“Now you understand
Just why my head’s not bowed.
I don’t shout or jump about
Or have to talk real loud.
When you see me passing,
It ought to make you proud.
I say,
It’s in the click of my heels,
The bend of my hair,
the palm of my hand,
The need for my care.
’Cause I’m a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That’s me.”
Excerpt from Maya Angelou, “Phenomenal Woman” from And Still I Rise. Copyright © 1978
I Have A Right Foundation (IHARF) recognizes the value and potential of EVERY child to create a world that is inclusive, safe and resilient.
Nevertheless, today, October 11th is globally recognized as International Day of the Girl Child and so, we emphasize the beauty, strength and tenacity of our island gems.
Girls become women who play a profound role in crafting the family, society and economy. Healthy, educated and well-adjusted girls can develop into women who live safe, healthy and productive lives. They are then able to contribute to the economic fortitude of the country as well as raise children who are also happy, healthy and well adjusted.
We acknowledge that much work is to be done in protecting our phenomenal girls as they continue to be overrepresented in cases of abuse and are also subjected to the negative effects of poor choices and unhealthy lifestyles, such as teenage pregnancy which often results in school drop-out and barriers to other educational opportunities.
I Have a Right Foundation Inc. is committed to providing children, youth and girls with the platforms to use their voices to advocate for their needs and become leaders of change. Through research, we have learnt that girls have a desire to know more about their rights, develop leadership skills and own their voices. They desire to feel protected and safe, to be included and impactful.
Our Girlhood Program is an ongoing project aimed at engaging girls on various levels of self-development and social interaction. It was launched in 2020 with the introduction of our Girlhood Lounge which provides our girls with a safe space where they could learn, interact, have fun and which also includes our Girls for Success Library. We continue to empower the girls through various programs and activities such as our recent summer empowerment workshop and an internship program where a few of the participants were given an ultimate experience into the world of work.
In recognition of International Day of the Girl Child, our Girlhood girls are eagerly awaiting our weekend excursion where they will write letters to their future selves, outlining their hopes and dreams for the next 5 years and seal these letters until that time has elapsed. They will also explore their understanding of what it means to be a girl and how they can empower themselves and other girls to see value in who they are, be active in crafting out their future and build the character and focus which will propel them to success.
This will, of course, be followed by a Pizza Party and a movie!
Our upcoming girls’ programs are even more exciting as we are in the process of planning a dynamic National Girls’ Rights and Leadership Campaign with a focus on child rights, child protection and girls’ empowerment. This campaign will be closely followed by the commencement of our Girlhood Curriculum which we are currently developing through research and evaluation. In collaboration with our regional partner organization, Caribbean Girls Collective, we are also poised and ready to begin the execution of our Disrupt-Her Curriculum, challenging girls in the Northeast Region to positively disrupt by developing creative problem resolution strategies to issues which affect them in their communities.
Hence, it is a never-ending cycle of planning, executing, monitoring and evaluating and applying what we have learnt to create programs which are enriching and impactful for our girls! IHARF team of volunteers, however, are always ready for the challenge.
We encourage everyone to be active participants in protecting our girls, empowering them to be agents of change and supporting them as they own their voices and make an impact in this everchanging world!
To all our Dominican girls: You are brilliant! You are beautiful! You are powerful! You are capable! Be proud of you! Phenomenal woman – that’s you!
To find out how you can be a part of inspiring change in children, girls and youth, call 767 617 4954 or email us at [email protected]
Our Girls for Success Library has an Amazon Wishlist registry! Please take a look and donate what and when you can! https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/XSDZTX8H3U2Q
Judgmental is my adjective to describe you for your unprovoked, scathing attack on someone who has a genuine perspective. I only want the best for all children don’t want our boys to be marginalized, trivialized, nor neglected.
Anyway, I would fight tooth and nail for your right to criticise me. I am not hurt by criticisms, I look for the good in them.
The feminist organisations tend to focus exclusively on the protection and wellbeing of girls and women. But I submit that all our children, in today’s world of decadence, are vulnerable to the vicious attacks and exploitation of the evils around us. Therefore, both girls and boys need our full protection.
Girls are mostly vulnerable to pedophiles and sex traffickers. Boys are also sexually exploited and victims of criminal gangs recruitment.
So when we think about this special day, International Day of the Girl Child, let’s remember that the Boy Child too needs our attention and concern.
Interestingly, can you confirm that this foundation does not have programs focused on the development and protection of BOTH boys and girls. Considering the recognition of International Day of the Girl Child, this may be the reason why a focus was placed on their girlhood programs. However, your points are also valid and hopefully you will call them up or send an email to show some interest in being an active partner in actually working to safeguard ALL children rather than simply sharing commentary. After all, the call for partnership highlighted “children*, girls and youth*. The world needs more doers than sideline commenters so kudos to this organization for doing their little part!