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Dear Friends / Donors!!!
Its amazing :) You all did it!!!Tonight i am leaving to Kenya, without your help this would not been possible. Let me convey my heartfelt thanks to you all.
Dear Friends- We did it! Our 1,660 goal was met in 4 days!! I leave India for Kenya on July 18th for the 3-day conference. You will all be in my heart as I make the journey.
The campaign stays live for the next 28 days, so any contributions over the target $1,660 amount will be spent directly on school fees for children in the Thiruporur block in Tamil Nadu, the village where I work. These village children struggle to pay their school fees, as I did as a child, so supporting their education is a high priority for me.
Thank you for your love and support.And look for postings here, live from UNCTAD14 in Kenya in 2 weeks!!
Jai Bhim. -Nabiya
Hello my dear awesome donors!!!
I have reached my goal in 4 days!!!Pls accept my thanks and gratitude!!!
Without you this miracle would not been possible!!!
Thanks a lot to my wonderful donors!!!
With Sakya Children - Personal Safety for teens- Hotel Stay $120 a night, includes breakfast= $480
- Meals @ $60 a day = $240
- RT Flight- $800
- Local Travel- $140
- TOTAL- $1,660
My personal goals in attending this conference
1) To represent the community to which I belong, to share the message that education is the most effective tool for transforming a disadvantaged community.
2) To meet other young leaders as peers, sharing our best practices and personal inspirations.
3) To learn new methodologies which will inspire our community in India.
4) To contribute to the creation of a self-sustaining Dalit community.
How You Can Help
A Recommendation Letter from my Jai Bhim International Colleague, Dayamudra Ann Dennehy in support of my UNCTAD Youth Forum application:
April 10, 2016
To Whom It May Concern on the UNCTAD Selection Committee:
I am writing to recommend Nabiya Ethiraj, a young woman I have had the pleasure of knowing since 2009. We met during my first visit to Sakya Hostels in Tamil Nadu, southeast India, where Nabiya was working as the Girls’ Warden and I was leading Communicative English workshops. On that first visit Nabiya struck me as extraordinary. She is curious, intelligent, creative, and funny. She is also committed to human rights, to access to education, and to equal opportunities for girls and women.
In the past seven years Nabiya has evolved from a local Warden to an experienced internationally-minded Social Justice Activist. At Sakya Hostels, Nabiya’s fluency in English and sophisticated understanding of cultural differences allowed me to connect more deeply with the staff and students, and also to maintain long-distance communication for the seven years that have followed. Even once she stopped working there, Nabiya continued to maintain Sakya’s global correspondence from afar as a volunteer, allowing their Director to stay connected to an international base of supporters.
After her time at Sakya, Nabiya moved from a small village into cosmopolitan Mumbai, to pursue her MA in Social Work, in an outstanding program at Tata University. This was a very big step, moving to a different state with a different language and culture, and the fact that she thrived shows Nabiya's resourcefulness, optimism and commitment to self-growth. In this period I observed Nabiya ‘s confidence increase, as well as her commitment to making an impact on the lives of the oppressed Dalit, those traditionally considered “Untouchable” , and the so-called “tribal”communities, across India.
In 2015 our organization sponsored Nabiya on a trip to Thailand, where she presented at the international Rural Development Conference, on the “devadasi” system, a form of sexual slavery used as part of the caste system to oppress Dalit women. It was a powerful talk and well-received by all in attendance.
Nabiya recently started a new job at The Banyan, where she was quickly promoted to lead mental health projects for very rural Dalit women, and this year she will begin serving on the Board of Lokuttara Leadership Academy, serving Dalit youth from villages across Kerala, southwest India.
Since 2007, Nabiya has been working with youth for education. She strongly believes that education alone will make positive socio - economic transformation, and wherever she goes she encourages children to pursue their studies. She has the ability to form and develop working relationships with children, adults, families, local leaders, and other stakeholders. She exhibits outstanding leadership skills while working with tribal women in preventing school discontinuation and child marriage among Dalit girls and tribal girls. Further, she possesses excellent networking skills and forms effective working relationships among individuals, agencies, volunteers and other professionals.
Nabiya is honest, competent, and forward-looking. She is able to hold a shared vision, to lead change, to set a positive example and inspire others, and to empower people. She will be a unique voice at your conference. You can be certain that anything she learns will absolutely ripple out to communities desperate for transformation.
I wholeheartedly recommend Nabiya and look forward to all that she will contribute in the years ahead.
Sincerely,
Dayamudra Ann Dennehy Creative Director, Jai Bhim International
http://www.jaibhiminternational.orgjbi@jaibhiminternational.org
