Good byes never get easy...

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People have asked me over and over again "Why are you doing this documentary Loretta?" After all, you already have a non profit that does this work and you're about to start your masters degree, you're coaching clients and have a little startup. Is it really worth it?! How is this documentary really going to impact in the world?

After being here in India I can tell you exactly why we are doing this and why it's so important.

If you haven't seen it yet (in the past couple posts from this trip) we are uncovering some beautiful gems who are going to be the fortune we need for a brighter future. They are girls and young women who are strong and making a change in the world. They are young women who are ready to make change. They are girls who are ready to shine and ready to dust off the debrie of systemic pressures and old belief systems that result in child marriage, sexual violations, misconceptions and views that females are a curse not a blessing. They are ready to fight for their freedom. They are ready to share their voice with the world.

If you've been watching the news you might have seen that we've been in India at a time where girls and women's rights are being rallied for after a young woman was raped on a moving bus and thrown out the doors in New Delhi. There have been rallies across India to press the govenment for change. Unfortunately that 23 yr old girl died today. This has to stop.

In the last 12 days here in Bangalore, we've worked with 20 girls, ages 11-18. Girls who's safety challenges are no different than that young woman on that bus. In their slum alone women are trafficked and assaulted daily. At least one woman a month dies or is killed. Almost all go unreported because they are female. The girl child is the most vulnerable.

We've feel privileged to have provided these girls with leadership training skills and asked them questions that have challenged some norms. We've talked about safety, body development, communication, and carrying themselves with confidence. We've learnt about their dreams and their values. We've danced with them, we've made art with them, we've sang with them, eaten with them, laughed with them, and today shared some sad good byes.

We've been invited in homes. We've interviews girls, boys, women and men about their lives, their views, and their opinions about equality. We've heard some extremely sad stories and some very powerful ones. We've cried while filming. We've tried really hard not to laugh while filming (apparently I'm not a great sound technician cause I can't keep quiet).

We, as a team, have had some really interesting and intense conversations. We've been able to provide 25 girls with a Pads4Girls kit (so they dont need to stay home a week a month), over 12 hours of Passion Project leadership development training, and we've collected some inspiring stories that we believe will have a larger impact on those who will watch our film. We've also taken our mascot Passion (the sock monkey) on her first global trip, and used her to engage girls with laughter and create a diverse sense of community. (see pictures on our Facebook page )

I can't even put into words the impact this will have and has had not only on us but also on the girls.

Thank you to all our amazing supporters, without you, this would not be possible.

The journey has just started and we need your continued support and energy. PLEASE help us make our Global Giving campaign a success. If we reach our goal we get to expand our outreach and become a vested program with Global Giving in the USA.

Only 24 hours left to help make it happen! CLICK HERE

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