Enjoy inspiring excerpts from some of the stories the Global Fund for Women community submitted for a chance to win two tickets to our 20th Anniversary Gala on June 5th.  Deadline for submissions was May 1st. We receieved several entries and thank all writers for sharing their perspectives.

Female Genital Mutilation Survivor Protects Girls

Meet Rugiatu Turay, a female genital mutilation (FGM) survivor who has set out to ensure that other women and girls do not suffer the same tragic consequences that she has. While Turay was a refugee in Guinea during Sierra Leone's 1999-2001 civil war, she joined forces with other FGM survivors to establish the Amazonian Initiative Movement (AIM), a grassroots nonprofit organization working to eradicate FGM in Guinea and Sierra Leone. AIM employs multisectoral strategies, including running a primary school in Conakry, Guinea, which incorporates anti-FGM education into its curriculum and provides refuge for girls fleeing FGM. AIM also educates FGM practitioners, soweis, regarding the tragic consequences of FGM, and compels them to give up the practice. As soweis who renounce FGM often give up their livelihoods and status in African society, AIM seeks to empower the women by providing a monetary stipend to ease the transition to alternative income generation. To date, AIM has convinced over 1200 soweis to renounce FGM. Through AIM, Turay has initiated her own sea of change, and the lives of girls who have been salvaged from the traditional practice now have the opportunity to take a dramatically different path. - Submitted by Jaime Gher, New York, USA

From Zero to Hero

Madhu works for the National Domestic Workers Movement (NDWM) of the Bombay region. NDWM empowers domestic workers locally, regionally and nationally for their rights, and in collective solidarity. She was born in a small village in Maharashtra, India. Because her mother was illiterate, and her father was an alcoholic, she faced poverty at a very tender age. Being a girl, and the eldest of three brothers, she faced gender discrimination, as her father did not want her to attend school, but wanted her to look after the household chores. Her perseverance and determination led her to achieve success in school. This discrimination ignited her to bring about change in the Indian society and mentality. With great zeal, she joined the NDWM, which gave her a platform to achieve her dreams. From then onwards she has succeeded tremendously in mobilizing 30,000 domestic workers to achieve their rights. She has been holding meetings, rallies and demonstrations at local and state levels. She even led a state level demonstration of about 60,000 women to demand the enactment of the Domestic Workers Bill. This had tremendous impact, and the government has made efforts to respond to this cause. Madhu has been highly appreciated, and even awarded for distinguished social work in her area. She is a most successful and well-respected leader in the movement. - Submitted by Sr. Jeanne Devos, Mumbai, India

I'm So Proud That You Are My Mother

Sophia, who is 61 years old, has left a legacy that inspires me. Her husband Benjamin died in January 1995, and according to the Luo customs and culture, she had to be remarried for cleansing purposes, a process called tero. It was really hard that she had to either do it, or be an outcast of the community. She stood firm and told everybody that she will never be remarried. She said that with the era of HIV/AIDS that is not an option. She finally got neglected by everybody in the community. It was unfortunate for her that the following year, she lost her elder son, grandchild and elder daughter, in that order, in three consecutive months. When all these things were happening to her, she was told that all those things were happening because she was not cleansed, and that she would lose all her children. But she stood firm and said no to ter (remarriage). From that time on, after seeing several women in my village who stood firm and said no to remarriage, I hope this will help to reduce the spread of HIV/AIDS in Nyanza, Kenya. - Submitted by Anne Okelo, Wynnewood, PA, USA

Blogger Inspires Parents of Premature Babies

I think Billie, who blogs at micropreemietwins.blogspot.com, is a leader. She is the mother of two children born months early, who have multiple and severe disabilities. She is an inspiration in the little world whose lives are consumed with the number of days in the NICU, number of hours of therapy per week, and number of milestones that are still to be reached. I work with children with severe disabilities and their families, and I know how many, many unsung heroes there are out there who tirelessly advocate for their disabled children, who keep their families together, and who become experts on pediatric orthopedics, or speech pathology just by virtue of their babies. Billie is compassionate and kind, and somehow so hopeful. She inspires me and so many others to see more, fight harder and love deeper. - Submitted by Sarah Kuriakose, Goleta, CA, USA

With Little, Women Can Achieve Much

Ms. Wanjiru, an elderly woman in the Kiambu District near Nairobi, took in more than 80 internally displaced persons during the post-election violence in Kenya. These people moved into her home from their displaced homes. Despite the fact that she struggles to make a living, she created makeshift rooms, and even displaced her own sons to create room for women and children. For days, she struggled to feed the victims until her story was highlighted in the media and the Kenya Red Cross came in to assist. Her home was turned into a camp for the displaced. Her philanthropic gesture at a time when political leaders were wrangling for power will forever live in the minds of those she gave shelter to at a time when they needed it the most. She may not occupy a luxurious high profile office, but she is a true leader. With little, women can achieve much. - Submitted by Lucy Wanja, Nairobi, Kenya

You Are Needed As You Need Others

Mrs. Tina Bregvadze was born in 1951 in Georgia. At an early age, Mrs. Bregvadze worked hard to support her family. In 1994, she was robbed and wounded. She cannot walk any more. In the hospital she saw disabled, hopeless young people and decided to help them. Mrs. Bregvadze found 25 invalids in Gori, contacted the "Invalid League" in Tbilisi and founded the, "Club for Invalids." The members are 382 disabled people. Among them, 66 are children. In 2003, Mrs Bregvadze attended the International Disabled Women Conference in America. She studied how to protect the human rights of disabled people. Mrs. Bregvadze carried out many projects about the integration of invalids into social life. She says, "You must live with your life, work to save yourself, bother about other people, and think that you are needed as you need others. My main purpose is to help and teach the disabled how to be full members of society, and to contribute to the building of our country. We cannot solve the problems of mankind, but we try to, and offer others the opportunity to collaborate." - Submitted by Lia Tsiklauri, Gori, Georgia

What Can Not Be Done By a Woman Can Not Be Done At All

Women in the Owakande community, a village of about 2,000 women, walk a distance of about 20 minutes daily to grind cassava in order to fry it into garri flour, the daily food of the community that is carried in bags or basins (5-30 kg) on their heads, or motor bikes. The women of Owakande who trained during year one of the DFID CSCF GROW Project decided to break the vicious cycle and change their life for the better. Immediately after the training, they levied themselves to pay the sum of N400 (1.7 GBP) each. It took the 20 women 3 months to gather a sum of N20,000 (85 GBP). Upon gathering their targeted amount, the women bought a cassava grinding machine, and assigned a member (female) to operate it. It took her two days of trial to ignite/start the engine. When it finally came on, she was applauded for her strength and determination. This machine is the only cassava grinding machine in Owakande. It has so far generated N9,000 (38 GBP) within two months. The 20 minutes of walking time saved per day for each woman in the Owakande community will allow her to concentrate on other domestic chores and/or have leisure out of the busy daily schedule of women in the Owakande. "Thanks to the GROW Project our lives will never be the same again because we know our rights," says an Owakande woman. - Submitted by Eunice Ittah, Cross River State, Nigeria

Women In Politics Will Make The Difference

Gulnara Derbisheva, a grassroots activist from the southern, poor province of Kyrgyzstan, and mother of six children, became a member of the national Kyrgyzstan Parliament in December 2007.  Political recognition of the rural woman activist was possible through Gulnara's active participation in the Women to Politics multi-year program at the Forum of Women's NGOs of Kyrgyzstan. Gulnara Derbisheva, in her essay to the women's movement on, "Why I Want to be in the Parliament" wrote,  "I heard in childhood that women have a right to half of the sky and half of the earth and I thought, 'Why do I need it?' Now I am forty and see that men MPs discuss the issue of polygamy, and adopt the state budget in the middle of the year, while we have the highest migration level, our youth go out of the country in slavery conditions, homeless children live on the streets, adults use children for cheap labor, young women can't give birth to healthy children because of bad medical services, and we have more disabled children . When do we stop this? I think when we have more women in politics and decision-makers." – Submitted by Nurgul Djanaeva, Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan

Small She Could Have Taken Another Road

The woman I find inspiring is Suzanne McKechnie Klahr, the Founder of BUILD, a nonprofit organization that teaches high school students from East Palo Alto, CA how to start their own business. I believe that this organization is one of the very few that shows less fortunate Bay Area kids how they can participate in the  successful business culture in Silicon Valley. Through their participation in BUILD, they learn that their education is relevant to their future. Suzanne has nurtured this organization since its inception. Trained as an attorney, she could have taken another road, but she chose to be a servant in her community. She's a true leader. – Submitted by Cristina Spencer, Palo Alto, CA, USA

She Came On A Small Manual Bicycle...

She has been known to me for a long time since she came on a small manual bicycle to meet a group of our Mothers/aunties and elder sisters. As a young person, I wanted to know what had brought this woman to our village. I later found out that she had been organizing our village women (Mothers) about how they can participate in production and help their families. I was 12 years old. I owe my success to my mother, who basically paid my fees from primary school to university, just because she had been given basic knowledge by a local non-governmental organization called the National Women's Association for Social and Educational Advancement (NWASEA), which is headed by the lady I have come to respect and learn a lot from, Mrs. Nantale Anne. NWASEA has changed our village Mothers to a level that they have been able to educate us up to higher levels. This has been done through training in agriculture, poultry, animal husbandry and handcrafts. To me, there may be many internationally recognized leaders, but to my village and the surrounding villages, Mrs. Nantale Anne is a hero. She has transformed rural women's lives through teaching them their rights, and their potential, and this has made them believe in themselves. - Submitted by Jude Kalema, Iganga, Uganda

We Won't Move Till You End The War

After living in the United States for 25 years, my sister, Hawa Bropleh, flew to Ghana, West Africa in 2003 with her seven-year-old son to be in solidarity with Liberian women who had traveled from all walks of life to demand that the warlords stop the fighting and killing of innocent women and children in Liberia. Hawa, and other Liberian women, camped outside the M Plaza Hotel where Liberian leaders were meeting to decide the fate of Liberia. Even though they were not allowed in the conference hall, they braved the storm and sat outside the conference hall for 4 months demanding an end to the war in Liberia. While in Ghana for four months, Hawa did not live in a fancy hotel, but lived at the Buduburum refugee camp, which was home to over 40,000 Liberians, mostly women and children who had run away from home because of the war. In Ghana, she was able to secure funds from the Global Fund for Women to provide 100 refugee women with skills and training to help them become economically independent. After the peace talks in Ghana, Hawa did not return to the United States. She decided to go to Liberia to continue advocating for Liberian women and children. Hawa now runs the Centre for Liberian Assistance in Liberia that caters to marginalized women and children. - Submitted by Tiwlo Bropleh-Massaquoi, Maryland, USA

Today's Women International Network: Protecting And Empowering Women And Children

Emily W. Sloboh, Founder/Director of Today's Women International Network (TWIN), is a leader and a role model. In 1999, she was viciously exploited and sexually abused because of her status as a refugee in Guinea. In her state of isolation, she survived with her six abandoned children by selling doughnuts, and provided assistance to other women. She commits herself to a world of equality and social justice, and advocates for, and defends women's human rights. Limited income from doughnut sales could not solve the numerous problems of women, so she created an NGO in 2000, and raised funds to help eradicate poverty, curtail all forms of violence against women and children, and make them self-productive. To date, over 1,000 underprivileged women, including former sex workers, are trained in marketable skills, while 600 women received grant materials for businesses. Outreach programs have benefited 2,500 children in primary education, and over 10,000 women and girls around reproductive rights, gender-based violence, and prevention of STDs and HIV/AIDS. 308 rural women are engaged in swamp development and crops gardening. Emily's ultimate goal is to see women govern their own lives and influence the world around them. – Submitted by James Briggs, N'Zerekore, Guinea

My Wish: To Be Like Wambui Otieno Mbugua

Every day when I wake up, the first thing I ask God is to give me wisdom and a great personality like Wambui Otieno Mbugua.  Many people know her as a Mau Mau veteran, as she fought for Kenya's Independence. She chaired the Maendeleo ya Wanawake, and many other international organizations. If one asked for someone who has never been corrupted or compromised for the sake of money, it is her. I believe that if all people were like her, this world would be a corruption-free world! I believe women can change the world, and it starts with great women like her! - Submitted by Scholasticah Muniu, Nairobi, Kenya

Former Sex Trade Worker Turned Citizen Journalist Gives Murder Victims a Voice

A Canadian activist, Trisha Baptie, has been chosen to win the [Coast Mental Health's] "Courage to Come Back Award" in the social adversity category. Trisha Baptie, a woman in her thirties and mother of four, was sexually exploited from a very young age and was trapped in prostitution for 15 years. She managed to escape with the help of an outreach worker based out of a faith organization, and has become a leader and a force to be reckoned with ever since. She also became a citizen reporter on the Pickton Trials here in Vancouver, B.C. The case involves the murder of over 40 street-prostituted women, mostly of aboriginal ancestry. She has become a passionate crusader to end prostitution for all women and children throughout the world. Her commitment to ending this type of human rights violation for women and children speaks to her courage, her compassion, and her deep and abiding belief in women's equality. - Submitted by Jackie Lynne, Vancouver, Canada

Afghani Widow Builds a Life for Her Children

Rahima Rashidi, a primary school teacher who is 40 years old, was only 32 when the consequences of three decades of war in Afghanistan took her husband, who was an engineer. Alone, with seven children in a country without pension and life security, she managed her life to be a valued mother, and a leader. She educated her children and built her own house, even while her husband couldn't when he was alive. Her older son admired his dreams, and with the support of his mother, became a medical doctor, while her second son is an agricultural university student. Her other kids are now going to school, and she is leading them to be leaders of tomorrow. - Submitted by Aryan Rashidi, Kandahar, Afghanistan

This Is The Story Of My Wife

This is the story of my wife, who at the age of 30 has become a leader of women of the area, and who is a source of inspiration for women of the area. She belongs to, and resides in the tribal areas adjacent to the boundaries of Afghanistan. The area as a whole was already in the grip of unique traditional, cultural and religious values, which are totally contrary to the rights of women. She was the only lady to fight back against the atrocities, and she suffered a lot in this journey. She was expelled by religious clergy from her native village for five years, and again she was declared to be killed for her efforts for women. Likewise, she was strongly opposed by her own family, but she never got disheartened and continued her journey. She established an organization for women at the local level, which is now working on the national level, for the welfare of women and it has attracted a large number of national and international organizations, including the Global Fund for Women. Today she is one of the leading women for the cause of women on the non-governmental side. In recognition of her meritorious services rendered, she was awarded by the Governor of the province. - Submitted by Atheeque-ur-Rehman, Peshawar, Pakistan

"When I Grow Up, I Want To Be Just Like You!"

My essay is about an inspiring and deserving African American female. Gail M. Williams became the first black female in the South Carolina Army National Guard (SCARNG) promoted to the rank of Command Sergeant Major.   I too am a member of the South Carolina Army National Guard and her energy, expertise and leadership have guided and directed my career path with the understanding that I too can rise to the highest rank that I can achieve in my military career. CSM Williams is there to give guidance to all soldiers. She goes above and beyond the call of duty to encourage and assist all soldiers in their careers to include training soldiers to pass the APFT test on her off-duty time, or assisting them with personal issues. All of the soldiers throughout the SCARNG look up to CSM Williams and admire her deeply.  CSM Gail M. Williams is a true leader. She is dependable and can be counted on at a moment's notice from the Privates up to the Major General. My saying, as well as other soldiers', is that when I grow up, I want to be just like you CSM Gail M. Williams. - Submitted by Dorothy Swilley, Columbia, SC, USA

If you do bad, you do it to yourself

The woman leader is Alice Chepng'eno Bor, my mother, aged 60. She is a true leader. She was a victim of discrimination against the girl-child back in 1957. She was denied entry to the famous Makerere University after her primary education, and instead was forced to train for teaching in Kericho TTC. Since then, she has desired to inspire us, and the community, before she expires. She has been a source of inspiration and vision to our family and the community having successfully served as a teacher for 31 years. She led women's groups (empowerment initiatives), mobilized support for orphans and vulnerable children, and has counseled problematic couples in addition to being an oasis of peace and calm among the bordering communities, Luhyas and Kalenjins (tribes in Kenya). She taught us to sacrifice for others and share the basics in life. More than 30 children from poor families have stayed with us during their school lives. Her inspiring phrase is "Aniyae ne ya iyachinige" meaning, "If you do bad, you do it to yourself."  - Submitted by Kipng'etich Kirui, Nairobi, Kenya

From Bread to Wine

It's never too late. Olivia Kiddu is now 76 years of age. She was born in Uganda where she was raised and trained as a teacher. She met and married a Tanzanian urban and bore 5 children. Life in Tanzania was tough during the era of Julius Nyerere and socialism. Olivia's husband's government salary and her primary school pay did little to help. She quit her job and started a bakery in her own kitchen. The bakery became a success, and provided bread to neighbors, as getting a loaf of bread was difficult during that time. Ten years later, after the fall of socialism and the rise of capitalism, the situation has changed. Many household businesses collapsed, and so did Olivia's bakery. The strain of late nights, age, fatigue and long working hours left her with a back condition that confined her to a wheelchair! But Olivia did not lose hope. In 2007, at age 76, and in a wheelchair, Olivia went back to school and graduated in a food processing and entrepreneurship course as the oldest student to have ever attended the school, Small Scale Industries Development Organization, Dar es Salaam. In her wheelchair, she prepares Rossella wine, which she sells locally, and hopes to export in the future. What an inspiring leader Olivia has been to us all!  - Submitted by Gizelle Lifiga Matola, Dar-Es-Salaam, Tanzania

She Refused to Throw Away the Key

Nancy Shippen lived near Concord, Massachusetts and daily drove past the nearby Concord Prison. Like most people, she either cringed a little or just ignored the prison. Then, one day, as she passed it, she thought, "The men in there are my neighbors." Nancy found herself volunteering to help with Alternatives to Violence(AVP) programs at the prison. Being among the vilified of our society, she was amazed to find many who truly wanted to turn their lives around, learn how to conquer their anger and treat their spouses, girlfriends, parents, children, members of their communities, and themselves with more respect. They wanted to get out and help others, especially young people, avoid their mistakes. They were grateful that someone like Nancy refused to throw away the key and forget that they existed. Over a decade, Nancy spent increasing amounts of her free time in prison. Besides leading many AVP workshops, she initiated book discussion groups and collected books for prison libraries. A few years ago, she realized that work with prisoners was her life's work. She founded the nonprofit Our Prison Neighbors, and now works full-time as a volunteer and continually recruits new volunteers to work in the prisons. - Submitted by Lawrence Kessenich, Watertown, MA, USA 

A True Queen

The woman that inspires me the most is the Queen of a kingdom in Uganda known as the Buganda Kingdom. She was married to the King in 1999, and since then she has devoted her work to the marginalized groups of people in the Kingdom, and the country at large. As a disabled person, I have been moved by her struggle to find wheelchairs and other assistive devices for the disabled, especially women and the girl-child. She has strongly advocated for social change to discard cultural beliefs against women in the kingdom, for education of the girl-child, and for immunization, to mention but a few. A more personal benefit I applaud her for is when she helped me and my fellow disabled lawyers to start up an NGO registered as Legal Action for Persons with Disabilities Uganda (LAPD), which offers free legal services to disabled people. She offered a building for an office, and allows her name to be used in all disability, gender and human rights endeavors. She is a lady among women, a Queen and a mother. - Submitted by Med Ssengooba, Kampala, Uganda

The Bus That Could

Maggie Kamau is a woman who I not only consider a leader, but a pioneer, a mentor a motivator and one who is passionate about serving children, youth and women in the community. Upon completing her master's degree, Maggie relocated to Kenya where she founded the regional Africa office for her organization [International Child Resource Institute]. Despite the current challenges Kenya is facing, Maggie has continued to work tirelessly without fear. She advocated for funding and resources to reach displaced families in the slums, and in addition, she ensured that grassroots organizations were getting the support they needed to continue running their programs. She runs a successful project that supports these efforts, the Watoto Wonder Bus, a mobile preschool that delivers training and resources to preschool programs in the remote slums of Nairobi. In 2006, she co-developed a new initiative, the Travel Giving Circle, a program that united individuals and families who wished to proactively invest their time, talents and resources in support of promoting sustainable development at the grassroots level. Her efforts have encouraged the community she serves to solve their own problems, thus transforming their own communities and building strong, healthy and productive futures for themselves and their country. - Submitted by Janet Massite Berkeley, CA, USA

Undeterred: From Dream to Lady Mechanic

Sandra Aguebor, "The First Lady Mechanic in Nigeria," says that God spoke to her through a series of childhood dreams and told her that she should become a mechanic. With no other mechanics in the family, her father initially scoffed at the idea, until he traveled to the US in the 1980s and saw women working in positions considered to be for "men only" back in Nigeria. He gave her his full support, but her mother was not in support, because she was afraid of the physical challenges associated with the profession. Nevertheless, she forged ahead with her dream at the age of fourteen, although her first "garage" was a patch of land covered with cardboard for shade, which was demolished by the authorities. But that did not deter her. Today she is a growing success. She has always aimed high. An avid reader of self-help books, Aguebor has from her own resources trained and empowered other women in the mechanic profession, and to be self reliant. She pays the girls monthly stipends to motivate them in their training. She encourages her girls to think big, and they do. -Submitted by Maryann Ifedioramma, Oworoshoki, Lagos