Resilience is my ongoing life lesson.

This year is going to be a good one, I can feel it.

In 2012, 19 girls in rural Fiji were able to get back to school because a group of people got together and decided that everyone has the right to education, no matter where they were born or what their circumstance. I often think of that quote by Margaret Mead “Never doubt that a small, committed group of people can change the world, indeed it is the only thing that ever has”.

So many fabulous people have joined the journey thus far and already this year we have a new Girl Ambassador, Annika. There are now 7 Girl Ambassadors fundraising at their schools and spreading the word, and we excited to see how they will use their creativity this year!

We are also very excited to have 2 potential research interns joining our team, and to continue to nut out partnerships for assisting girls in the Solomons, Bougainville and Vanuatu.

But the why behind our what is always the people. The amazing resilient people of the Pacific who smile and sing and value community and pick themselves up from hardship.

Urmila reports that the effects of TC Evan are still being felt and many of the girls we support would otherwise not be going back to school. Her own home received a battering and she has rebuilt her income generating projects from scratch, but she is still smiling and encouraging those around her to do the same.

Resilience from these beautiful people is my ongoing life lesson!!

It’s the right thing and the feel good thing to give and serve. It helps even out the scales of imbalance in this messed up world and it’s documented to be good for our health.

But in my experience what we learn and get back from the people we help is of infinitely greater value than what we give.

Here’s to a fabulous 2013!

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Warmly,

Jane for team ‘A Girl & her world’