MABREIDY CREATED THIS STORY WITH
LYDIA HOLDEN ILLUSTRATED BY
MILAN DELVECCHIO DESIGNED BY
DANIEL HAWKINS EDITED BY
MEGAN SHANK
INTRODUCTION This graphic novella was created with Mabreidy, age 16, in Cabarete, Dominican Republic. Growing up in a tourist town tinged with drugs and other nefarious influences, coupled with an unstable home life, Mabreidy found herself with few opportunities and no exits from a life lived in poverty. Then, as a teenager, Mabreidy got involved with the Mariposa DR Foundation, a local grassroots organization that helped her gain confidence and create a new path for herself. The Mariposa DR Foundation offers yearround programs and a four-week summer camp just for adolescent girls in Cabarete. Activities include sports programs, drama and arts classes, after school tutoring and community engagement to give girls a
healthy and fun alternative to the negative pressures surrounding their lives. Mabreidy’s story is part of the Grassroots Girls Book Club graphic novella series that depict the true stories of six incredible girls. Each girl co-authored her own story, which was then illustrated by an emerging female artist. These graphic novellas were created to show that positive change is happening for girls, and to help raise awareness for the many girls who still are in urgent need of support from organizations like the Mariposa DR Foundation. Mabreidy’s hope is that her story will inspire you to discuss the issues facing girls globally and learn more about the grassroots organizations that are changing girls’ lives for the better.
The Mariposa DR Foundation is supported by The Global Fund for Children, one of six funders that make up the Grassroots Girls Initiative. These funders believe that grassroots organizations are uniquely capable of meeting the needs of the most underserved adolescent girls in the communities where they work.
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This is the beautiful side of Cabarete where tourists from all over the world come to kitesurf and relax on the beach.
This is the rundown local side of town.
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PAPI! Not in the house.
I’m scared, Mabreidy!
Me too, Naomi.
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Don’t worry sisters, I’ll keep you safe… I hope.
DON’T Go Out again. Stay home today!
YOU don’t tell ME what to do!
Don’t Fight! CALMATÉ (calm Down)! Please, Don’t Fight.
STOP PAPI! We need you here with us.
My Papi and Mami were destroying their lives with drinking and fighting. We didn’t know when they would explode or when it was safe to come home. We couldn’t trust our parents.
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Cabarete can look like heaven on earth. People come from all over the world for our beaches and for our world-famous kitesurfing waves. The tourists are crazy for kitesurfing. Most Dominicans don’t even swim though. But tourism can be good for the community. It provides some hotel and restaurant jobs. Still, there’s not enough work to go around.
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The fancy hotel jobs are tough to get. The small jobs our parents can find, like driving MOTOCONCHOS (motorcycle taxis) to take tourists around town, aren’t enough to support us kids. With no money, we all feel hopeless.
Because there are not enough jobs, some men turn to drinking. Others start selling drugs to tourists. Because GRINGOS (foreigners) come here to party and have fun, there is a demand for it. Now we have local TIGUERES, the guys in gangs, who sell the drugs to foreigners. The gringos may think it’s just all fun, but the drug trade has created dangerous areas in Cabarete.
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AH! Is it EL CUCO (bogeyman)?
No HERMANA ( sister). Just Papi finally coming home.
Nothing Papi, just come in, sit down. CENA (dinner) is almost ready.
WHAT’S going on in here? Don’t fight! ¡POR FAVOR (Please), don’t start a fight!
GET OVER HERE!
Sorry Papi. Don’t be angry.
Who said YOU could speak?
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NO PAPI! Leave her alone. Someone help! AYUDA (help)!
MABREIDY!!!
CÁLMATE (calm down) man!
Oh, M’IJA (my daughter)! I’m so sorry. Oh my little girl! We can’t keep living this life. It’s not safe for us here anymore.
Papi apologized to me, but when men are drunk they don’t think about what they are doing. They don’t hear anything. So Mami kicked Papi out.
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Stay outside until you sober up!
Another nightmare Mabreidy? Yes, HERMANO (brother). I thought Papi was back and mad at me. Every night my life was a big nightmare. I was always scared. Even if Papi didn’t come home drunk anymore, we couldn’t forget all the nights he had.
It will be a new life in Santiago. You’ll see. We’ll find a TRANQUILO (calm) place, and it will be better.
Mami had given my Papi too many chances. She said she’d had it. Mami met an American man who wanted us to come live with him in the capital city Santiago, so we packed our bags. My brother didn’t want to go, so he packed up and left on his own.
On the GUAGUA (public bus), I cried. I felt so sad to leave my Papi. Despite his drinking and the dark times, he was still my father.
Goodbye girls! Be good for Mami. One for my honeybee, and one for my chocolate.
life in Santiago with the gringo was tranquilo. But Papi kept writing to Mami telling her that he had stopped drinking and was working hard to be a good man for us. I still didn’t know if I could trust him, though.
After some nice years the American returned to his home in the States. Without him, Mami couldn’t pay the rent. Papi still wanted us to come back to him in Cabarete, so even though we didn’t know if he had really changed we returned home.
My family! Welcome home! Mabreidy, you’ve grown so tall in just three years! I missed you all.
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You promised you would never drink again. Are you keeping that promise?
M’ija, I am very happy to see you! It’s been too long. Are you happy to be home? Did you miss me?
SI , there is no more drinking. I’ve been going to church and have learned better ways. You and the children will be safe with me.
Yes, Papi.
Papi did what he could to make us happy, but I still felt nervous around him. Trust is a difficult thing to find again once you’ve lost it.
It was good to be home, but it was hard to make friends all over again. Teenage girls can be so mean.
No one understands me! I’m all alone on this stupid island.
But Mami, they are teasing me and shutting me out! I feel so lonely.
Oh m’ija. I know it’s hard to make friends at a new school, but you just need to give it time.
But those girls are rubbing me the wrong way!
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Another day and nobody will talk to me. Maybe I can hide in the classroom until class starts…
Hi, is anything wrong?
No, nothing. I’m just studying. Are you new?
I think there are more GRINGOS here now than before I left.
Yeah, my family just moved back. My name is Mabreidy. What’s yours?
I’m Melissa. I think I’ve seen you around the neighborhood. Want to hang out after school?
Yeah, well Cabarete is nice for them. They stay at the fancy hotels, lie on the beach and go in the ocean. A tranquilo life for sure.
Staying in the nice hotels sounds ok, but I’m scared of the water! When I was little I fell in the ocean and almost drowned. Now I stay away.
Melissa and I became best friends and she introduced me to some other girls. I was happy to make friends, but my life still felt so hard. Inside I did not feel good about myself.
They live their life. We live ours.
Well CHICA (girl), those water sports are just for gringos. I never see any of them cross the main street to our side.
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Hey chicas! What are you doing?
I haven’t seen Alma in school. What’s she up to?
Same as yesterday: nothing! Come talk with us.
Ever since her dad left, she’s been going up and down the beach looking for GRINGOS .
Yeah, I saw her smoking you-knowwhat with some GRINGOS.
I don’t want my future to be controlled by some man, American or Dominican.
Poor Alma, there’s no respect for us here. Every day there are more chicas out there looking for GRINGOS to take them out of this life.
My mom always tells me not to trust men.
Ha! My mom just tells me to learn about keeping house so my future husband won’t get angry and hit me or treat me bad.
Ay, what a life us Dominican girls have!
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The Dominican Republic government only spends 2.3 percent of their GDP on schools. That puts them at 120 of 132 countries for educational spending.
With such poor education quality, many girls drop out. And even if they graduate, their education doesn’t always prepare them for the workforce.
Tourism may create good jobs for some, but it also comes with a sinister side: UNDERAGE SEX TOURISM. The United Nations Human Rights Council reported that, “child sex tourism is a problem, particularly in coastal resort areas of the Dominican Republic (like Cabarete), with child sex tourists arriving year-round from the U.S. and Canada.”
In the face of crushing poverty and limited opportunities, many girls think they have no choice but to go with these men. Some families even encourage their girls to pursue the sex trade so they can contribute to basic necessities, like groceries.
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Some get pregnant. Some contract STDs, including HIV. All before they are even 18 years old.
Even if girls don’t fall into the terrible world of sex tourism, many face domestic violence in their homes. In the Dominican Republic, people say: “NADIE SE METE ENTRE PROBLEMAS DE MARIDO Y MUJER.” (“Nobody messes with husband and wife problems.”)
I am scared that one day I will have a boyfriend or husband who hurts me. It’s so common here. It’s hard to trust and depend on any man, even Papi. All I want is to be independent, but I feel helpless… and that makes me angry.
The tourists who go after Dominican girls often give them alcohol and drugs. Girls get their heads turned around, start making bad decisions and go down a dangerous path.
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¡HOLA (hello) Kathy! Take a break from your laundry and come talk to me. Ok neighbor, I’ll be right over!
AY DIOS MIO (oh my God). Now that Mabreidy is getting older I am worried about all this stuff happening with the GRINGOS .
Yesterday I saw an old friend of Mabreidy’s in the street. She was with foreign men and looked high on drugs. I know she is prostituting for money. She is only 16!
Everyone is worried about it. But what can we do? The GRINGOS have money. The girls do not. The attraction is clear.
As if that wasn’t enough to worry about, there are also all these young girls getting pregnant by local boys. It’s all ‘I love you, I love you,’ until the girl gets in trouble and then the boy is gone!
Ay, such a shame! I want Mabreidy to have a different future, and I’m afraid these girls will influence her. But how can I help her? Already she is turning away from me. She’s always angry with her Papi and me, yelling and sulking all day.
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I’m so excited we get to see our cousins in San Juan! Did you get everything packed? Papi will be here soon.
Si! I’m ready to go. Let’s wait outside.
I’m sorry girls, but the car broke down. We can’t go now.
I was so mad I cried and cried! I didn’t want to talk to anyone. I went to my room and didn’t come out for a whole day. I didn’t eat. I didn’t do anything. I didn’t want anyone to bother me. I was so tired of just staying in the house, doing nothing, being lectured about all the bad influences out in the street. I just wanted to do something different for one day!
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Mabreidy, you need something to do. All you do is hang around the house and act grumpy. You need to channel your energy into something productive.
One of the girls was telling me about a Michael Jackson dance class. I’d like to learn dancing. Naomi could come with me.
Mabreidy, Mami told me about this Michael Jackson dance class. But he dances like Satan. The church is against it, so we must be too.
Ok, m’ija. Let me ask Papi.
But Papi, Naomi and I really want to go!
I said no, now that’s the end of it. I did not feel at peace with anything or anyone. I was mad all the time. I did not want to be bothered. I’d wake up with a frown. My Papi said if I stayed this way I would explode.
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Those girls are really getting under my skin! They are always whispering some nonsense lies about me.
They are so mean. Just ignore them.
None of your business, CHICA .
Yeah, just get out of here. Nobody’s talking to you.
What are you saying? Are you saying something about me? Shut up!
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Do you want to go for a walk or something?
I can’t. Papi got really mad when he found out I was fighting at school again.
Yeah, I saw that you really scratched that girl up. What’s wrong? Why are you getting so angry?
I don’t know. I guess I just feel stuck. Our house is falling down. We can’t leave any food out or the mice and cockroaches have a fiesta.
And I don’t get any support to try anything new. It’s always “shut up Mabreidy,” “no Mabreidy,” “be quiet Mabreidy.”
I feel you, CHICA . I dream about how to escape this place, too. Like wouldn’t it be great to be an airline stewardess? Fly all over the world, see new things. But how can we do that? You have to know English. You have to have a better education than what we get here.
Mabreidy, I have a surprise for you! Come with me.
Ay… I just need one opportunity, any opportunity, and I’ll go after it MUY FUERTE (very Hard).
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HOLA, welcome! Thank you for coming. The Mariposa DR Foundation summer camp is the only one in Cabarete just for girls. We want to give girls the support they need, but lack in this community.
Ok, Mabreidy. Kathy told me all about this program they have for girls yesterday while we were hanging laundry. It’s called the Mariposa DR Foundation. You always say you have nothing to do. Let’s see what activities they offer. Yeah, ok Mami.
Jessica, Mariposa co-director
During the four-week program, girls learn English, play sports, put on plays and go on field trips. And during the school year we have programs every day of the week.
We hope these activities will teach girls leadership qualities and skills to put them solidly on the right path. We want Cabarete’s girls to be leaders!
Now I want to talk a little bit about our approach. The Mariposa DR Foundation is focused on transforming the lives of girls AND their families.
We see this approach as a way out of poverty. We take time to develop relationships with not only the girls who come here, but also their families. If a girl is having a problem we want to work with her parents to solve that problem. Together we can keep girls in school, encourage her to attend the Mariposa tutoring and sports activities and give her a chance at success.
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Now I have a question for the girls: Do you know why we call our foundation “MARIPOSA” (butterfly)?
Um...
THE MIRABAL SISTERS, OR LAS MARIPOSAS, WERE ASSASSINATED ON NOV. 25 1960 FOR SPEAKING UP FOR THE DOMINICAN PEOPLE AND AGAINST THE DICTATOR RAFAEL TRUJILLO. THEIR DEATHS SPURRED A NATIONAL OUTCRY AND THE BEGINNING OF THE END FOR TRUJILLO. LAS MARIPOSAS, MINERVA, PATRIA AND MARIA TERESA, WERE NOT JUST NATIONAL HEROINES, BUT BECAME INTERNATIONAL SYMBOLS. IN 1999, THE UNITED NATIONS DECLARED NOVEMBER 25TH, THE DAY OF THEIR MURDER, INTERNATIONAL DAY FOR THE ELIMINATION OF VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN.
It looks like some of you know!
MARIPOSA is the nickname for the Mirabal sisters, Dominican heroines. They stood up for freedom and the people during Rafael Trujillo’s dictatorship.
SI!
No matter how many times they were jailed, the sisters refused to give up on their fight for our island. We want all girls in Cabarete to have this same free spirit and capacity for leadership. So are you all ready to become Mariposas?
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Mami signed me up right away. She said this is my opportunity to make a change.
All right, CHICAS . Today we’re going to start Bollywood dancing. This dance comes all the way from India. Let’s move!
Before we do another run through of our play, we need to take some promo pictures for the posters we’ll put up in town.
Ay, I can’t believe we’re inviting the whole town to come stare at us!
This is great for your confidence!
gs Thin d oul Iw my to say r the mo
From the first day we were having fun and learning all sorts of new things. I started making lots of friends and was finally smiling!
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I know a lot of you don’t have experience swimming, so we’ll take it easy. Once you get the hang of it, you’ll love going into Cabarete’s amazing ocean!
I can’t do this, Mabreidy! I know I am going to drown. Swimming isn’t for me. You go.
No way! You have to come too.
Just remember: Be TRANQUILO in the water and always show the ocean RESPETO .
Maybe this isn’t so bad. It’s kind of fun.
You’re getting so brave, Mabreidy! I don’t want to let go of the wall… yet.
Now kick, that’s it! Kick some more. Have fun with it!
On the count of three, start your drills with the ball. You girls need to use all that energy you have! One, two, three…
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You’re really awesome with all the sports. I’m happier in theater class. This is crazy!
I was scared enough getting into the water. This gringo is LOCO (crazy) if he thinks I’m climbing up there!
Mariposa hasn’t led us wrong yet. We should spread our wings.
I actually think I like all this active stuff. We can be like real MARIPOSAS flying high above.
Every day we are learning something new, going on field trips and gaining self-esteem. We’re learning how not to damage ourselves with drugs and alcohol and that life is more than a struggle.
We have more options than turning to prostitution and going with men who beat and hurt us. We have more confidence and know that we can have careers instead of just going along the same bad path. We are proud to be Mariposas!
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Mami, I’m almost done with the dishes. What else can I help you with?
Heehee, yes Mami. I’m happy every day going to summer camp. I like all the sports. Before I didn’t think girls could do these things like boys, but now I know I have the strength. The counselors tell us that in life if you say you can’t do it you won’t, but if you say you can you will.
M’ija, you’re being so helpful! No more storms following you around.
YOU’RE going to come to summer camp?!? Like as a camper? No, my silly girl! Kathy just started volunteering there, so I think I can too. I’ll bring Naomi with me so she can see how great her big sister is doing.
That’s it girls!
Here you go girls. Make sure to get enough to eat.
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¡QUE BUENO (that’s Good)! You’ve learned so much. Maybe I should see what I can do there.
I am so happy you told us about the Mariposas, Kathy! It’s been so great to go to the camp and see Mabreidy dance and learn and become so empowered!
It’s really a big change for all of us. Before there was nothing for our girls but marriage.
Ay. Now I have dreams that my daughters can have the power to take control of their own lives. Maybe even university! I never had an opportunity to go.
We were too busy making babies! Now look at us, old before our time.
I told you it was worth it to volunteer for them! Jessica, Mariposa’s co-director, said that if we continue to support the programs they will help us fix up our homes.
Did I tell you that Mariposa is paying for the school fees and uniforms for the girls when school starts in the fall?
But I think the community knows that there is less here and it can be more dangerous for girls.
That danger doesn’t go away though.
AY DIOS MIO! What a dream come true to fix up this old falling down place. They have kept their promise to work with the girls and their families. Even the men are starting to come around and support the Mariposas.
No, but if Mariposa goes away the girls will drown without any opportunity.
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Swim harder Mabreidy! You’re winning the race!
Mabreidy, that was awesome! You’re the best Mariposa swimmer now.
¡GRACIAS Jessica!
How are you feeling about being a Mariposa?
You really have potential as a swimmer, so Mariposa wants to pay for swimming lessons in the next town during the school year.
I think I’ve changed a lot. I feel more agreeable now and the girls tell me I am funny. I don’t want to fight anymore!
SI! But how will I get there? I don’t want to take the public bus by myself. I don’t feel safe.
You excel when your energy is channeled into athletics. We don’t want to lose that even though summer camp is ending.
We thought of that already! Your dad is a MOTOCONCHO driver, right?
Yeah, but he’ll tell me he needs to give rides to tourists to make money.
We will pay your dad to take you. Then he can stay and watch how great you’ve become at swimming.
¡QUE BUENO!
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Ok, Mabreidy let’s get you to your swim class.
Did you see me swimming? Um, I was reading the paper.
Papi, look!
GO MABREIDY, GO!
At first Papi didn’t pay attention…
but then he really got into my lessons!
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How are the swimming lessons going?
Good.
Good? They are going GREAT . Mabreidy you are a female warrior in the water!
Papi’s proud of me!
You seem so happy these days m’ija.
Si Mami. I don’t feel aggravated anymore and realize I can’t hold everything inside.
Being a Mariposa has given me so much that I can’t even describe it. But Mami, you are my role model. I see you helping the other Mariposa girls learn to read and write, and hula hoop! You make ME proud.
Papi can’t stop talking about how proud he is of you to his friends. He now sees all your potential coming to the surface. He sees how Mariposa helped you.
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Are you ready for the big race Mabreidy? Ready? She’s faster than a fish!
Swimmers on your marks… GO!
I’m ready! And nervous…and excited.
You’ll do great m’ija!
¡SI, MABREIDY! ¡BIEN HECHO (well Done)!
YEAH!
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Mabreidy that was amazing! Mariposa is so impressed with your progress. We’ve been thinking that you might want to try something new: KITESURFING!
But she doesn’t have any equipment.
Kitesurfing? That’s for the GRINGOS . Dominican girls don’t kitesurf.
You would be the first girl from Cabarete to learn. Are you up to being a water sports pioneer for all the other girls?
We already asked one of the kitesurfing schools to coach Mabreidy for free. They will let her use their equipment. And there could be some great benefits for Mabreidy, like cash prizes or sponsorship opportunities. This could be Mabreidy’s path out of poverty. What can she get out of this kite surfing?
So what do you think?
If it could mean a new house for my family then I say YES !
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The first day I was so scared. My heart balked and I thought I can’t. But my feet carried me forward.
Great to have you with us, Mabreidy! We’re so happy to finally see a Dominican girl give kitesurfing a try. First you need to carry the board and the sail over to an empty place on the sand to get set up.
So I should take this big kite… and then… what?
I thought they were going to leave me to figure it out alone. I was so nervous!
Laurel Eastman, Mabreidy’s kitesurfing coach
Ok, make sure you lay the entire kite flat. Proper set up is very important. Ok, like this?
But Laurel did help me and was patient with me. I wasn’t alone.
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I fell so many times when I was learning, but I didn’t care! Sometimes boys would laugh, but I knew the Mariposas were supporting me, so I had confidence I could do it.
Laurel took it slow and taught me everything I needed to know to gain confidence. I learned how to set up the kite, how to get it up in the air, how to control the board and how to bring it back to the beach.
That’s it Mabreidy! Get back up and get out there!
So many kitesurfers and my daughter is the only Dominican girl! Look at her go!
Now I feel so happy when I am on the ocean. I didn’t know I would have this dream. Now I understand that I can control myself and my emotions on and off the water.
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K
U ITES
COMPETIT ION RFING TODAY
If she can do it, maybe I can too.
Look at that girl out there. she’s DOMINICAN !
That’s our girl! GO MABREIDY!
Wow, I didn’t know any Dominican girls knew how to do that!
YEAH MABREIDY! MARIPOSA POWER!
Stay calm and focused. Be the best kitesurfer you can be. Fly like a MARIPOSA!
I won my own kitesurfing equipment that day!
Kiting isn’t just for gringos and boys anymore. The Mariposas are taking over!
You are a MUY FUERTE water warrior, m’jia!
YEAH!
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I am proud that I have a lot of potential and can help other girls find theirs. When I teach other Mariposas how to swim I tell them to forget about what people may say, even if they make fun of you. We have the power to create our own future, to do things our mothers never had a chance to do. I know now I can learn new skills and uncover opportunities for myself where I thought it was hopeless before. Girls need to go out there and just try. We can do anything!
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READ, DISCUSS, ACT This is Mabreidy’s story, but there are other girls from many different countries also facing these challenges and seeking solutions. Grab some friends, talk to your classmates or get your after-school clubs interested to discuss the issues below, learn more and get involved. After reading Mabreidy’s story we hope you’re feeling inspired and fired up to take action for girls everywhere!
WHY WE LOVE GRASSROOTS ORGANIZATIONS CONSIDER: Marginalized by cultural practices, poverty and discrimination, girls are often outside the reach of larger development projects led by governments and international aid agencies. Grassroots organizations are smaller and created by members of the community to address specific problems. Grassroots organizations are familiar with local language, culture and the challenges that shape girls’ lives, which makes them uniquely equipped to address girls’ urgent needs and create effective solutions. They also stay put, and offer girls support for the long run. ASK: What negative factors did the Mariposa DR Foundation see affecting girls in Cabarete and how did they help Mabreidy and the other girls not go down that dangerous path? DISCUSS: If the Mariposa DR Foundation offered co-ed instead of girl-only summer and after-school programs how would that be different? What might work and what might not work? What might be different if the programs were offered by an organization from outside of the Dominican Republic?
WHY WE LOVE GIRL POWER CONSIDER: Bands in the 1990s like Bikini Kill and the Spice Girls made the phrase “girl power” popular, but we’re not talking about pop culture. Girl power means that all girls everywhere are empowered to take control of their lives. We know that if a girl stays in school, has access to health services and is given an opportunity to earn a good wage, she will marry later, have fewer and healthier children and earn an income that she’ll invest back into her family and community. That’s amazing! But girls are still facing exploitation and injustice. Girls in poverty, navigating the tricky years of adolescence, face additional challenges like child marriage, early pregnancy and violence. ASK: How did Mabreidy use girl power to transform her life and help her friends? DISCUSS: What problem in your community can you confront with girl power to create a positive solution?
WHY WE LOVE SPORTS PROGRAMS FOR GIRLS CONSIDER: Studies show that girls who participate in sports have higher selfconfidence and do better in school. The Mariposa DR Foundation strives to get girls engaged in some form of physical activity on a weekly basis as well as develop the talent of those who are showing promise in various sports or taking a special interest, like Mabreidy. Outside of the Mariposa DR Foundation there are very few opportunities for girls to engage in organized sports. Even though Cabarete is a prime destination in the world for water sports, most of the children in the community don’t know how to swim. The Mariposa DR Foundation bridges this gap by giving girls access to a pool and the opportunity to learn this critical life skill as well as engage in various other sports such as surfing, windsurfing, kitesurfing, soccer, softball, volleyball, tennis and circus training! ASK: How did participating in sports activities during the summer camp change Mabreidy’s mood and outlook on life? What opportunities opened up when Mabreidy started getting serious about swimming? DISCUSS: How has playing sports affected your life or that of your friends’ lives? What are some physical activities that grow girls confidence in their bodies and in themselves?
Discover how The Global Fund for Children works to transform the lives of children on the edges of society and helps them claim their rights and pursue their dreams at www.globalfundforchildren.org. Interested in the Mariposa DR Foundation’s work? Connect with this grassroots organization at www.mariposadrfoundation.org.
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GLOSSARY AYUDA: Help
GUAGUA: Mini bus used for public transportation
MUY FUERTE: Very strong/hard PAPI: Father
BIEN HECHO: Well done HERMANA: Sister
POR FAVOR: Please
CÁLMATE: Calm down HERMANO: Brother
QUE BUENO: Very good
CENA: Dinner HOLA: Hello, hi
RESPECTO: Respect
CHICA(S): Girl(s) LOCO: Crazy M’IJA: My daughter
TIGUERS: Slang for “thugs” or guys who knows everything about street life
EL CUCO: A mythical ghost-monster, equivalent to the bogeyman
MAMI: Mother
TRANQUILO: Calm, tranquil
FELIZ CUMPLEANOS: Happy birthday
MARIPOSA: Butterfly
FIESTA: Party
MOTOCONCHO: Motorcycle taxi used for public transportation.
AY DIOS MIO: Oh my God!
GRINGOS: Foreigners, often from the United States
MUY BUENO: Very good
Use of these materials are for non-commercial or educational purposes only. Some names were changed to protect the privacy of other parties.
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