People I admire

This is my friend Jenna (pic from last summer) We met at the Boulder County Safehouse volunteer training. Then we had some classes @ CU together -some women's studies class about women in history & a gender in global economy class (one of my favorites). We hung out frequently between classes; we worked out together @ the rec ctr; we watched vids w/ Nikki in the evenings; roller bladed together; she had her fake i.d. confiscated when we tried to get into Soma together one week b4 her 21st birthday! She was with me when I took Maddie for her 1st haircut (@ 3 years of age!). Stuff like that. I miss her terribly.

We saw Jenna last summer when we drove to PA & stopped in Chicago for a few hours. It was too short a visit.

Last fall Jenna went to Nairobi, Kenya, Africa to start her master's degree in social work (?) (or was that psychology?). I read many emails about the trials & tribulations of living in Africa. She described people in incredibly dismal living conditions & using 10 year old texts for her classes. She emailed wonderful pictures & talked about some amazing things she'd seen & done.

AND she did an incredible thing while she was there. She got some $$ for xmas -not alot by US standards but a small fortune in Africa. She used her own money to start a micro-lending program for some women & a couple men who borrowed a small allotment & started their own businesses. This enabled them to raise their standard of living and pay the $$ back to be used for someone else. One woman started a firewood business & made enough money that she planned to buy her own piece of land & get out of Kibera (one of the largest ghettos in Africa) where she was currently living.

Jenna moved back home a short while ago b/c the master's program sucked. But she started a micro-lending program that is being carried on by another student and will positively affect countless lives long after she's been gone. (It's right out of the gender in global economy class, actually!) A fine example of someone who took a great idea & instead of stewing about "what can I possibly do to make a difference?", actually did something. And she didn't have to be rich or famous or have her face plastered all over "People" magazine to do it.

If you would like to contribute to the micro-lending program Jenna started, I can put you in touch with her.

Jenna, I miss you & think you are amazing!