Roots for Girls

Clara Johnson and Stephanie Brugger are two seniors at Woodside Priory School. They both share a common passion: ending the violence against women throughout the world. Clara this past summer travelled to Costa Rica to work in a safe house for sex trafficked women and discovered her passion to end modern slavery. Stephanie travelled to India and worked in many different schools, learning about the oppression and lack of education girls face in India, discovering her passion to fight for those without rights. For their senior project over the past few months, they have researched the cause of women's oppression and have come to a broad solution that can only solve a small part of the issue, but that is education. They chose to title their senior project "Roots for Girls" because they want girls to be educated so that they can avoid the trafficking industry in Costa Rica or the abusive domesticity in India. Clara and Stephanie also want to spread awareness about the many different forms of violence against women and on Monday, May 20th at Woodside Priory, they will be hosting a screening of the documentary "Tapestries of Hope" on surviving rape victims in Zimbabwe. All the funds raised, through bake sales, car washes, and the documentary screening, will be directly donated to the Rajeshwar Secondary School in Rajahstan, India for girl's secondary education and the Salvando Corazones safe house in Costa Rice for surviving trafficked women and the education of young girls. All the funds mean an education for a girl, to inspire her to become a lawyer, and perhaps to encourage her to break away from the bonds of her household. All the funds mean fewer women becoming victims to slavery, after an education taught them to have jobs and avoid trafficker's coercions. All the funds raised will create more positive energy for women all over the world, so hopefully one day men and women can live harmoniously.