World pulse is an incredible NGO that truly believes that when women are heard they will change the world. In accordance to their beliefs every year they select 30 women from a pool of about 600 applicants and train them to be citizen journalists. This training program is called Voice of the Future.
Every year I contemplate applying and invariable I keep thinking about it over and over again until the deadline passes. This year I did not think. Instead without a moment’s hesitation I signed up to a Volunteer Listener. My tasks included reading the assignments of the applicants and giving my feedback to the organizers.
There were four assignments, each required the applicant to write a short essay on diverse topics like the WEB 2.0, their journey before world pulse, what are the issues faced by them and how they intend to use world pulse to speak out against the acts of atrocities in their communities.
Unfortunately I cannot reveal details of the stories that I have read but what I read left a mark. Here were women who were brutally raped,forced out of their homes, sold,abused, oppressed and humiliated yet their writing exuded vigor and strength. There was hope in their writing. It was this hope that made them walk miles from their homes to an internet cafe to access world pulse. Some of these women had given up on life before world pulse. Now they are training other women to use the internet so that they can out their stories out there.
Through world pulse women from different parts of the globe and from varied walks of lives have given voice to stories of women who cannot speak for themselves. They have created awareness of various social issues like breast ironing and campaigned for funds to end female genital mutilation.
There is a rising chorus in the world today and the voices are powered by women , some of whom were too poor to go to school, many with no college education but their voices are reaching a crescendo and it is a heartrending song.
Tune in at World Pulse .
Marie Lisa Jose
