Starting to pack!

Atlanta, GA

About Me: I am from Atlanta, GA and have lived here my entire life. I attend the Atlanta Girls' School and I have been going there since 6th grade. As I have been wondering what my interests are in life, I have discovered that I love the world of photography. Photography can open up a new way of looking at life and can teach people through imagery. I am currently doing an internship with CARE, in which I travel with a group of students from Atlanta to Ecuador. Here we will be able to learn about and help communities in Ecuador. The ability to help, strengthen, and grow a community is a great opportunity for me to learn and grow as well. I plan to take many photos of the people and places I will see in Ecuador, so that I will be able to teach my friends and family about the troubles in Ecuador. And maybe in the future, I will be able to teach a community or the world about global issue through photography.

EDUCAPODER is an intensive education, training and community empowerment program that works to help marginalized youth in Ecuador develop the critical leadership skills to improve their lives. Educapoder targets marginalized indigenous adolescent girls, the most vulnerable members of the community, by enabling them to complete general education while strengthening their cultural identity, self-esteem and inclusion in decision-making forums in an active way. In effort to affect comprehensive and sustainable change, Educapoder also works with families, teachers and the local government to further prevent gender-based violence and child abuse. Funds raised will be used to support Educapoder trainings and peer tutoring for adolescents. During the training, adolescents will learn how to develop dialogue about their rights, participate in decision-making in the community, and advocate for issues affecting their daily lives such as violence against women, child labor and reproductive health. By completing the 6-month Educapoder program, they will be better equipped to deal with child labor, sexual exploitation, teenage pregnancy and gender-based violence and fight for the improvement of living conditions in their own communities.

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