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November 21, 2008 9:30 AM by Store Adore | COMMENTS
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September 2, 2008 10:20 AM by Sarah Z. Wexler | COMMENTS
When I accepted my job at Marie Claire, I had to reveal the bad news (for them): The week after the start date they proposed, I was all booked to take a two-week trip to Greece. I worried that it would turn into bad news for me because it might cost me the job—or mean canceling a several thousand-dollar trip I’d been planning for weeks. Luckily, the bosses okayed it, and I drained every single one of my just-granted vacation and personal days, leaving me with nada for the next six months until the new ones would kick in.
Was taking the trip when I’d clocked just a week at the company a good move? I didn’t think so then, and I don’t now, either. Vacations feel best when they’re earned, something that lets me escape my routine and gives me a shot of “everything’s new!” adrenaline. But with a new job, in a new neighborhood, learning a new commute and cataloguing a litany of names and responsibilities, I longed for a routine—not more of the unknown.
Plus, no one wants to feel expendable at work. Though as a new employee, with no real ownership of any projects yet, I knew I wouldn’t be that missed. Knowing my absence wouldn’t really matter appeased my out-of-office guilt. But it also made me wonder if the company would realize they could get along fine without that spot being filled, and I’d return only to be promptly kicked from my cube. READ MORE
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August 29, 2008 8:54 AM by Store Adore | COMMENTS
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August 24, 2008 9:49 PM by Abby Miller | COMMENTS
I hope you've enjoyed reading Fatima's blog and enjoyed the glimpse
into UNFPA's work to improve the health and rights of women in Uganda
and Rwanda. As Fatima showcased, UNFPA's in-country work is largely
dependent on the local needs and really calls on community involvement
to build programs that succeed.
As the Americans for UNFPA
staff delegate, I had the pleasure of traveling with Fatima and
delegates from across the United States.
Fatima, 2008 Student Award Winner,
had a powerful impact on the other delegates, and even more so, on the
many women we had the privilege of visiting. She was able to draw
connections, beyond the surface, with many of the women we met - as a
Muslim, Somali-American, and student.
Our leadership
delegations consisted of eight women, and one man, ranging from age 18
to 60+. Each delegate brought a unique perspective from corporate
executives to an oilfield engineer.
Fatima's blog offers a sampling of the insightful comments she shared with her fellow
delegates daily. Unlikely many delegates, her college research
afforded her the opportunity to visit UNFPA funded fistula programs
earlier this year in Eritrea.
From that trip, she was able to share with us an in-depth perspective
on fistula - a problem affecting so many women in Africa.
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August 24, 2008 11:45 AM by Fatima Hassan | COMMENTS
I am not sure what I expected to learn in Uganda and Rwanda but traveling here has taught me about the greatest challenges of world and more importantly, this trip gave me a glimpse about future possibilities. I witnessed extreme poverty in the slums of Kampala and the devastating result in creating a feeling hopelessness among the youth. I witnessed the women of Rwanda grasping with principles of unity and reconciliation, despite having their entire families murdered and bodies ravaged. I witnessed extreme health inequities with hospitals lacking basic utilities like water and constant electricity. At times, it was hard to resist feeling depressed and thinking there wasn't anything we could do... but then I would listen to the young program directors and I realized that we were witnessing a social transformation.
At every school or programs we visited, we saw young, devoted Africans working to pave a brighter future. The sense of responsibility and duty of young Ugandans and Rwandans have created programs that rehabilitate former child sex workers and established health centers to conduct private HIV and STI screenings. They work in sweltering offices, with few computers and receive a very modest paycheck (if any). In many ways, their enthusiasm and passion far outshines what I have seen in America because so many college students aspire to rush off to glitzy jobs, working hard to make a lot of money on Wall Street etc. Coming from an immigrant community, I know the security money provides but strongly feel that solutions to global challenges must involve our generation.
Africa is continent of extremes and irony- vast cities and small villages; 5 star hotels and slums; deserts and jungles. Cell phone and internet connection can be found throughout cities and in some villages, but universal basic infrastructure is non-existent in many countries. This seemingly haphazard progress can be confusing however development in this age doesn't have to be a straight, step-by-step process. Today, both Rwanda and Uganda have significant economic growth rates, millions are being invested into industries and both governments promote entrepreneurship. Right now Rwanda is working hard to become the technology center of Africa- even equipping the airport with wireless internet! Development happens when people feel like they have a future with possibility of good health and wealth. There is optimism about the future and these high spirits can be sustained with American partnership.
Americans for UNFPA an extremely important organization for making sure that women in low income nations understand that Americans do care and want to help, even if our government is currently depriving projects of financial support. Participating on this trip reinvigorated our support for the UNFPA and let us connect faces and villages to stories of hope and courage. News from Africa is rarely positive and this is a huge disservice for all the people who work tirelessly on achieving better health, economic and political stability. We should work hard to report the full picture, not only the challenges but the accomplishments, in order to not lose hope and resign the fates of millions to poverty.
Things are changing on the ground and I hope to be a part of it soon. Webale/ Murakoze/ Thank you all for reading!
Fatima
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August 22, 2008 8:54 AM by Store Adore | COMMENTS
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August 21, 2008 4:05 AM by Fatima Hassan | COMMENTS
We arrived at the Gorilla Nest lodge last night and I had no idea what to expect. I'm not much of a nature girl, so I was imagining all sorts of scary situations- especially involving bugs and huge, furry animals jumping on me while I slept. Fortunately, the lodge was extremely beautiful and prevented animals and insects from coming into where we slept.
The Volcanoes National Park is a two hour drive from Kigali, in the northwest region of Rwanda. I have always been skeptical of safari or nature trips in Africa, just because I felt that the continent was being reduced to seeing animals. However on the trip up to see the gorillas, I realized that eco-tourism is a serious industry in some countries. During our hiking orientation, the guide encouraged us to hire a porter to carry backpacks up the mountain so that we could be providing jobs. Interestingly, he discouraged us from giving money or anything to the kids who would be assembled at the starting point. He explained that this would only promote begging behavior in the children and if they were successful in getting gifts from tourists, they would stop going to school.
The hike up the mountain was really steep at the start, but the guide broke up the difficultly by pointing out flowers and other vegetation. It's a one hour trek up to the forest and it took us another 30 minutes to find the gorilla family we were assigned. I was surprised at how close we could get to the gorillas! Each group is only allowed one hour to view the gorillas and in this time we saw a silverback, a baby gorilla, and a possibly pregnant gorilla. The guides and trekkers in the forest encouraged us to take "snaps" ( pictures) and video, but towards the end I realized just watching the gorillas was a true gift. Even though the hike was physically difficult, I left the forest with a renewed respect for nature.
For many of us, gorillas represent wisdom and knowledge and I kept thinking this was rooted in their eyes. Despite the fact that gorillas only live 35-45 years, I felt like they were witnesses to humanity. During the genocide, many Rwandans spoke of fleeing into the bushes and the entire hike I kept envisioning the forest as a refuge and I wondered how much the gorillas has witnessed. The painful legacy of the genocide is deeply embedded in every part of Rwanda, even in the homes of the gorillas.
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