One of PAWA's aims is to raise funds annually for selected grass root charities which directly benefit girls education in Asia. Evidence shows that educating girls is the most effective way to fight poverty. Schooling is a precondition for girls and women to stand-up against injustice and for women to be integrated into society and the economy.

"You educate a boy,and you're educating an individual, you educate a girl, and you're educating an entire village" an African proverb, quoted by Greg Mortenson.

"It is impossible to realize our goals while discriminating against half the human race. As study after study has taught us, there is no tool for development more effective than the empowerment of women " Kofi Annan, UN Secretary - General 2006

Every year PAWA members will have the opportunity to firstly submit details of any charities that they feel need support and we then invite all our members to vote for which charities PAWA should support that year. This year the 2 charities selected are :

BANYAN TREE (India) www.thebanyantree.org.uk

The Banyan Tree is a small charity working on behalf of poor and disadvantaged
families in Kerala, Southern India. A high proportion are Dalit (the oppressed)
formerly considered as outcasts; many are illiterate, all have few rights and little
access to government services.This grassroots charity has been founded by

extraordinary volunteers who have worked in India over 20 to 35 years with great

 compassion and devotion.  Through their collective experience and deep

understanding they have organised the charity in a way that is  most effective. 

PAWA has chosen to help young female students with their tertiary education. 

By educating  individuals with specific goals, motivation and  ambition to improve
their lives, we believe this will have a repercussive effective in their community
in the long run as they return to help their own people.

CHOW KIT KIDS (Malaysia) www.chowkids.org

 Chow Kit Kids was started in 2007 by Dr Hartini Zainuddin, an oustanding,
 brave, single woman who is working in the red light district of Kuala
 Lumpur, Malaysia to help the disadvantaged inner city children. Chow Kit

Kids invite them in from the streets, to feed them, educate them and care

 for them. Starting with just 10 children, the drop in centre now has
 nearly 500 registered. Recently they opened a Youth Centre for 13 - 21
 year olds and are now in need of finance to employ a trained counsellor to
 create a support group for teenage girls who they keep losing back to the
 streets.

As PAWA grows, we hope to be able to support more charities that benefit girls education in Asia so please do contact us with any suggestions.