Name: Stella

Social Justice Group: Women and Education

Date of Fieldwork: December 15, 2017

Name of Organization: CARE

Person (people) with whom I met and their job titles: Monica Merlis (Director of Community Partnerships)

Type of Fieldwork: Interview

What I did:

We visited the CARE offices and learned more about what they do to help women in developing countries. Monica told us a little about the history of the organization. We learned a little about the CARE packages they gave to survivors in WWII. Then we went on to discuss the work they do with women and education. CARE works a little differently than the Women’s Education Projects because they work on so many other issues like poverty, gender based violence, and so much more.

What I learned:

I learned that CARE has a program called Village Saving and Loans Association. They started the first one in Africa a few years back. It’s basically a group of women coming together and starting to save money and put it in a lock box. Over time there accumulates a lot of money so then the women can start taking out loans and paying it back with interest. They then can use this money for school. This add an extra supporting system for these women who might not have good financial support. I also learned that there is a political side to the reason girls aren’t being educated. The countries sometimes can’t afford schools for these women or people in power believe strong against it.

What I learned about Social Justice “work” and/or Civil and Human rights “work” from this fieldwork:

I learned a lot about the financial aspect of this social injustice. Many families want their girls to be educated and get jobs but can’t afford it. CARE works with women and their families, helping them to create a stable life.