IWEN Canada & Women of Worth

I am extremely blessed to have found a little slice of my passion right here in Kelowna. Now that I've committed to doing my certificate in International Development through UBC, it seems the Universe conspired to bring me a further opportunity that aligns with my goals, right here in Ktown. I'm going to be a volunteer for, and would like to be a committee member (or even board member if I dream BIG!) of IWEN Canada, with a group of inspirational and empowered women.

Friday we met for tea on a patio (gasp! March 1st! How I love this weather!) and hit it off. Saturday I was fortunate enough to work a booth at the annual WOW Woman of Worth conference at the stunning (and when I say stunning I mean jaw-droppingly beautiful) Sparkling Hill Spa Resort.

What is IWEN?

IWEN is a non-profit, registered charity that began when the founder, Michelle, was trekking through Nepal (is this the way all of my inspirational stories start?! John Wood started Room to Read after the same type of trek.) After seeing the conditions there, her dream was to start an educational society to ensure Nepali women would have options in their lives. Five years later, she started IWEN with like-minded people, sold her beautiful apartment on Lake Okanagan, gave up her job as head of the Kelowna Family Centre and moved to Kathmandu to make this project a reality. Michelle lives and works in Nepal at her own expense. She returns to Canada for a few months every year to help raise money and to attend the IWEN Annual General Meeting.

IWEN has a variety of programs: 

• The Indentured Daughter / Bonded Girls Program
  Helps send girls back to their families (after being sold to another family as "help" for money) and gets them back into school
  Avg. cost is $300 per year to fully support one girl.
• SUNGAVA program
  Helps mentally challenged females and provides them with basic literacy and life skills
  Avg. cost is $145 per year to support one girl.
• Teacher Training
  Though the Nepal Ministry of Education has made positive steps in providing rural schools with trained teacher there are still many village schools who find themselves with teachers that have not received any formal training, which directly affects the students' success.
  Avg cost to support one-year teacher training program involving 30 to 40 teachers: $1,500.00.
• Tharu Mother's Literacy ClassesThe mothers of rescued illegally bonded girls asked IWEN for literacy classes. As their daughters gained confidence their mothers realized the importance of education not only for their daughters but also for themselves.
• Health Education Awareness
• Local Immigrant Women Program
  The valley attracts many immigrants. However immigrant women sometimes face difficulties in adapting to their new home. In networking with various local organizations IWEN discovered that some of the problems that immigrant women face are: isolation due to language barriers, domestic violence, new mothers' difficulty attending languages classes, need of life skill training, and need of specific vocational training skills.

The amazing girls who inspired me.

I LOVE the local and international aspect. And the fact that it is working with girls and women warms my heart and plays on a HUGE passion of mine since returning home from India. They do similar training as we were trying to provide in India. Talk. About. My. DREAM.

This weekend at the Women of Worth conference, which was also just hugely inspiring to be a part of, we raised $1300 in scarf sales. The scarves were both created by the Nepalese woman that we're helping, as well as purchased at the markets there to help the local economy. The V.P. was at another event where they raised a similar amount and received funding for a specific girls' scholarship.

With International Women's Day on Friday - I urge you all to take a look (click here) at IWENCanada.com and let's find a way to join together with women from around the world as we raise each other up!

"Most of us wait to do something BIG in life and often miss all the little opportunities that come our way... and it is only those little choices that can truly make a difference in the lives of another human being..."