Dear Friends,
Today is International Women's Day. This day is a reminder of how far women's rights have come and how, in many countries, much work is yet to be done. K.I.D.S. supports women's human rights in many ways: by educating girls, providing literacy and training programs for women, supporting daycare, protecting girls from dangerous and abusive situations as well as providing simple bathrooms so girls and women do not have to walk far distances from school and their homes to seek privacy.
We would like to highlight a couple of programs K.I.D.S. supports. As many of you know we help fund The Lake Clinic (TLC), Cambodia, which serves communities living in very isolated areas on the Tonle Sap Lake and along the Stung Sen River. These areas have little or no access to health care. Teams of health care professionals travel long distances, by van then boat, to spend days out on floating clinics so they can serve the underserved.
In the past K.I.D.S. built the first of five floating clinics and has provided support in various ways to assist this incredible program. One of the very important areas that TLC works in is pre and post-natal care; as well as focusing on women's nutrition and healthcare. This year we are pleased to be able to support three midwives/nurses to continue to do their great work. We have witnessed their supportive, knowledgeable and skillful work and are in awe of their dedication... and believe us just traveling to these places takes a lot of stamina. A special thanks go to Healthy Role Models, Canada and CWAsia Fund, Canada and all K.I.D.S. donors for your generosity in helping K.I.D.S. support this life-saving and life-changing program.
In southern Nepal, many women do not have a chance to be educated and are illiterate. WELNepal is changing these women's lives one by one and group by group. Meeting these women and seeing how learning to read has changed their lives inspired us to raise funds so more women could become literate and give them libraries that they can access. K.I.D.S. also continues to support sewing programs for women so they can learn needed skills as well as work together to start small businesses to make school uniforms and traditional clothing worn by women. At the end of the sewing program pairs of women are given the sewing machines so they can collaborate in making clothes for their families and earn an income. We admire the good work of WELNepal and are pleased to partner with them.
Last year in Nepal we met a young woman who had faced some very traumatic experiences; she was desperate and struggling to find a way for a new life. After spending time with her and a relative, who was also trying to help her, we decided to assist her with university and a living stipend. We are pleased to say that this young woman is now in second-year university, she continues to heal and is living her life with dignity, strength and purpose. One woman's story of resilience!
On this day we celebrate all these women, those that overcame their own challenges and now share their skills to help improve the lives of other women and those that find the strength to improve their own lives, the lives of their children and their communities. We see the difference that we are all making in each woman who strives to pull herself out of poverty and difficult situations and we thank you all for your support and generosity.
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| The Lake Clinic Midwives/Nurses |
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Till Next Time,
Adrianne and Rick
