Unleashing Diva Potential

Unleashing Diva Potential

Basanti Bista is a 26-year-old health volunteer in highlands of Nepal. She’s a foot soldier in the battle to reduce child and maternal deaths in her community.

On the surface, Basanti is similar to most women in the U.S.. She’s a homeowner, investor and mother a multi-tasker as we like to say.  However, unlike many of us, Basanti has achieved success despite seemingly insurmountable odds. Born to a poor family, she was denied an education, forced to marry young, suffered verbal abuse and became a widowed mother all before her 25th birthday.

Unfortunately, Basanti’s story is not unique. A girl born in South Asia or sub-Saharan Africa most likely will grow up in a place beset by poverty and disease or conflict and famine. Cultural norms and economic hardships snatch opportunity from the hands of women and girls who have the potential to become pillars of their communities.

Most of our sisters in the developing world lack the rights we often take for granted. In places where destitution bears down on women each day, it takes much more than the ability to juggle work and family to simply survive. However, there is hope. While evaluating her life and next steps, Basanti met a CARE worker who got her involved in Ama Samuha, a local mother’s group. Later, Basanti was selected to be a health volunteer, receiving15 days of basic training and unleashed her latent potential for helping others.

Motivated by her work, and a desire to be more independent, she introduced a village savings and credit program into her group. Pooling their resources, the women loan money to other women as well as invest in various income-generating activities. The extra income allowed her to build a three-room concrete house, all on her own.