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August 2004
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THE BRIDGES WE HAVE BUILT -
BRIDGING WORLDS VOLUNTEERS
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At the two-year anniversary of the founding
of our Bridging Worlds Program, we wish to reflect upon the
bridges of support and understanding that this program has built
between women around the world. We marvel at how much has been
accomplished with so little, and we hope that these bridges
will endure for years to come.
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| Bridging Worlds Volunteers |
The rapid expansion of our Bridging Worlds 1 Volunteer Program
since its inception in 2002 reflects the growing interest by
women in developed countries to meaningfully contribute to the
advancement of women's well being around the world. In 2003,
a total of 117 women contacted Jagriti to learn more about the
Bridging Worlds volunteer program. In the first half of 2004,
we have already heard from 139 potential volunteers. Of these
139 inquiries, 30 women have applied to serve as Bridging Worlds
Volunteers. So far in 2004, we have sent 7 of these women to
serve as volunteers with women's organizations in Afghanistan,
India, Nepal and Pakistan, bringing us to a total of 17 volunteers
who have served since the inception of this program.
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| The technical assistance provided by our Bridging Worlds
volunteers has allowed our partner women's host organizations
to enhance their own skills helping the organizations
to strengthen their ability to offer services to their
communities. |
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Sarah with
her students by Sarah Whitcomb
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| Our volunteer program has attracted
women with diverse backgrounds, skills and ages. Ranging
from 23-60 years old with an average age of 30, our volunteers
have come from Australia, Canada, Germany, Norway, Switzerland
and the United States. One has served with a women's group
in Afghanistan, six have gone to India and ten to Nepal.
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Vikasani
School for Girls in Secunderbad, India by Sarah Whitcomb
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Their careers have included web programming,
accounting, interpreting and college student counseling. The
skills they have shared with our partner women's organization
have ranged from proposal writing to computer proficiency to
teaching English. But despite their differences, each has brought
to their experience a strong desire to better the situation
of women in the world, a curiosity about other cultures, a willingness
to share their skills with a women's organization and the patience,
open mindedness and flexibility that is essential to living
in another culture.
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Sarah
Whitcomb, a 23-year old English teacher from Wisconsin
shared her English language skills with Nirnaya
in India. Here's what she had to say about her experience:
"I think you know what an exceptional experience it
was for me to be a Bridging Worlds Volunteer. I have
told you how inspiring and humbling Nirnaya's
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Sarah Whitcomb teaching by Sarah Whitcomb |
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women and the women she supports were
to me. My eyes were opened and my heart moved. It truly was
an awakening! Before I left Addagutta, I was thanked profusely
by my students. But if they learned from me even a fraction
of what I learned from them, then I will count my attempt at
service a success. I am so grateful for the change I have seen
in myself. And without Jagriti it would not have been possible
for me."
Olga Vasilopoulos, a 33-year old interpreter from Australia,
spent two months with the Guild
of Woman Achievers (GOWA) in Bangalore, India, an organization
that motivates women to volunteer their energies, experience
and expertise to programs such as free health and counseling
services. While at GOWA, Olga assisted with the preparation
and delivery of corporate training materials for issues such
as sexual harassment in the workplace. In addition she helped
create and design a new website, provided training in office
etiquette, and taught conversational English to GOWA members
and staff. From her experience, Olga learned that, "cultural
differences can be profound but fundamentally, people are the
same irrespective of these differences."
Krupa Acharya, a 28-year old web programmer from Kenya
and the United States spent 5 ½ months with Shaishav
in India. While at Shaishav, Krupa designed their website, created
proposals, designed a new computer system, sang songs and told
stories to the children, and performed Internet research and
translation. After her experience, her goals in life are to,
"support and empower women of all ages including girls, adolescent
girls and women, work with children in the USA and create a
bond between the children in India and USA and spread the word
about child labor in Bhavnagar and the work Shaishav is doing."
According to Krupa, living in India and working with Shaishav
taught her not to take things for granted and to see her life
in a different light.
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