nopooramongus.com
