Highlight: Girl Rising

If you ever questioned the value of girls' education, ponder no more. 10x10's "Girl Rising", a new documentary depicting the lives of 9 impoverished girls from across the world, reveals how educating girls can ultimately change "everything". From helping the economy to decreasing the chances of disease, educating girls has immeasurable impact on a global scale.

The documentary illustrates the personal stories of Ruksana, Suma, Yasmin, Senna, Azmera, Amina, Wadley, Mariama and Sokha and the struggles they face in their communities to achieve an education. Challenging cultural norms, tradition and poverty, these girls rise above it all to create better lives for themselves.

The movie is filled with interesting and important facts regarding girls' education. 10x10's "10 Facts About Girl's Education" is just a sample of some of the startling statistics about girls and education that are featured in the documentary.

I highly recommend attending a screening of "Girl Rising" to learn more about the power of education as a tool in bettering our world.

Aid in Action

We so often hear about development initiatives and projects launched abroad to help end poverty, eradicate disease, or reduce violence, but rarely do we get to see those projects in action in the countries they have reached and in the hands of those they have impacted. I was lucky enough to witness the use and benefit of Unicef's Sara Communication Initiative. While volunteering at Ons Plek girl's home in Woodstock, South Africa, a student of mine picked up one of the "Sara" books from a stack of about 20 available in the home. In comic book format, the books delve into issues such as HIV/AIDS, genital cutting, early marriage and violence against women. The dense topics explored are complimented with simple story lines centered around Sara, her friends and the issues at hand that are relatable and easy to follow.

My student handed me one of Sara's stories to read after she professed that they were some of her favorite books in the home. When I read about the Sara Communication Initiative on the inside cover, I was in awe of being at the receiving end of international aid. The books had reached their proper destination and were welcomed by the girls in need of their message. Watching my student relax in her seat with Sara's story open before her eyes was a surreal sight. In that moment, I could feel the smallness of the world and how connected we all truly are. Our efforts are going places and actually reaching people. Thank you Unicef for following through on your efforts and inspiring me that we can truly reach those in need.