-by Julie Colquhoun
Getting a chance to visit and chat to the My First Job girls was such a special and rewarding experience for me. Hearing first hand stories of girls needing to leave school at grade 3 because of family needs, domestic abuse, being severely burnt by a stepfather and never wanting to show your face in public, coping with single motherhood living in tents on the grassland with no food to supply your children – it was all heart breaking to hear.
Words cannot express how much it means to these girls to be given life-skills, hygiene education, how best to care for children, how to clean apartments, toilets, using public transport, going shopping in supermarkets allows them to rebuild dignity, self-worth and value in the community and their family. Many of these things we take for granted as we are taught them growing up. A glimpse into where these girls are currently and the difficulties and hardship they have to deal with, allows me another glimpse into where they are heading with being given the opportunity to learn, grow, and be able to get jobs that will be able to care for their children.
I was blessed to have the opportunity to speak to them via a translator about how valued, precious and special they all are – all having gifts and abilities to change not only their own lives but their children and their communities. Some of the girls, as I glanced around, had tears in their eyes as I don’t believe that anyone has ever said that to them before. When we left the girls, I couldn’t help but tear up as these girls are just like me – wanting to be loved, given value, hope, believed in and given a second chance at life to really make a contribution and be accepted into their community as women able to make a change and difference.
I am so thankful to all the individual sponsors of these girls and the Li & Fung Foundation that sit behind this program. To Carrie and the team at Shamtse who are bringing such hope to each one of these girls, you are all wonderful. Thank-you for your hearts and service.
Teacher Meng Shuangyi comes from Chongqing and is one of our dedicated volunteers teachers part of our program, Support a Volunteer Teacher in China.
52 SHARES
Er Shi Ti Xi is one of the recipients of the generosity of our sponsors for the One More Year Scholarship Program in China. She is a Grade 10 student, and she feels immense gratitude for the opportunity given to her to continue her studies because this was a stark contrast to her life back home in the province.
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The Husky Energy Tailoring Skills Program for Women officially launched on March 18th, 2024. Our team recruited thirty-one trainees after a face-to-face interview, which was in line with the program's requirements.
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As we prepare for the start of the training for the Husky Energy Tailoring Skills for Program for Women, we are putting the spotlight on one of our participants. Qunjie is 32 years old, and she lived in a quiet village in Zeku County, Qinghai Province.
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Adi Wujia is one of the many students who are able to continue her studies through the One More Year Scholarship Program. This is her letter to her sponsors.
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The Chicken Breeding Project in China empowers women to break free from poverty and instills hope into their lives. This initiative is dedicated to improving the livelihoods of 90 rural families residing in remote regions of Sichuan, China. Our goal is to uplift their livelihood by equipping them with high-quality chicks, essential feeds, and continuous training in advanced techniques and strategies for managing a thriving home-based chicken business.
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