Girls' Literacy and Health

Half the Sky

2009-10-23T08:58:00.001-07:00

"Women hold up half the sky" --A Chinese Proverb

I am reading a beautiful book right now entitled "Half the Sky," which discusses at length the situation of women and girls in the world, and how women and girls can become agents for change. It is a devastating read, but it is real, and discusses straightforwardly the things that we often turn a blind eye to, saying "how sad," and then moving on. Even more importantly, it discusses in great detail the solutions (the most encouraged one of which is literacy!) to these issues, and how we can make a difference. I love this part of it, because I feel like so many books leave us feeling depressed and discouraged, feeling totally disconnected from the plight of our sisters in developing nations. Not so here. I encourage anyone interested in the situation of women and girls to read this book-- empower yourself to make a difference.

Here are a few responses from well-respected humanitarians and activists:

An unblinking look at one of the seminal moral challenges of our time. This stirring book is at once a savage indictment of gender inequality in the developing world and an inspiring testament to these women’s courage, resilience, and their struggle for hope and recovery. An unexpectedly uplifting read.

— Khaled Hosseini, author, The Kite Runner

I read Half the Sky in one sitting, staying up until 3 a.m. to do so. It is brilliant and inspirational, and I want to shout about it from the rooftops and mountains. It vividly illustrates how women have turned despair into prosperity and bravely nurtured hope to cultivate a bright future. The book ends with an especially compelling ‘What you can do’ to exhort us all to action.

— Greg Mortenson, author of Three Cups of Tea and humanitarian

It’s impossible to exaggerate the importance of this book about one of the most serious problems of our time: the worldwide abuse and exploitation of women. In addition to describing the injustices, Kristof and WuDunn show how concerned individuals everywhere are working effectively to empower women and help them overcome adversity. Wonderfully written and vividly descriptive, Half the Sky can and should galvanize support for reform on all levels. Inspiring as it is shocking, this book demands to be read.

— Anne Rice

To learn more about the book, visit it's website: http://www.halftheskymovement.org/.

Rendering Women Visible

2009-10-23T08:40:00.000-07:00

I recently wrote a paper about the "invisibility" of women in Public Health. I discussed how if women were made more visible in this field, we would see drastic improvements in the human condition. The following are some of the conclusions from that paper:

These appalling practices certainly highlight the list of health disparities, and emphasize the incredible need for something drastic to be done. Not only should women be treated as equals in global health simply because it is their right as human beings, but humanity has much to gain from their amelioration to full visibility. Research has demonstrated that “focusing on women is often the best way to reduce birth rates and child mortality; improve health, nutrition, and education; stem the spread of HIV/AIDS; build robust and self-sustaining community organizations; and encourage grassroots democracy” (Coleman, 2004, emphasis added). The face of public health would be utterly transformed with the full reform of female status to equal sharers of health opportunities and global visibility. Dr. J.E. Kwegyir Aggrey once stated that “The surest way to keep a people down is to educate the men and neglect the women. If you educate a man you simply educate an individual, but if you educate a woman you educate a family" (The World Bank, 2009). Certainly this statement holds true for the matter of female health, as well. When a woman is healthy, she will create a healthy family. Even women who are unhealthy frequently invest more time and effort towards their families’ health than anyone else.

Women are also often the most dedicated health advocates, as demonstrated in the film Water for Tounaumasse (Filmaker’s Library, 1987). First it took a female expert visiting the community, and then a group of women on the village council, to really get the power and ingenuity needed to establish a clean water source in the village. Women often have the most invested in their children and communities, and are the most willing to invest even more in the health of their loved ones. Frequently, women work longer hours than men and contribute more to the family income, even though they often make much less. Research has shown that when women and girls earn income, they “reinvest 90 percent of it into their families, as compared to only 30 to 40 percent for a man” (Borges, 2007). Regarding work outputs, researchers in Kenya have concluded that if men’s average input levels were transferred to female maize farmers, yields would increase by 9 percent (Moock, 1976). Additionally, total household output could be increased by 10 percent to 20 percent if even “some of the inputs from the male-controlled plots went to the plots controlled by women” (Mehra & Rojas, 2008). If given these improvements, women would undoubtedly provide healthier and more frequent meals for their children, decreasing the staggering numbers of undernourished children in the world today. But in order for women to successfully accomplish this, they need to be healthy themselves.

Finally, if the unfathomable rate of maternal deaths in the developing world could be curbed, it is amazing to imagine the effect of the mothers who would live. Rather than opening new orphanages, we could be shutting them down. Mothers would no longer die unnecessarily in child birth. Reducing the current maternal mortality rate is in fact manageable, for the vast majority of maternal deaths could be prevented if women had “access to quality family planning services, skilled care during pregnancy, childbirth and the first month after delivery” (WHO, 2009). These fairly simple health projects would not only extend the lives of the world’s mothers, but deeply impact the lives of their children and communities.

As Secretary of State and former First Lady Hilary Clinton stated so eloquently, “What we are learning around the world is that if women are healthy and educated, their families will flourish. If women are free from violence, their families will flourish. If women have a chance to work and earn as full and equal partners in society, their families will flourish. And when families flourish, communities and nations do as well” (Clinton, 1995). Truly, increasing, female health is the missing link to improving universal public health. Women around the world have forever been the nurturers of society, and have demonstrated that they are capable of initiating incredible change in the lives around them. It is time to truly address the “vulnerable” group of women by making them full partners in health and entirely visible as human beings. By empowering women to successfully achieve healthy lives, the whole world will be empowered. For as we’ve seen, to make a woman healthy is to make her family healthy-- and if we follow where that leads us, we’ll find the world a healthier place.

The Girl Effect

2009-06-27T13:54:00.000-07:00

Just found this fabulous site with a video that really nails it on the head-- girls are amazing! Check out the "Girl Effect" here.

Female Literacy in Cambodia: A Neglected Potential

2009-04-13T14:43:00.000-07:00

Here is an excerpt from a group paper I'm working on in my Education, Poverty, and Community Development class. My peers and I are evaluating Cambodia's current education situation and making recommendations about how to improve their education plan. This is the part I wrote concerning female education, the issues, and our recommendations on how to best address them....

The Situation of Female Literacy
Female literacy rates in Cambodia have always struggled, and the unfortunate truth is that they’re not much improved. The female literacy rate is held to be around 76% country-wide, while male literacy sits at almost 85% (UN Statistical Database, 2004). Even with these rates, Oxfam GB claimed in 2003 that only 22% of Cambodia women could read a newspaper or write a simple letter (The Situation of Women in Cambodia, p. 45). In addition to this sad conclusion, literacy rates in rural areas are even lower, with a gap between the male and female literacy levels that is considerable: 20.6 percentage points (National Institute of Statistics, 2004). Another institution records rates in rural areas as female literacy: 56.3% and male literacy: 71.3% (The NGO Committee on CEDAW and the Cambodian Committee of Women, 2005). It’s also been estimated that 50% of rural women are illiterate and have not completed primary school education (The Situation of Women in Cambodia, 2004, p. 37). Dropout rates are significant; the Cambodian Independent Teachers Association estimated that “only 60% of students completed primary schooling in 2003 and most of those were male pupils” (The Situation of Women in Cambodia, p. 45). In older populations disparities are even starker: “Among those 65 years and older, only 15.7 percent of females are literate compared to 71.4 percent among males” (National Institute of Statistics, 2004).
There are a number of reasons for these low literacy and high drop out rates. Three specific reasons for the low levels of primary education for girls in Cambodia are put forward in The Situation of Women in Cambodia:
The first factor is rooted in traditional stereotyping of women. In rural areas women are expected to undertake domestic work around the home and hence the efficacy of educating girls is neither understood nor perhaps accepted. In some instances education is even viewed as a hindrance to women as some men may not wish to marry an educated woman. Therefore in poor households priority is given to educating sons rather than daughters, who can be kept home to assist in domestic chores. The second factor is the availability of schooling. Underpaid and under-resourced teachers ask for informal enrolment fees from students to maintain the upkeep of the school and staff. In addition to these fees are sundry expenses such as pens and textbooks. Therefore in practice education can place a large financial burden on poor families that in some instances cannot be met. According to UNICEF, while initial enrolment rates for first time students are reasonably equitable, the aforementioned factors ensure a significantly higher drop out rate for female students in primary education (p. 46, 2004).

Justifying Female Literacy in Cambodia: Potential Effects on Poverty Reduction
There are a number of reasons to address the root causes of and ultimately the entire issue of low female literacy. Increased female literacy has been shown to positively affect a variety of factors that frequently keep developing countries in poverty. Female literacy is highly correlated with lower rates of maternal mortality: “Women with formal education tend to have better knowledge about health care practices, are less likely to become pregnant at a very young age, tend to have fewer, better-spaced pregnancies, and seek pre- and post-natal care” (The World Bank website, 2008). The lifetime risk of maternal mortality in Cambodia is 1 in 36-- certainly a notable statistic that needs addressing (Save the Children, 2006).
Additionally, female literacy can have a positive effect on gender disparities. It has been noted that a lack of education greatly inhibits women’s understanding of their rights to equality and protection under the law. This can make them “vulnerable to repeated cycles of domestic violence and abuse. It can also make it very hard for rural women to break out of the poverty cycle by finding off-farm employment in non-exploitative trades” (The Situation of Women in Cambodia, p. 38). The traditional acceptance of violence and discrimination towards women is perpetuated by the lack of both female and male education. Research shows that poor and uneducated women represent the majority of domestic violence victims (The Situation of Women in Cambodia, p. 14). Research has also demonstrated a relationship between increased domestic violence and growing poverty (p. 14). Therefore, reducing violence against women could become a significant contributor to poverty reduction.
It is also well established that “mothers' education has positive effects on child nutrition in developing countries” (Moestue, H. & Huttly, S., 2008). On average, each one-year increment in mother’s education corresponds with a 7-9% decline in under-5 mortality (?). This kind of effect is needed desperately in Cambodia where under-5 mortality is on the increase: the rates jumped from “115 per 1,000 in 1990 to 143 per 1,000 in 2005 (New York Times, 2007). Save the Children recorded infant mortality rates at 90 deaths per 1,000 children in 2006, an equally alarming statistic. Given the above noted statistic of maternal education with decline in child mortality, if Cambodia increased women’s education by even just a few years, it would nearly eliminate all child mortality.
Although Cambodia does acknowledge the need to address its neglected and deficient female literacy rates, not enough is being done to remedy the issue. In its’ “Fast-Track Initiative” much is said about the value of female literacy, while practically nothing is outlined to actually address the issue-- particularly the plight of rural women. Because “NSDP is a live document, capable of being adjusted and updated annually,” we recommend that Cambodia adopt the following specific plans to redress its negligent rural female literacy rates (Cambodia Plan, p. 1 Exec Summary). In the following sub-section we detail a specific plan to address the needs of rural women and their daughters.

Female Literacy: A Family Approach
The rural female population needs a plan that will address the root causes of struggling literacy rates: female stereotyping and lack of opportunity/expense of schooling. Our solution to address the expense of schooling is to provide government-funded scholarships to girls in rural areas. One of the major reasons girls in these areas don’t attend school is because of the fees associated with attending, which parents choose to only pay for their sons (if they can even do that). By providing scholarships for daughters, parents will be more inclined to allow their daughters the opportunity of attending school. Over time, this might also help minimize the stereotyping of girls as less valuable and as the lesser candidates for schooling.
Our second solution helps address the lack of opportunity and general stereotyping of girl students. One of the difficulties of attending school for these rural girls is the lack of familial support. We propose providing night classes for rural mothers and other female adults where they can receive literacy training through local methods. This might include the learning of khmer through agricultural study, or learning how to read by studying principles of small-business finance. This well help to not only empower these motehrs and women in their financial situation, but provide them much-needed literacy and the capacity to support their daughters in their studies. Given that these women are busy running households and caring for children, we recommend that these night classes be offered 2-3x a week, so that their evenings aren’t monopolized, but they still have adequate repetition to learn.
After these night classes are implemented and the adult women are beginning to learn principles of literacy, we recommend the facilitation of mother-daughter study groups. These could take place in the afternoon or early evenings, after the girls finish their half-day of alternative vocational primary school, and between or after afternoon work. These study sessions could be facilitated in local village centers, or small programs and lesson plans could be sent home with the mother/daughter students, where they could work on assignments together in their spare time. By developing these mother-daughter study groups, rural women and their daughters would be empowered for the first time, not only in literacy, but with the empowerment of a support group of other local women and girls. These study groups would encourage camaraderie and support in the difficult task of learning literacy, particularly in the face of potential sexism. The mothers and women will be better able to learn literacy in their busy, older age, and the young daughters will feel supported and encouraged by their student mothers and grandmothers.
We feel that although the concept of mother-daughter study groups is new, it will be effective in facilitating growth and support for women in rural Cambodia. This program effectively addresses the issues currently hindering the improvement of female literacy, and will ultimately correct backwards stereotyping and encourage female empowerment, to the benefit of all. As has been demonstrated in previous sections, the empowerment of women (particularly through venues of literacy) is very effective in facilitating poverty reduction and sustainable growth. As Dr. J.E. Kwegyir Aggrey said so profoundly, “If you educate a man you simply educate an individual, but if you educate woman you educate a family.” We feel confident that this will hold true for Cambodia, and as the government extends its resources to support our recommended programs, the Cambodian people will see the miraculous result of educating their nation’s mothers and future mothers.

MNCH Conference

2009-03-16T09:44:00.000-07:00

I have recently been invited to be a poster presenter at BYU's Global Maternal and Child Health Conference! I thought I would upload a picture of my poster, for your viewing pleasure:

World Bank Web Page

2009-03-16T09:32:00.000-07:00

I just discovered a fantastic World Bank web page that details the importance of female literacy! Here are some of my favorite quotes and information from the page--

"March 5, 2009—In a speech to his fellow Ghanaians in the early 1900s, the visionary educator, Dr. J.E. Kwegyir Aggrey, declared, 'The surest way to keep a people down is to educate the men and neglect the women. If you educate a man you simply educate an individual, but if you educate a woman you educate a family.'"

Joy Phumaphi, World Bank vice president for human development and Danny Leipziger, World Bank vice president for poverty reduction, in the foreword of the report Girls' Education in the 21st Century: Gender Equality, Empowerment, and Economic Growth stated:
“Women’s economic empowerment is essential for economic development, growth, and poverty reduction—not only because of the income it generates, but also because it helps to break the vicious cycle of poverty."

"Children of mothers with 5 years of primary education are 40% more likely to life beyond age 5."

"Especially hostage to under-achieving within the secondary system are girls in Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia, who live in small rural villages that are caught up in conflict, come from minority clans, or struggle with a disability."

"When the proportion of women with secondary schooling doubles, the fertility rate is reduced from 5.3 to 3.9 children per woman. Providing girls with an extra year of schooling increases their wages by 10 to 20 percent. There is evidence of more productive farming methods attributable to increased female schooling, and a 43 percent decline in malnutrition.

Educating women has a greater impact on children’s schooling than educating men. Young rural Ugandans with secondary schooling are three times less likely to be HIV positive. In India, women with formal schooling are more likely to resist violence. In Bangladesh educated women are three times more likely to participate in political meetings."

To read the whole article that these quotes came from, click here.

To visit The World Bank's web page on educating girls click here.

The Health Situation in Sudan

2008-12-03T16:08:00.000-08:00

I've evaluated a number of countries and their health/literacy situation. I found Sudan's report particularly jarring, and thought I ought to post it on here. For those of you that aren't aware, Sudan is in the midst of internal conflict-genocide in the area of Darfur. Of all the countries I can think of, Sudan is in the most desperate need of everyone's help.

Sudan

Female Literacy and Health Status

Where South Africa rates a bit higher than the average Sub-Saharan country, Sudan rates significantly lower. Terrorized by internal conflict, Sudan’s rates are, however, not incredibly unusual. Several other countries currently suffer similar tragedies. And of course, Sudan’s schools are not safe from the terror of this in-fighting: “A UNICEF survey in Tawila documents a large number of rape cases, in one case targeting 41 school girls and teachers, and the gang rape of minors by up to 14 men” (Geneva Centre for Democratic Control of Armed Forces, 2007). This kind of disgusting intrusion is, unfortunately, not uncommon. As a result of this and other difficult factors, school enrolment rates don’t run high. Primary enrolment, as a percentage of the total number of children of primary school age is 60, and male/female: 64/56, while secondary enrolment drops to 34/32 (UNFPA, 2006).

Resulting from this the terrible conflict, its horrifying conditions, and a universal lack of significant education, maternal health is suffering immensely. For every 1,000 live births in Sudan, 590 die (UNFPA, 2006). That’s 59% of Sudan’s mothers. Not only is this a tragedy for these young mothers, but undoubtedly their infant children and families are suffering as well. These tragic and unnecessary deaths occur as a result of lack of materials, trained midwives and doctors, necessary instruments and equipment, first aid items, outreach services, among many other lacking necessities (UN, 1999).

Unsurprisingly, HIV is completely rampant in war-torn Sudan. Ravaged by the “systematic rape of black women,” victims have been informed, “I want to dilute your blood” (Grice, 2007). Not only are locals being slaughtered, but a “second wave of genocide” is occurring as women are raped, develop HIV-AIDS, and then cannot “get the drugs to treat the disease.” (Grice). And even those who might be able to obtain treatment often choose not to, as “women and girls in Darfur are so reluctant to report rape that unless serious injuries are sustained they would rather not seek medical help” (UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, 2008). Naturally, many women never learn of their HIV-infection until it is too late. And infection is becoming worse and worse, especially since Sudan is a country where female genital mutilation, or circumcision, still occurs regularly. This mutilation increases the probability of infection, because of either unsterilized tools during circumcision, or from “being exposed to tearing or injury during sexual intercourse, which leads to bleeding and increases the capacity of transmitting the virus” (United Nations Development Programme, 2005). As a result, 56% of total AIDS cases are women, and 2.6% of the total population is infected with AIDS (CIA, 2003). Of course, this statistic was given nearly 6 years ago, and has undoubtedly risen significantly as systematic rape has sky-rocketed. And certainly these women and children are not benefiting from their lack of education, which could perhaps have saved them from waiting for treatment until it is too late.

Children’s Health Status

Children are fairing slightly better than their mothers, but not by much. There are about 91 deaths per 1,000 live births in Sudan (CIA, 2007). The under-5 mortality rate is worse, with 113 deaths per 1,000 births for both male and female infants (UNFPA, 2006). Only 1% of these infants are breastfed exclusively at 6 months (LAH, 2003). This unnecessary misfortune likely results from either lack of education for these new mothers, or the fact that, as we learned above, many of the mothers are dead.

UNICEF Benefit Concert

2008-12-03T15:06:00.001-08:00

Hey everyone! Just wanted to give a shout-out and let everyone know that this Saturday, December 6, there will be a benefit concert for UNICEF in the Wilkinson Center at BYU. Tickets cost $6.00, and ALL the proceeds will go to UNICEF! So even if you can't make because you've already planned a hot date, buy a ticket and support one of the most valuable non-profit children's organizations in the world. Tickets are for sale in the Wilk.

See ya there!

Literature Review

2008-12-03T14:56:00.000-08:00

I've recently done a review of all literature pertaining to the effects of female literacy on women and children's health. Here I'm going to post a portion of my review!

Literature Review

First, it is important to understand the documented effect of female literacy on public health in general. As I initially considered this project, I was thrilled to discover that there have already been a number of studies documenting of the effects of female literacy on health. These studies were performed in various locations around the world, however I have narrowed my review to several studies relating to Africa specifically. I've highlighted some of the exciting data and conclusions, to make for easy reading:

Literature Review

Barrett and Browne (1996) discuss the methods in which women’s education affects domestic hygiene practices and the use of health care services in a traditional agricultural village of Gambia. This discussion stems from the their survey of village mothers with and without formal education, with at least one child under the age of 5. Their study was given during the village’s rainy season, which is known for causing high morbidity rates. The results demonstrate, most importantly, that the village women with higher education were better able to understand health education messages (Barrett & Browne, 1996).

I was very impressed with the conclusions of Paul Glewwe, a senior economist for The World Bank (1999). After working, studying, and researching in Morocco, he summarized the relevance of female education effects on health in Morocco in three basic benefits. These three effects include: “(1) Formal education directly teaches health knowledge to mothers; (2) Literacy and numeracy skills acquired in school assist future mothers in diagnosing and treating child health problems; and (3) Exposure to modern society from formal schooling makes women more receptive to modern medical treatments” (p. 1). These conclusions aid in demonstrating how female literacy can specifically affect the health of both the educated mother and her children.

Spratt (1992) also discusses the positive impact of female literacy in Morocco, and discusses the great need for more literacy programs and educational institutions. Documented benefits of female literacy include fewer children per mother, fewer children lost to disease, and a greater use of modern health care practices (Spratt).

Another study, by McAllister and Baskett (2006), concludes with even more significant findings. Researchers were distressed by the fact that “approximately 600,000 women between the ages of 15 and 49 die each year” because of complications during pregnancy and childbirth—a figure that may be underestimated by as much as 25% (p. 984). They noted that countries who treated women as equals to men tended to have lower maternal mortality rates, while countries who allow women to be treated as second class citizens had very high maternal mortality rates. Education played a large role in the development of equity, and therefore they decided to further research the association between women’s education and health. Specifically, they performed polynomial regression analysis for 148 countries, and examined the impact of gender-related predictors, including “education, political activity, economic status, and health, and human development predictors [that] examined the relationship between women’s status, human development, and maternal mortality” (p. 983). After analyzing data from the 148 countries, researchers found that the combined enrolment ratio for females had a p-value of 0.004, which was a “significant and moderately powerful [predictor] of maternal mortality rates” (p. 985). Additionally, female education predictors explained about 50% of variance in data. They concluded, “Strategic investment to improve quality of life through female education will have the greatest impact on maternal mortality reduction” (p. 983, emphasis added). Of all the potential effects on maternal mortality, female education had the greatest association with and potential benefits toward maternal mortality rates.

Maternal Mortality Rates

2008-12-03T14:52:00.001-08:00

Here's a great picture that really depicts the situation with maternal mortality rates around the world:

WHO Maternal Mortality Rates, 2005

You can see that there is a real problem in Sub-Saharan Africa: at least ten countries have over 1,000 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births!

Maternal Health FAQs

2008-11-25T14:02:00.000-08:00

Q: Why do so many women still die in pregnancy or childbirth?

A: Every minute, at least one woman dies from complications related to pregnancy or childbirth – that means 529 000 women a year. In addition, for every woman who dies in childbirth, around 20 more suffer injury, infection or disease – approximately 10 million women each year.

Five direct complications account for more than 70% of maternal deaths: haemorrhage (25%), infection (15%), unsafe abortion (13%), eclampsia (very high blood pressure leading to seizures – 12%), and obstructed labour (8%). While these are the main causes of maternal death, unavailable, inaccessible, unaffordable, or poor quality care is fundamentally responsible. They are detrimental to social development and wellbeing, as some one million children are left motherless each year. These children are 10 times more likely to die within two years of their mothers' death.

Women need not die in childbirth. We must give a young woman the information and support she needs to control her reproductive health, help her through a pregnancy, and care for her and her newborn well into childhood. The vast majority of maternal deaths could be prevented if women had access to quality family planning services, skilled care during pregnancy, childbirth and the first month after delivery, or post-abortion care services and where permissible, safe abortion services. 15% of pregnancies and childbirths need emergency obstetric care because of risks that are difficult to predict. A working health system with skilled personnel is key to saving these women's lives.

Source: WHO

Three Cups of Tea

2008-11-05T15:03:00.000-08:00

I recently read the internationally acclaimed Three Cups of Tea, and was not only thrilled with its relevance to the topic of this blog, but also just the incredible story it presents. I've posted below a copy of the book review I wrote!

Three Cups of Tea: One Man’s Mission to Promote Peace . . . One School at a Time. Greg Mortenson & David Oliver Relin. New York: Penguin Group Inc. 2006. 349 pp.

Three Cups of Tea, though not written especially as an informational book, gives its readers not only exceptional insight into a hero’s life, but also as a map of international grassroots ingenuity. This biographical narrative relates not only Greg Mortenson’s life, but also his development of a non-profit organization that builds girls schools in the Middle East. As the biography explores the unusual beginnings of Greg Mortenson’s “Central Asia Institute,” (CAI), it also gives especial insight into the heart and abilities required to take an unbelievable dream to a full-fledged non-profit literacy program in the heartland of terrorism. For anyone interested in learning how establish an NGO, or even just an incredible story, this book is a must-read.

The book begins by telling of Mortenson’s failure to mount the peaks of Pakistan’s K2. While fighting the downward battle of a failed ascent, Mortenson got lost in a blizzard and barely made it out alive. He recuperated in the Balti mountain village of Korphe, where after a few weeks, he fell in love with the people. Mortenson was amazed by the diligence of the Balti people—especially their children, who studied outside on the winter ground, for lack of a school. Regardless of his empty savings account, Mortenson was so moved by the scenes that he promised to return someday and build the children a school. And so his eventual million-dollar literacy program began with an almost unachievable promise.

The book progresses by going through phases of Mortenson’s life: First, a recap of his childhood in Africa and the pioneering spirit instilled in him by his missionary parents. Then the story of CAI slowly unfolds, describing all of Mortenson’s struggles along the way. This is more or less a ten-year recap, and finishes with the state of the program in 2006, when the book was published.

Some of the most important messages of the book are demonstrated over the course of CAI’s development. Mortenson’s experiences and personal qualities demonstrate some vitally important pointers for anyone interested in international NGO work. The first is that keeping your word is of the utmost importance. Multiple times in Mortenson’s travels, it is because of his unfailing integrity that he gains the absolute trust of the Pakistani and Afghan people. In fact, the trust and legitimacy he gains in a country full of hatred-preaching madrassas (extremist schools created by the Wahhabi, a fundamentalist offshoot of Sunni Islam), is simply miraculous and all due to his unparalleled integrity. Second, his international relation skills, though it is unlikely they would ever be taught in a classroom, worked wonders for him. In the first ten years of his struggle, Mortenson repeatedly jumped into the Muslim culture with both feet. Even the title of the book, Three Cups of Tea, is a reflection of this; In Pakistan, it is traditional for a guest to sit down with his host and share three cups of tea. Although this seeming waste of time first frustrated Mortenson, he quickly learned the importance of embracing the Pakistani culture, and as he accepted and worked with their traditions, he gained a love for the fundamentalist people. As Mortenson first endeavored to embrace the Muslim culture, he even asked a man how to pray. The man was thrilled, and Greg’s new knowledge served him well in every situation—even ones of life and death. His incredible compassion and desire to embrace a hated people served as the unfailing key that opened their hearts to such a large, white, American man. The most unlikely of saviors, Mortenson became beloved of the people he served because of his genuine desire to work with them and understand their ways.

Another profound message from Three Cups of Tea is a demonstration of the true nature of Islam. In our country—where skepticism (to say the least) of the Muslim religion prevails our 9/11 experiences—it is especially important to gain an understanding of what true Islam is. One of the most striking demonstrations of true Islam occurred just after Mortenson learned of the tragedy of 9/11 while working on a project in Afghanistan. The next day, he attended the dedication of a new girls’ school, where he was flooded with an outpouring of remorse and empathy for the people in the “village of New York.” After the ceremony, Mortenson was approached by “Kaurdu’s many widows . . . [who] pressed eggs into the Americans’ hands, begging them to carry these tokens of grief to the faraway sisters they longed to comfort themselves, the widows of New York village” (p. 258). Mortenson commented about this experience, “I wish all the Americans who think ‘Muslim’ is just another way of saying ‘terrorist’ could have been there that day. The true core tenants of Islam are justice, tolerance, and charity” (p.257). Mortenson’s story is full of such examples of what it means to a true follower of Islam, and Three Cups of Tea serves as an eye-opening experience to anyone who thinks Islam is a terrorist-breeding religion.

Finally, Three Cups of Tea is a vibrant, breathing example of the powerful transformation that girls’ education can bring to a nation. In a world where most girls still struggle under oppressive cultural practices and government, Mortenson’s CAI is an excellent example of how to take a step in the right direction. Although the nations of Afghanistan and Pakistan are so war-torn that Mortenson has actually carved some of his schools out of the mountains to shelter his students from shellfire, his students testify of the incredible peace they find in their lives from their education. One student, Jahan, confided, “Before I met you, Dr. Greg [Mortenson], I had no idea what education was. But now I think it is like water. It is important for everything in life” (p. 312). Shortly after 9/11, a man named Bashir pointed out to Mortenson that the true enemy isn’t men like Osama Bin Laden— “The enemy is ignorance” (p. 310). In his great work, Mortenson has chosen to hack at the root of the tree of evil. And through his countless experiences, he concludes, “If you really want to change a culture, to empower women, improve basic hygiene and health care, and fight high rates of infant mortality, the answer is to educate girls” (p. 209).

As inspiring as the book is, it has a couple of flaws. While reading, I found myself wondering how to possibly keep track of the countless foreign names. Although its index proves very useful, the book could really use some kind of name/reference list. Additionally, I found myself constantly wondering how such a specific account of Mortenson’s experiences was written. Are all the quotes really word for word? How did Greg and David Relin make this record? I wished for some kind of explanation about how the book was compiled and written, because that in itself must be a fascinating tale.

Despite these two shortcomings, reading Three Cups of Tea is an experience not to be missed, and would certainly enrich the life of anyone, regardless of their level of interest in the Middle East or NGOs. I would recommend Mortenson’s story to everyone, for it is truly an enriching tale that empowers each of us to step up and make a difference in our world.

Ten Facts About Maternal Health

2008-10-29T17:58:00.000-07:00

10 Facts on Maternal Health (WHO)

Fact 1

Worldwide, a woman dies every minute due to complications during pregnancy and childbirth - more than 500 000 women per year. In developing countries, pregnancy and childbirth are the second leading causes (after HIV/AIDS) of death among women of reproductive age.

Fact 2

Five main killers cause more than 70% of maternal deaths worldwide: severe bleeding, infections, unsafe abortion, hypertensive disorders (pre-eclampsia and eclampsia) and obstructed labour. Postpartum bleeding can kill even a healthy woman, if unattended, within two hours. Most of these deaths are preventable.

Fact 3

More than 136 million women give birth a year. About 20 million of them experience pregnancy-related illness after childbirth. The list of morbidities is long and diverse, and includes fever, anaemia, fistula, incontinence, infertility and depression. Very often, ill women are stigmatized and ostracized by their husbands, families and communities.

Fact 4

About 14 million girls aged between 15 and 19 give birth each year, accounting for more than 10% of all births. In the developing world, about 90% of the births to adolescents occur in marriage. In many countries, the risk of maternal death is twice as high for an adolescent mother as for other pregnant women.

Fact 5

The state of maternal health mirrors the gap between the rich and the poor. Only 1% of maternal deaths occur in high-income countries. A woman's lifetime risk of dying from complications in childbirth or pregnancy is about one in seven in Niger and one in 48 000 in Ireland. Also, maternal mortality is higher in rural areas and among poorer and less educated communities.

Fact 6

Most maternal deaths can be prevented through skilled care at childbirth and access to emergency obstetric care. In sub-Saharan

Africa, where maternal mortality ratios are the highest, only 40% of women are attended by a trained midwife, nurse or doctor during childbirth.

Fact 7

In developing countries, the percentage of women who have at least four antenatal care visits during pregnancy ranges from less than 10% to more than 90%. Poor women in rural areas especially do not receive the necessary check-ups. They miss the opportunity to get immunization, and treatment for diseases or for prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV/AIDS.

Fact 8

About 18 million unsafe abortions are carried out in developing countries every year, resulting in 70 000 maternal deaths. Many of these deaths could be prevented if information on family planning and contraceptives were available and put into practice.

Fact 9

One target of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) is to reduce the ratio by three quarters between 1990 and 2015. So far, the progress has been slow. By 2005 the global maternal mortality ratio declined by only 5%, from 430 tmaternal mortalityo 400 maternal deaths per 100 000 live births. There was no progress in sub-Saharan Africa, where the risk of maternal death is the highest.

Fact 10

The main obstacle to progress towards better health for mothers is the lack of skilled care. This is aggravated by a global shortage of qualified health workers. By 2015 another 330 000 midwives are needed to achieve universal coverage of mothers with skilled birth attendance.

Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF

2008-10-07T12:17:00.000-07:00

UNICEF, the United Nations Childrens Fund, is an incredible advocate for international humanitarian work. Their many literacy programs are contributing to the growing strength of young and feminine voices around the world. This Halloween, they have a creative and catchy program to help our US children raise money to help educate and feed their brothers and sisters around the world! Check it out at http://youth.unicefusa.org/trickortreat/!

Girls' Literacy and Health

Half the Sky

Rendering Women Visible

The Girl Effect

Female Literacy in Cambodia: A Neglected Potential

MNCH Conference

World Bank Web Page

The Health Situation in Sudan

*UNICEF Benefit Concert*

Literature Review

Maternal Mortality Rates

Maternal Health FAQs

Three Cups of Tea

Ten Facts About Maternal Health

Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF

UNICEF Benefit Concert