Salvage one girl’s future today
Would you rather your daughter become a doctor or a sex worker? The answer is pretty obvious. Unfortunately, for mothers living in the Banchara community of India, what they want for their daughters doesn’t always happen. Arthi’s mother wants her to follow her dream...
Thailand: education vs. cultural slavery
Most kids get excited when you ask what they want to be when they grow up. One week it’s a teacher. The next week it’s a police officer or a firefighter. Next month, it might be a scientist or a helicopter pilot. Regardless, they have big dreams as they think about...
Boys will be … set free
There’s a saying that’s been tossed around for years — “Boys will be boys.” At its best, the saying is simply meant to joke about the mischief young boys can get into. But the growth of the #MeToo movement has highlighted a more negative side to this common phrase —...
Who is your Mina?
I’ll never forget the day I met Mina. She arrived at the center the same week I did. I was spending a semester in South Asia, working with a program dedicated to helping girls get off the streets and acquire the education and access to vocational training they needed....
Give a little girl someone to look up to
As Hamsika visits the Banchara village where she grew up, all the little girls stop and watch her. Her head is held high, and her steps are sure. She is different from the others — she has gone further in school than any girl in this impoverished village. Hamsika,...
Every day, I try to live my life in such a way that I accomplish at least one thing that will outlive me and last for eternity.