We like to think, or maybe deceive ourselves, that all men and women, all girls and boys, all races and genders, the LGBTQ+ community, all nations and nationalities, all colors of skin, all economic levels of existence, are created equal. That, tragically, is not the case and far from it.
To prove that disturbing fact, a nonprofit organization called Girl Rising is working with dedication and diligence to right the wrong that underscores how, in this advanced day and time, millions of girls cannot get a basic quality of education so they can "learn, rise and thrive.” You can join this important fight by attending a Girl Rising event, in person, so you too can stand up and be counted, to raise your voice for change. On Wednesday, May 29 at 7 p.m. - 8:30 p.m., the Westport Country Playhouse will host this critical event, so you can hear the stories of nine young women around the world advocating to initiate progress and celebrate what has already been achieved. Using chapters from the award-winning documentary “Girl Rising This Story May Save Us" you will hear heartbreaking and inspirational tales from females from Haiti, Nepal, Bolivia, Ecuador and Afghanistan, followed by an international and engaging discussion on how you can participate and help this crucial cause with CEO Christina Lowery and Playhouse Artistic Director Mark Shanahan.
Would you believe that 129 million girls are barred from the classroom and millions more don’t have a way to gain a quality education? Barriers like being forced to marry at a young age, the effects of climate change, living in a place of conflict or being displaced, and the sheer cost of attending a school are obstacles too great to overcome. Come learn how “one girl with courage is a revolution.”
Tragically 15 million young girls are sold in marriage every year, causing poverty and a power struggle, with a greater risk of abuse and violence by men. Famiies exchange daughters for money and dowrys, especially in times of drought, to pay debts and buy food. These brides, without any say in the matter, are literally “masked and muted.” These activists need to be able to state their truth, not be silenced, and end their lifetime of servitude and imprisonment. Education can go a long way to changing their fate.
Girl Rising can provide life lessons for girls, boys, teachers, caregivers, parents and community leaders on a global stage. Their story began with one donor who wanted to create a documentary film on poverty. That research revealed that providing schooling for girls would be a tremendous initiative to fight poverty, by telling the true stories of the girls themselves, to reveal to the world the critical need for change. That was ten years ago, and this year the group is celebrating a decade of progress.Thanks to the United Nations, the International Day of the Girl is held every October 11 to honor the contributions to peace, progress, justice and equity. COVID presented a great setback to advancing the cause, with a rise in domestic violence by men, and many schools being shuttered by the disease. COVID added an estimated 11 million more girls who were missing from classrooms once schools resumed.
Future Rising is an important solution to the multitude of climate change issues, where 80% of people displaced by climate change related disasters are women and girls who bear the brunt of the work, allowing them no time to study and little money to pay the cost of uniforms and books. The goal is to build a network of uninterrupted education, to find champions like Future Rising Fellows Leticia Tituana from Ecuador who created WARMI STEM to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics and Dayana Blanco Quiroga from Bolivia whose Uru Uru Team are fighting water pollution and are going to speak at Westport to tell their stories. They are Fellows, 32 in number, who strive to raise awareness as Student Ambassadors, who number 400, who are raising awareness of issues around girls' education around the world. Malala Yousafzai from Pakistan, who was shot by the Taliban for just trying to attend school, won a Nobel Peace Prize at age 17 in 2014 and is committed to being the voice of the “forgotten” is a true inspirations to the cause. In promoting Earth Day recently with art projects, Simeon Kalua from Malawi wrote a poem stating “Nature is hurt, nature is in pain, nature cries and nature bleeds…in silence yet out loud.”
If you are so moved, you are encouraged to join Wings and send a monthly donation of any amount to ensure Girl Rising has the funding it needs to provide quality education for all girls, thus investing in tomorrow’s future.
For tickets ($25.00), go to Westport Country Playhouse, route one, 25 Powers Court, Westport and access their website at https://westportplayhouse.org/6512/6513.
Invest in the future of the world by attending this vital program of hope and promise by giving girls the power to dictate their own fate through education and the telling of their personal stories and actively working to improve the world.
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