EDUCAPODER: EDUCATION THAT PROMOTES EMPOWE… BLOG
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Pre-Trip Thoughts
by Maddi H. on April 19, 2011
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MEET THE CP
About Me: I'm 17 years old and I've lived in Atlanta, Georgia for my entire life. I go to the Lovett School, as a senior. I've traveled to several countries including Ecuador, Costa Rica, Germany, France, England, British Virgin Isles and Austria. My favorite sports are tennis and soccer (viva Barcelona!). I'm also really interested in music (piano and jazz) and I love to read (a LOT). One of my favorite quotes is "The ships hung in the sky in much the same way that bricks don't." The counterintuitiveness of the quote (by Douglass Adams) makes me laugh out loud everytime I read it.
PROJECT SUMMARY
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.
