EDUCATE 2 ENVISION INTERNATIONAL

Earlier this year, E2E welcomed 6 new Coordinators and 5 Board Advisors to the E2E team. This US-based Think Tank will provide crucial support in meeting organizational goals including strengthening current programs, expanding into 4 more communities, and establishing the E2E Youth Empowerment Network. Please allow us to introduce you to our wonderful new team members!

Why do you want to work with E2E?

I have learned that individual empowerment is the first step in building strong communities and promoting social change. Inspiring a love for learning and building a solid foundation of education is essential in improving the lives of young people. I passionately support Educate2Envision’s mission to put power in the hands of those within the community to promote a more socially equitable and economically sustainable society for themselves and future generations.

What do you hope to contribute to E2E?

I’m eager to learn as much as I can in order to make an impact in the lives of youth in Honduras, and I am willing to bring enthusiasm and dedication to my efforts.

Please share one unique thing about you. 

In my spare time, I like to explore the natural beauty of the Bay Area by hiking throughout the region. 

Why do you want to work with E2E?

I want to work with E2E because education is so important in the fight to end poverty. I want to be part of the mission to educate children to become community leaders and creators of their own solutions to poverty. By making secondary education more accessible to the rural communities of Honduras, E2E helps to transform these communities in ways that will positively impact the health, economy and lives of their members. Why wouldn’t I want to work for these things?

What do you hope to contribute to E2E?

As a Fundraising Coordinator, I hope to contribute to the sustainability of E2E and to the expansion of its successful programs. Learning as I go, I hope my efforts prove valuable to the organization but more importantly to the mission of the organization. I am excited to see the unfolding of the proposed program expansions for the new year.

Please share one unique thing about you.

I spent a month in South Sudan where I helped drill water wells.

Why do you want to work with E2E?

I have always been interested in education research and policy in developing countries. I’m very excited to be a part of E2E after learning about its growth and success. I’m also very excited to be part of an organization in Honduras, since I used to live there. 

What do you hope to contribute to E2E?

I hope to contribute my skills and knowledge in international development and research to help improve E2E in whatever way possible.

Please share one unique thing about you.

I used to work in a metal scrapyard, and although I have forgotten a lot, I still have an extensive knowledge about metals.

Why do you want to work with E2E?

I’d like to work with E2E because I’m a firm believer in the power of education and the impact it has on every aspect of a child’s life. Access to higher education is imperative to a better future and the advancement of developing countries as a whole.

What do you hope to contribute to E2E?

Through the skills I’ve acquired in different areas such as marketing, development and education, I hope to advance E2E’s mission by spreading the word about the organization, the work that’s being done and furthering the organization’s reach.

Please share one unique thing about you.

I’m obsessed with elephants.

Why do you want to work with E2E?

I would love to be a part of E2E during its growth. I feel my beliefs and values fall in-line with its core values.

What do you hope to contribute to E2E?

As a new graduate, I feel I would deliver a fresh perspective in regards to the business side of operations.

Please share one unique thing about you.

I paid my way through college. I worked 45 hours a week and went to school full time while maintaining over a 3.0 GPA.

Why do you want to work with E2E?

I want to help impact the lives of children by offering an opportunity to a quality education. Furthermore, I hope by promoting education that it will in turn bring economic opportunity, development, and stability to countries in need. 

What do you hope to contribute to E2E?

I look forward to applying my current education in business and accounting. I hope to strengthen E2E’s current financial plans and strategies for organizational growth, securing that E2E will continue on its mission for many years to come.

Please share one unique thing about you.

I have a fish named Waffles.

We also have the pleasure of working with the following Board of Directors:

• Karen Boncher has extensive work experience in corporate finance and sales. She works with the Refugee Resettlement Program in San Jose and has made 5 volunteer trips to Honduras since 2010.
• Moises Lean is the Development Manager at Oracle Corporation, which offers an optimized and fully integrated stack of business hardware and software systems.
• Giulia McPherson is the Deputy Director for Citizen Advocacy at CARE USA, a leading international humanitarian and development organization.
• Kenneth Pon is a Certified Public Accountant, former two-term SLUSD Trustee, and current Rotarian in the Rotary Club of San Leandro.
• Baylee Greenberg is a member of the Business Development team at DoSomething.org, the largest organization for young people and social change.

Women Deliver Selects E2E as one of their Top 25 Organizations

Some more great news has come our way this week. E2E was selected by Women Deliver as one of top 25 organizations around the globe that are changing the lives of women and girls by working on issues of health, gender equality and more. Out of these 25 social enterprises, 10 will be awarded a full scholarship to travel to Malaysia and attend the Women Deliver 2013 Conference, as well as access to pro bono partnerships.

Help E2E reach the top ten by voting for us via the Women Deliver Facebook page.  Simply select our organization along with two others, submit and it’s done.  Just think, E2E could be rubbing elbows with Melinda Gates and other powerful global advocates working toward our same goals. Spread the word and vote, it only takes two seconds!

Rotary Club’s latest trip shows ongoing commitment to E2E

Photo credit: Aisha Knowles

As one of E2E’s largest grants to date, in 2012 the Rotary Club of San Leandro donated towards the extension of the preexisting classroom in Pajarillos, which had housed over 60 students and had not been renovated in over 40 years. Last month, members of the club, along with our founder, traveled back to Honduras for the second time to see the results of their contribution.

Photo credit: Aisha Knowles

Not only did the group commit to providing future material support to assist teachers in creating a more dynamic classroom setting, but it also brought over 150 oral health kits to distribute to families in the community. The following week, Brenda Tejada, E2E’s Secretary of Education partner and Country Director, worked within her department to bring a Honduran dental brigade to Pajarillos and perform cleanings, extractions, and preventative health presentations. Additionally, the week long trip led to further collaboration between the Rotary Club of Tegucigalpa and E2E. This partnership will help launch our skill-building/employment training programs for E2E school sites as part of the new E2E Youth Empowerment Network.

Photo credit: Brenda Tejada

Campaign Update: “Project: Her World”

Educating girls is the most powerful and effective solution to ending global poverty. Educated women have smaller, healthier families, have higher wages, and are more likely to educate their own children. On October 11, 2012, the UN declared the first International Day of the Girl Child, and Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon stressed the moral imperative of investing in girls education as a “matter of basic justice and equality”:

Education for girls is one of the best strategies for protecting girls against child marriage. When they are able to stay in school and avoid being married early, girls can build a foundation for a better life for themselves and their families. And if they have already been married young, access to education, economic opportunities and health services — including HIV prevention and sexual and reproductive health — will help enrich their lives and enhance their future.

Without full investment in girls education, significant inequalities will remain at the risk of social development for entire communities. In rural Honduras, young girls typically leave school to marry much older men for financial security and often have children soon after. To address this reality and to cultivate community leaders among women and men alike, E2E places a special emphasis on girls’ academic support and mentoring. The Girls Leadership Club aims to instill in young girls the idea that they have the capacity to move beyond traditional roles of wives and mothers. The mentor program between female secondary school students and female university students also reinforces girls’ potential to pursue educational and professional goals regardless of their socioeconomic status.

In honor of International Day of the Girl Child, we’ve decided to reach out to girls on a much larger scale. By sharing the visions of girls from around the globe, “Project: Her World” aims to promote their voices in the development process and encourage others to use their unique gifts and talents to make a positive impact on the world. Here, we present some of the responses we’ve received so far, including one from a darling little pre-schooler from Kenya!

This update is just a glimpse of what BIG ideas are out there among girls who may have the smallest platform to speak and act on their beliefs. Let’s keep this campaign going and continuing to inspire and engage others into promoting universal girls education and empowerment. Participate in “Project: Her World” with 4 easy steps:

1. Ask a girl (roughly between the ages of 7-18) to think about what she dreams/hopes/wishes for girls in her country and around the world. Please alert their parent/guardian that this photo will be public on E2E social media BUT only used for the purpose of this campaign.
2. Have her write her answer on white paper (in her native language) with a dark marker or pen in the following format: “My wish for a girl in (country name here) and around the world is…”
3. Take a photo of her (outdoors please). It’s not necessary to have a very high quality photo, but please ensure her answer is legible. If possible, please include a short video clip of her reading the sentence.
4. Email herworld@educate2envision.org with the following: A translation of the response, the photo, and the video if applicable.

2013 Looking Ahead

Hi everyone!

Some time has passed since I personally last updated you on E2E, but I hope that I can get you revved up for 2013 because E2E is transforming to be much more than an organization dropping off school supplies or building classrooms, but rather an innovative approach to student sponsorship in low-income countries.

2012 was absolutely incredible and surreal for E2E. So what do we have in store for 2013?

As many of you are aware, by the time summer had finished we were working in 3 different communities and when I say 3 different communities, I’m not just highlighting the fact that we’ve expanded, but rather that each community is so very distinct from each other. While the overarching problems they face (financially under-resourced, logistically disadvantaged) are similar, there exist very unique characteristics that influence education outcomes. We were able to help Pajarillos gain access to schooling beyond 6^th grade for the first time in the history of the community. Miravalle had only been in its first year of secondary school when we arrived, but their scarce financial resources and location across a flooding river threatened discontinuation of the program. Montana de la Flor, our first experience with an indigenous community, had access several years ago to secondary school but could no longer afford to send students and so the program shut down.

In our early days, we would typically focus our thoughts on the problems that were staring us in the face, those that were most visible.  We saw kids without school supplies, classrooms without proper teaching materials, school buildings that were in dire need of renovation, and out of school children – It’s easy to identify these particular needs because they are problems for which we can easily attach a solution. More school supplies, better teaching supplies, a new classroom, and sponsoring students. Quick fixes or so it seems. There’s no doubt that when these needs are met, positive change results and more children reap the benefits of an education.  Many organizations operate in this way and are very successful in improving the number of out of school children, which is huge. But we believe there is a missing link.

If you think about the education problems facing poor communities, it helps to think about the “tip of the iceberg” idea.  Above the surface, are those things mentioned above. Beneath the surface of the water lies the bulk of the iceberg, hidden from sight, but clearly a major part of the puzzle. These are the mental barriers and behaviors that poverty creates over the course of multiple generations. Over the past two years we’ve seen how these “hidden” factors play a major role in determining the success of a program and more importantly the sustainability behind our ideas. I believe that we would still be successful if we took the first approach, but only in the short-term. My experience working alongside students has shown me that far more often than a lack of material things, it is the reluctance to imagine an alternative future and believe in the ability to achieve your goals that creates the biggest roadblock.

Take this example:

Student + No School Supplies = Can’t finish school

Okay we look at this equation and say well lets substitute “No School Supplies” for “School Supplies”. Simple enough.

But what about this next one:

Student + Low Idea of Self-worth = Can’t finish school

Or

Student + Low Parental Support = Can’t finish school

Well now you can see in this instance we’re dealing with a much more complex situation – but this is what poor communities often struggle with as a result of cyclical poverty and you can imagine there isn’t an easy answer. Meeting the material needs may provide some relief but it can’t address the issues that prevent students from becoming empowered to lead change in their communities. For E2E, this is the real end goal. We think we’re doing a pretty decent job with our work so far, but we won’t make the foolish and arrogant mistake of thinking that out of all those involved in our programs, we’re the ones most capable of creating change. We know that the communities in which we work have the potential to be the masterminds behind their own projects that can improve the future, there just needs to be a catalyst to unleash this, which leads me to what our plans are for 2013 and beyond. How we can create the type of education movement that addresses the part of the iceberg we can’t directly see?

The E2E Network

Our goal for this year is an additional 4 communities that would have our impact numbers at nearly 2,000 adults and children. Thanks to the incredible honor from DoSomething and our supporters, our dream of giving more Honduran youth who live in poverty, the chance to attend high school for the first time has become a reality. Our programs will continue as they have, but a new idea (that I’m so excited to share with you!) has been in development and we believe will serve as the catalyst mentioned above. Instead of continuing to run our programs in isolation from each other, we’re creating an “E2E Network” of our communities. This will connect all of our sponsored students together and spark collaboration between youth from rural areas. The rural poor face extreme disadvantages such as isolation from technology and training in marketable skills as well as the physical isolation of living in secluded areas, just to name a few; this only serves to reinforce the mental barriers described earlier. But what if students from these areas were given a louder voice because they were part of a larger community? By joining the E2E Network, I’m confident that this will provide our students with a platform to brainstorm and share ideas for solutions to problems that their communities face and help connect them to employment opportunities. I’ll share many more details as we get closer to our next trip, but I wanted to give you a small glimpse of what’s in store!

Thank you for all your continued support!

-  Katia