It’s been a busy few months at PAWA. We held two successful PAWA Walks as part of our fundraising events, approved the projects we are going to support in 2024, and continued the push to diversify our base so that our message reaches further.
While the impact of PAWA’s support for teenage girls can be assessed from the reports coming in and the stories that project leaders relate to us, once in a while it all crystallises in the words of a girl whose life has indeed been changed:
Before I set out, I want to look back on how I have reached here and am immensely grateful to PAWA for playing an instrumental role in shaping my life. You made my +2 studies so much easier to face. Words fail to convey my gratitude
This is Sarita’s message as she heads off to medical college. She was sponsored at St Xavier’s School through PAWA’s grant in 2020 and 2021 to JMB Educational Fund in Nepal to study science in Years 11 and 12. It was a very difficult time for students due to prolonged lockdowns, and PAWA funds allowed Sarita the mobile device she needed to continue her schooling remotely.
That device made all the difference.
It doesn’t take much. So please, help us give many more girls the opportunities they deserve. Every teenage girl we educate transforms not just her own life but the fortunes of her family and her community. And each one of us can be instrumental in bringing about that change.
This October we want to celebrate the International Day of the Girl by launching a fundraising effort with all our PAWA supporters. If there is an event that you or your organisation can hold to help a few more teenage girls in Asia realise their dreams, please let us know. Together we can achieve something meaningful.
Thank you and have a wonderful summer.
Kamalakshi Mehta
Chair of Communications
Ponheary Ly Foundation, Cambodia
PAWA sponsors a dormitory in Siem Reap where girls can live safely to pursue their studies. Here is the remarkable story of Sokrin:
“We brought Sokrin to the Dormitory when she was in grade 10. She is one of the very few urban students we’ve ever brought in and we did so because she was so keen to go to University and we had no idea how that could happen given the destitution of her family. She had to work a good part of the day as what is referred to as a ‘trashpicker’. That is someone who digs through peoples’ rubbish to find anything recyclable. She carried this cart up and down the road doing this job every day to support her schooling and missed a considerable amount of school on account of it. Nonetheless, she was in the top 10 of her class”
Lori Carlson, President PLFUSA
Learning for Life, Bangladesh
“Girls aboard PAWA’s “Floating School” in rural Bangladesh have been taking part in an accredited programme which empowers them about their rights and gives them the tools and skills to advocate for their own futures. As part of this programme they have also been given electronic tablets and are learning how to use the internet safely.”
Rebecca Paling, Programme Director
Save the date
Glam up for Girls, Oct 11-18
International Day of the Girl (IDG), celebrated on October 11, was established by the UN in 2012 to raise awareness of the many challenges faced by girls including gender inequality, child marriage and lack of access to education.
PAWA’s mission lies at the core of what IDG sets out to recognise. And this year, we want to honour the girls facing these challenges by coming together to celebrate and raise funds for a better future for them. From October 11th to the 18th, we invite you to get creative and Glam up for Girls! Host a tea party, complete a personal challenge, hold a concert, do a collaborative cooking class… you are only bound by your imagination! Please mark your calendars and keep an eye out for further details.
A Taste of Indonesia
At the invitation of Ambassador Dr Desra Percaya, PAWA supporters and their guests enjoyed a wonderful evening on April 26th learning about the food culture of Indonesia. Petty Pandean-Elliott, award winning Indonesian chef, writer and entrepreneur, was in conversation with the Financial Times’ John Aglionby. Her new book, The Indonesian Table, features a wide range of regional recipes, some of which were served at the reception! The talk was followed by an impressive jazz performance by Ambassador Percaya and his music team.
PAWA Guided Walks
The Foodies’ Walk on May 21 and the Hampstead Village and Heath Walk on June 15th were a great success and raised funds for our projects. The first one explored the culinary heritage of London and ended with a delicious dim sum lunch in Chinatown. And the second, guided by the inimitable David from London Walks, was a discovery of beautiful Hampstead and its legendary inhabitants.
Private viewing of the Chinese wallpaper at Coutts & Co
On June 7th, PAWA benefactors had the opportunity of viewing the exquisite Chinese wallpaper in the boardroom and were treated to an informative and entertaining talk on its history by Coutts archivist Tracey Earl. A scrumptious tea followed in the Director’s suite.
PAWA Partners
“Women’s Health: Mind, Body & Myth” was the title of the FIWAL (Federation of International Women’s Associations in London), Conference, organised by PAWA Trustee and current FIWAL president Zehan Albakri. The conference brought together experts and specialists, with Anshu Bahanda, a Founding Charter member of PAWA, acting as MC. Read about it in her newsletter, Wellness Curated.
