Celebrate International Women’s Day by attending Elevate Her: Empower, Inspire, Achieve with the International Rescue Committee and Operation Smile on March 7!
Poverty isn’t just a lack of income. It becomes a barrier that controls daily decisions, limits opportunities, disrupts stability, and makes it hard to see a way forward. Yet in many corners of the world, community members are taking the initiative to regain direction over their futures. Whether they’re launching small businesses, building grassroots support systems, or sharing knowledge within their communities, these individuals are working with limited resources and a bold sense of purpose to lay the foundation for a more secure and self-sustaining path forward. This growing momentum is made possible through the partnership of organizations that provide...
“When I had to drop out from school, I felt terrible,” Archana Harijan says. “My dreams got shattered. I felt like crying every day.” In Nepal, Archana is not alone. Her sentiments are echoed by thousands of girls who are forced to drop out of school each year, primarily due to the country’s widespread poverty. A quarter of Nepali citizens live on less than $1.25 a day, and 18 percent of children between 12 and 14 have not completed primary education. Among this 18 percent, 49 percent are female. “My family could not afford my education anymore,” Archana says. Paying for books, uniform, bags, and stationary was beyond the family’s capacity. Left with no choice, Archana tried to embrace what life had to offer and move on. She took sewing classes and was working as a tailor with a relative for around three years. Then, one day, something unprecedented happened....