I can't remember if I blogged about it here or not, but I sponsor a woman in Afghanistan through a charity called Women for Women International. It's kind of like those programs where you send money to poor children, except my money goes to her human rights education, job and skills training, a monthly allowance that she can either spend on necessities or save up, and I also have the option of writing a letter to her once a month that will be translated and read to her.
I don't know anything about her besides the fact her name is Nabiba and she guesses she is in her mid-20s. The information form I was sent explained that she didn't know her exact birth date or year, which is actually not uncommon for women like her.
As for family and children, living conditions, daily life ... I don't know anything, because the form hadn't been filled out. The introduction letter explained that many women don't feel comfortable sharing that information. The program doesn't send pictures, so I don't even know what she looks like.
Anyway, I keep sending letters and donations, keeping hope that she is getting them and that her life is improving somehow. I still haven't gotten a letter, most likely because her life is difficult, or maybe because she doesn't want to talk about things with me. I don't really know.
I've just been in the dark about it since I began my sponsorship with her in July, until I got an e-mail last week from the charity telling me that the school Nabiba is at will be on a PBS special. I don't have television, so I had to wait for the show to be available online.
Well, I just finished watching it, and I feel so emotional right now. I finally got to see the living conditions and hear the stories of these women, I got to see their faces, one of which is hers. The small school they go to ... man, it's just heart breaking. At the same time, though, I feel happy that I can somehow contribute to make a difference in one woman's life.
Here's the link, if you're interested in watching it:
http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/asia/jan-june09/afghanwomen_03-20.html
Just click the "stream video" link at the top.
For anyone who can afford an extra $27/month, I highly recommend you give sponsorship a try.
WomenForWomen.org
Thursday, March 26, 2009
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I just wanted to tell you that I really enjoy reading your blog, Kara. Your topics are so diverse and you are so passionate about everything you write. I really admire everything you've done, and I'm always looking forward to your next post!
ReplyDeleteGoing back to the subject of bias - it strikes me that the stories of ordinary people in war zones just don't get told. That's part of why I liked having Kevin Sites on campus so much.
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