Sometimes You Just Have To Jump

"Sometimes you just have to jump off the cliff without knowing where you will land. Sixteen years ago, I jumped. It was 1993. I was 23 years old and terrified by what I was seeing in the news about rape camps in Bosnia. I couldn't find anyone doing something about the astounding injsutices women were experiencing, so I decided to do something myself. I cannot tell you how many people ridiculed my efforts. I was not getting paid, and a lot of people said, 'Stop doing that. Go get a real job, and get paid.'...At 25 years old I was honored by President Clinton at a White House ceremony for my grassroots work. Even then I would not have imagined that 15 years later, Women for Women would be assisting hundreds of thousands of women in countries all over the world...If I, an immigrant woman from Iraq with no money, can do this, you can too." (Zalnab Salbi, Founder of Women for Women International, in her commencement speech at Rice University, NY Times National section, June 14, 2009)

What an amazing woman.
How sad that such a need exists in our world.

Comments

Sherry said…
Yep, such women put my paltry efforts into the correct prospective and slap down my feelings of self-satisfaction. Humility returns. Thanks Mompriest.
Terri said…
Oh but Sherry - every little bit helps....
Jan said…
Thank you. I'm glad there have been and are women like this.
altar ego said…
Amazing woman, indeed. And how sad that she had to struggle to get support to tackle this!
Sarah said…
What an inspiration!

Thanks so much for the wonderful greeting in the RevGals ring. I'm so glad to be a part of all that you wonderful women are doing!
Barbara B. said…
Yes, amazing! Thanks for posting this.
Diane M. Roth said…
what a great quote! thanks, as Barbara said.
Rev SS said…
Another inspirational person reminding us of the power of one! Thanks.
Lori said…
Yup, it only takes a spark. God bless the spark that is Ms. Salbi.

Thanks for sharing this.
Wow. Thanks for bringing this to our attention.

Popular posts from this blog

The Bleeding-heart: a poem by Mary Oliver

A Funeral Sermon: Healed by Love

Luke: A Mary Oliver Poem