Women for Women International

Over the course of the past week and a half, I have been attending introductory meeting for clubs, such as the Film Society and the Volunteering Society. Well, there's one society that I am really passionate about and I'm so excited that it now exists on UCL's campus.

Women for Women International is an organization that assists women in post-conflict situations, providing them with funding, education, and job skills, so that they can improve their lives and the lives of their families (in post-conflict situations, many women are left as the sole provider and head of their, often extended, family). They have locations in 8 different countries: Congo, Afghanistan, Iraq, Bosnia, Kosovo, Rwanda, Sudan, and Nigeria. Each location is run by men and women from that country, making it far more sustainable than if it were run by foreign aid workers. The funding comes from men and women from, generally, the US and the UK, each person sponsoring one woman in one of the countries. Last summer, I was fortunate enough to visit the Women for Women International location in Rwanda while I was there taking a class on gender based violence. It's an amazing program, and the organization is now creating college societies to take part in fundraising and awareness campaigns. Needless to say, I am beyond excited about this! Oh, the website for Women for Women International, in case you're interested, is http://www.womenforwomen.org/index.php

Anyway, I went to the meeting, and stayed after to hear about the executive committee. I'm hoping to be secretary, so now I just need to work on my statement. There are a lot of people who are interested in exec positions, so there's a pretty good chance I won't get it, but I have to at least give it a shot :)  This would be an amazing opportunity for me to really be involved in an organization that I am passionate about. So, wish me luck!

Love,
Princess Emily