March 8th is the annual celebration of International Women's Day
International Women's Day began in the early 1900's with marches for improved working conditions for women in an industrializing age. What began with a worker's movement in New York City spread around the world from developed to developing countries. Today, thousands of events are held around the world in celebration of IWD through community groups, non-profit organizations, and academic institutions to support the equality and rights of women and girls. This year's theme: Make it Happen: For greater Awareness of Women's Equality.
My own experience with the global reach of International Women's Day was a greeting from Esther online this morning wishing us a "Happy International Women's Day." This is why I love Esther and am always inspired by her. There she is, carrying a torch that ignited in New York over a hundred years ago, and holding it proudly as she supports vulnerable women and girls in the midst of one of the most underdeveloped regions of the world. I am proud to share her story online as she continues to be a relentless champion of women's rights and education.
But it's not just Esther's story I am sharing today. Esther has sent me a few bios of students enrolled at the school this year. I will be posting them online; representatives of Esther's school. In the meantime, here is the first. Allow me to introduce Sarah Cole. This is her bio in her own words. She represents one of the students you are supporting by supporting Esther's school, the Women in Action Development Project. Donate Today by clicking the link below. Also be sure to check out the International Women's Day website at www.internationalwomensday.com
THE STORY OF SARAH COLE:
Program: Nutrition and Food
I came from a family of Nine (9) and I am the eighth (8) child. I lost my father about two years ago and one of my sister also died few month after my father’s death.
However, I want to say that I did not actually benefited much from my biological parents simply because we were many in number so they could not afford to send me to school, and so because of this, I was always at home doing domestic work and I was going around working for people that can afford to pay whatever little amount for my up keep. One day, one of my mother’s friend decided to take me and help me with my school fees. It was not too long that this woman stop to pay my fees because according to her she has her own children and family to take care of, so she ask me to return to my parents. I had to return home again doing nothing.
The only option that was left open for me was to go into love affair with guys that will help me out in my domestic up keep as my parent could not just afford it. In this vein, I became pregnant and gave birth to a baby girl who will turn 3 years in August 2014.
However, I have come to realize that such is not life so I decided to join the Women in Action family to gain knowledge in skills training and I am now proud of being part of this wonderful family as they have transform my life completely and they have let me know that I must not only depend on men or anyone else to take care of myself or my child. Since my admission, I have gain a lot as I can now prepare quite a good number of food and have also learn a lot on internal decoration and Arts and Craft work so I want to thank God for Women in Action especially the staffs who have made it possible for me.
I am now planning at the end of my course to be self-reliant by opening my own restaurant and employ my Sisters who are seeking for job.
I therefore want to ask the Government, NGO’s, Donors and all well-wishers to come on-board and help us achieve our goal.