Page 24 - The Connection Bernards-Ridge Edition

PAGE 24
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Tie The Knot
Professional Event Services For All Occasions
Girls that receive an education in an
impoverished country create a ripple
effect. The opportunity to attend and
finish school decreases child mar-
riages and pregnancies, dwindles the
spread of diseases, boosts wages and
encourages reinvestment of income
into the family and furthering of edu-
cation. No big deal, right? Actually,
in the Ugandan city of Kampala it is.
Education is a luxury. In fact, the
majority of girls in Kampala resort to
prostitution so they can eat and have
a place to sleep at night. The organi-
zation Set Her Free has determined to
help girls foster a sustainable life that
does not include using their body as a
means of income.
The end of January marked SHF’s
two year anniversary. Founded by
Robinah Sarah who is originally from
the village Rakai, Set Her Free has
seen 120 girls graduate from school.
One hundred and twenty girls in two
years… this is no small feat. With a
team of three and limited funding,
the organization has managed to
expand, housing thirty girls between
two homes. These houses moonlight
as boarding for the girls and serve as
vocational schools to 60 girls for hair-
dressing and tailoring.
More than funding an education, Set
Her Free provides food and housing
for 50% of the girls enrolled in
school, apprenticeships, counseling
and mentorship, medical care, life
skills and leadership training, behav-
ioral adjustment sessions, and athletic
recreation.
This year alone, SHF has experienced
so much advancement including a
nursery that cares for three babies, a
salon that employs several graduates
and the organization’s first grant
award. Future events on the horizon
to spread awareness include a docu-
mentary, a talk show appearance in
Philadelphia and a service trip with a
group of girls travelling from various
parts of the US.
Set Her Free has also teamed with
The Lulu Ruby Salon in Seattle. The
stylists are doubling as humanitarians
as they open their doors on Sundays
ranging from one to two times a
month. Dubbed “Kuts for Kampala,”
the cause will donate all proceeds
directly to SHF. Furthermore, presi-
dent Robin Nestler and vice president
Kiran Dhaliwal recently worked with
several groups of people to sponsor
30 girls for the fall!
For anyone interested in supporting
the organization, the girls hand craft
beaded jewelry from recycled paper as
a source of funding. Girls like Hami-
dah (who is seventeen and an aspir-
ing journalist) work diligently and
tenaciously to reach long term goals.
They have the potential to change the
trajectory of an entire nation, break-
ing the cycle of exploitation and
poverty.
“Our beaded jewelry is handcrafted
by the young women of Set Her Free.
By purchasing and wearing these
beads, you are helping to educate and
rehabilitate our girls,” said President
Robin Nestler.
One of the prose in Shakespeare’s A
Midsummer Night’s Dream reads
“though she be but little, she is
fierce!” Please consider aiding Set
Her Free in supporting these young
ladies who have the ability to disen-
franchise the wheel of hopelessness.
Education is the vehicle to drive this
force. With the right resources, girls
like Hamidah have the power to set
an entire country free of want and
need.
You can check out the SHF’s website
at www.setherfree.org or reach out
directly to Robin at 973-214-5511.
By: Tatiana Javier.
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