By Tia Kelly | project leader
As I write this, I am nine months pregnant with my first child.
I think about the level of support, health, and safety that I have. Knowing that I will be able to take my baby to the doctor if he gets sick, feed him nutritiously, clothe and educate him.
I think about the fact that I waited until I was 41 to have him because my work in the world was all-consuming and important to me. And I knew that I would have to slow down from traveling to far-off and sometimes dangerous places to personally work with girls, once I was pregnant or with a small child in tow.
So I listened to my heart callings, I contributed my gifts in a way that felt fulfilling to me, I was able to make autonomous choices for my life long before I even considered having a child.
And then, of course, my mind turns to all the girls and women Global Sorority has worked with and supported over the years. And despite the common bond we all share as women, their realities are still vastly different from my own when it comes to basic human rights, choices, health, and safety.
They don't get to wait and choose when they start a family, for the most part, they have no guarantees for themselves or their children. They often don't have the opportunity to stay in school, to earn extra income or contribute to what they wish they could.
When we were working in Uganda, we met with a women's clinic volunteer, and I remember her telling us of the miles and miles women would have to walk in labor to reach their clinic, and often the one ambulance they had at their disposal didn't have gas in it. So emergency calls went unanswered. Women died often for reasons I'll never have to even think about when I go into labor in a few days.
We have the voice, the power, the ability, and the opportunity to help women obtain what we often take for granted. And I thank you for supporting our organization to do this!
Although I personally will be taking a break from the front-lines for a while, I will remain deeply connected to this mission to bring equality, education, self-development and community support to all the mothers to be.
If we can start at the beginning of a child's life by having supported their mother from a young age to stay in school, understand herself, find her voice, advocate for herself and grasp that she is worthy and equal, then the next generation will be in a much better place to reach their full potential.
The work we do isn't just a band-aid to an ongoing current problem. We work to empower young women from the inside out to change their now, their futures and the futures of their children.
As we move forward, creating safe spaces and a robust online platform to support our communities are our two biggest needs.
Please be a part of our team and help us to accomplish even more this year!
Thank you!
By Tia Kelly | project leader
By Tia Kelly | Project Leader
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