HIV AIDS...YES, IT'S STILL AN ISSUE

In 2010, I came in touch with people who have greatly influenced my life, my passions and how I see people. Alive Medical Services (AMS) challenged me, and pushed me to feel, to move but most importantly to act. Dr. Pasquine and her husband Dr. Adebiyi run AMS with compassion, kindness, love and patience. (I'm not even kidding, these guys are like rainbows)

I have one question I ask Dr. Pasquine every time I visit AMS, 'How do you do this?' The entire team has got some kind of special grace or gift to do what they do, because hours into the gate, I leave overwhelmed. The AMS team does such a phenomenal job, they love and take care of over 12,000 HIV positive clients. How life changing is that?!

To join efforts with AMS, they have launched their very first online fundraising campaign. (We have only 26 days left.) For most of you who were not able to attend our AMS fundraiser in 2010 but desired and still have the desire to be part of this great cause, this is your chance to literally give life.

The funds collected will help AMS maintain their high quality, comprehensive services. And did I mention AMS provides FREE food to its clients?

Please spread the word and share this link to make a donation. This is Africa vs AIDS, SPOILER ALERT....Africa is winning!
http://www.globalgiving.org/projects/comprehensive-hiv-treatment-for-12000-ugandans/

40 Days Over 40 Smiles Foundation

There's nothing that I love more than young people seeing a need and filling the gap. There's so much to know about 40 Days Over 40 Smiles Foundation and I think this organization is doing a phenomenal job. 

I love that the founder of this organization is a young woman, Esther Kalenzi. Again, this is just another example of why educating both girls and boys is so crucial to our societies. 

I have never met Esther, but I signed up for 40-40 newsletter last year and I find her work very inspiring. This is a girl who had a dream, and she went for it. 

I'm sure she faced some challenges 'but anyone who’s achieved anything in life knows that challenges and failures are necessary components of success. They know that when things get hard, that’s not always a sign that you’re doing some thing wrong, that’s often a sign that you’re doing something right. Those hard times are what shape you into the person you’re meant to be.'

Esther has shown us that we can be part of the change in our communities, take up small resources, mobilize people and get the work done. I can't begin to imagine how many orphans' lives this organization has transformed, having a home to call their own and knowing that someone believes in them and loves them to give them a second chance at life. 

We applaud you 40-40 for dreaming, believing and being the change in our country. 
To get involved and support this organization please visit their website for everything 40-40, what they do and how they do it. Be part of the change.

Warrior Women 2/2

‘Worldwide, girls constitute over half of the children out of school. Only 30 percent of all girls are enrolled in secondary school. In many countries, less than one third of university students are women. The average sub-Saharan African girl from a low-income, rural household gets less than two years of schooling and never learns to read and write, to add and subtract, as opposed to the average sub-Saharan African boy who fully completes primary education.’ (Day of the Girl)


Project start up has got to be one of the hardest, most discouraging stages in life. Putting that idea into reality is tough, heh? What keeps you going? What keeps you motivated? What keeps you dreaming and believing? Find that thing that motivates you when you feel like you're not seeing the results you desire and press on till you see it all.

So after what has seemed forever (1 month = 10 Evelyn years), I can finally share more information about warrior women. I am truly excited because this past month has led to people and places and opportunities I can't even begin to explain coherently. I have found such amazing people who have believed in my dream and me, and readily got on board to support the education and empowerment of all girls.

I wish we lived in a fair world, you know? Where girls everywhere had the same access to good, safe, quality education. Where girls were not afraid to go to class because of lurking danger. We are standing in for all the girls who dream to be more, who dream of attending school, who want safety from perpetrators. How do we do this? We do this by taking up pens, books and pencils and empowering our own through education so that ONE DAY, they may stand and fight for others.

We are fortunate to live in a country where girls are not threatened with guns and knives, but we have our own struggles. These obstacles include, cultural barriers, poverty, illiteracy, gender inequality, and general hopelessness that stand in the way of many girls' access to education.

My hope is that warrior women will implement its programs and also supplement the existing efforts of civil society and individuals to get these girls to stay in school, attain at least a secondary education, and to get other girls enrolled in school. I know we can't get all of them in school at once, and I wish, oh I wish we could but we shall start small, and ONE DAY we shall have a multitude of girls attending school. We know that education is essential in the promotion of gender equality, poverty reduction and a vital ingredient for global peace.

In light of all the above I created a website where you'll find most of our information (side note: if you want to create your own website this is great and it's FREE, you can upgrade for a reasonable fee). Also, I cordially invite you all to support our first online campaign called 'I am a girl' to support our initial programs.

In a few weeks, I will upload profiles of the girls whose lives you're going to change through your generous contributions. In the meantime please check out our website and campaign to acquaint yourself with our vision and mission for our country. Spread the word boldly and let's stand together for a time such as this.

I am also excited to announce that we shall be having annual events and hopefully we'll see you at one of the few events we intend to hold. We are in the process of preparing for our very first event, a documentary showcasing the urgency of educating girls globally. The first show will be held in Kumble theatre Brooklyn (date to be announced), followed by one in Kampala in December (date and place to be announced).

Our hope is that you will join us in the cause of the girl child. We want you to be part of the revolution and join the movement to empower girls through education. This isn't just a 'girl thing’; we all need to be on board for real and lasting change to be realized.

Let's all think of the girls in our lives who we would fight for to get something as basic as an education and channel that energy towards the education of one girl, then another, and another until we gain victory.

I feel an uprising, a generation of girls and women who stand up for each other regardless of race, and ethnicity. We are the generation of men and women making it our duty to represent the unrepresented. 'A girl in the developing world still faces overwhelming odds from the day she’s born' (because I am a girl). Let's change that, shall we?

X

Evelyn 

WARRIOR WOMEN: Post 1/2

Hi friends... Oh, you have no idea how much I have wanted to share this with all of you. I am glad that now I am able to. I will get to it, but I am one to tell a long story before I get to the point but I promise I will eventually get to it.

I was born with this innate desire to be part of 'the better world'. I am such a dreamer you see, and at this age I still do believe in a better world. A world free of war, greed and evil not necessarily unicorns. My professor told us in our first United Nations Diplomacy class that, 'there's no place for idealists in diplomacy', and I remember mind rolling my eyes. See, I like to consider myself idealist-realist where I envision things idealistically and then apply that to the reality that's on ground. I fear that if I take the realist approach first I won't be able to dream. Reality tends to fail us before we can even try. 

In my quest for a better world, I made up my mind early on in life that I would work for a Non or Inter-Governmental Organization (hence my UN obsession), every course I have done in school has been driven by that one desire to be part of the force behind a better world. EVERY SINGLE COURSE! I just want to be able to serve people, to serve the world. 

Moving on, after my Law degree I had my mind set that one day I would have my own Non Profit Organization (NPO). I didn't know what it would do, I didn't know how I would do it, where the money would come from. I was absolutely clueless, but you know when you know that you know that is the thing you have to do? This was/is it for me. I decided to trust God on this path to the unknown, some thought it reckless but I have come to understand that you can't try to explain your dream or vision to someone who it wasn't given to. The same way I wouldn't understand why someone would want to go camping. This is an act of blind faith, trusting in a God who has NEVER failed me.

You know what completely leaves my mouth jaw dropping? Last year spring I made the verbal commitment to my NPO by telling my mum. There was no going back on that word. This semester I took a course called; United Nations and Civil Society: A Dynamic Partnership. This course requires us to create our own NPO from scratch. Who would have known? I walk around so awestruck at how God predestines things for us no matter where we are. We have dreams and visions and we don't know why we have them in the moment but then one by one, things start to fall in place and we find ourselves at a total loss for words.

I have so let myself go, where was I? Yes, my dream is here...in Warrior Women, a NPO with a vision to empower girls through education in my country. There is a girl dropout crisis, many girls do not finish school due to many reasons (a post for another day explaining Warrior Women). 

I have an amazing team am working with, and I couldn't do this without them. I have known these girls for eternity I would say, and I am humbled that they believe in me enough to support this cause. Rachel and Sanyu are so passionate and such movers and shakers and I truly am the lucky one to have them on my small YET mountain moving team. 

My 15 year old sister is my muse, she's my lab rat and the person I have brainstormed with and poured my heart out to. I love that she is heavily invested in this. 

Anthony, who I would refer to as my American breakthrough and a few other extra special people who are working behind the scenes. To have each one of them believe in this, I could never fully get the right English words to articulate my gratitude towards them.

In a few weeks, I shall write a post on Warrior Women detailing our vision, mission, why we are necessary, our intentions, why girls etc. 

I look oh so forward to sharing ideas with all of you concerning the 'girl matter', to your support that I undeniably need and I want you ALL to be part of this movement rooting for the girl child. Where their desire to remain in school, or to attend school becomes our desire too. See, education is one of the greatest investments whose benefits are reaped by many. 

“You educate a man; you educate a man. You educate a woman; you educate a generation.” Brigham Young

Email us Warriorwomenorg@yahoo.com or instagram officialwarriorwomen