Women for Women: An International Struggle

Zainab Salbi is a remarkable woman who moved from Iraq and married (and later divorced) an Iraqi American, and then, in response to the increasing conflict in her country, founded Women for Women International for the purposes of supporting women who are essentially becoming the [unrecognized and unsupported] backbone of many wartorn communities and countries.  They are raped, widowed, and left to support families alone.  The attention, however, remains on the military.  What about those civilians?  And what does this have to do with you?

Everything.

Whether we like it or not, war affects everyone.  Why should we care about the families of women and children that are left alone to support themselves?  Frankly, there shouldn't be a reason other than common human courtesy.  We should care about each other because we are all in this life together.  However, if you are one to need a more tangible reason, one other thing to consider is, those children don't stay children forever.  What difference can you make in the life of a woman, and in the lives of her children?  And what might that mean in years to come?  Remember, these women are now the only parents in many households.  Kindness is contagious.  Let's start a virus.

Women for Women International provides opportunities for women to be financially independent by granting loans, providing training and jobs, and small business development.  Donations make it all possible.  If you want to be more directly involved than just handing over a check, you can also choose to sponsor an individual woman with whom you actually write back and forth with.  It's only $27 a month (less than internet!) with a one-time $30 enrollment fee to cover administration costs.  To learn more about this fantastic organization, visit their website:

womenforwomen.org

To read the full article in Time Magazine, visit:

http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1736706,00.html

Salbi was also featured in Newsweek Magazine and on 60 Minutes.

Myself, I will be traveling this summer, so it would be foolish to begin sponsoring a woman right now.  However, I plan on beginning contact with a woman when I return from my upcoming vacation.  I won't lie, thinking about their lives makes me feel a little guilty about my seemingly glamorous life of travel...  Anyway, I encourage all of you, men and women, to continue to find ways to help your community, whether it is across the street, across the country, or across the world.

"You must be the change you wish to see in the world."  -Mahatma Gandhi