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www.oakvillebeaver.com The Oakville Beaver, Friday February 13, 2009 - 23 Inspiring girls to stand tall H ello from Halla. I cannot believe that it's already February 2009. Yesterday we were drinking and splashing at the river when my brother wandered off. My grandmother was quite concerned and then we saw him idling towards us, a lioness trailing him in the tall Savannah grass. My grandmother moved quickly towards him and brought him back into the herd, causing the lioness to move off. My grandmother then gave my brother yet another serious talk about protecting himself from danger. She positively inspires me with her calm wisdom and her insights into being the best an elephant can be. That got me to thinking about inspiring African women like Betty Makoni in Zimbabwe. When Betty was only six years old she suffered sexual abuse. Through her incredible strength and courage, she put herself through school, became a teacher and is now a leading human rights activist. Betty created the Girl Child Network (GCN) in 1998 and today more than 60,000 youngsters belong to Girls' Empowerment Clubs across the country. They find shelter from abuse, access to education and training for self-sufficiency. They are given food, school fees and uniforms, as well as medical and legal assistance. To help rape survivors heal from the trauma they have suffered, GCN provides art therapy classes as well as counselling and career mentoring to assist with rehabilitation. GCN's vision is eloquent -- `That , that `girls should walk in the fullness of their potential.' The Stephen Lewis Foundation provides support to GCN and other incredible grassroots organizations in Africa that work with survivors of sexual abuse. Recently, GCN led a huge antisexual violence campaign, which rallied churches, schools and politicians to take actions against child rape. The Zimbabwe justice system is slowly beginning to respond to the Network's pressure for greater access and fairness for victims of abuse. Another inspiring woman, Sally Armstrong, will be speaking at the Canadian Club of Halton Peel on Wednesday, Feb. 18 at the Oakville Conference Centre, about Afghanistan. An Oakville resident, Armstrong is an Amnesty International award winner, a member of the Order of Canada, a contributing editor at Maclean's magazine and a powerful speaker who has covered conflicts from Bosnia and Somalia to Afghanistan and Rwanda. Tickets cost $15 for students, $30 for members and $40 for nonmembers, but if you book and commit to donating $10 to the Stephen Lewis Foundation through $Million or More Oakville ($MOMO), you will be given the member rate of $30. Armstrong has kindly donated her honorarium for the event to the $MOMO cause. The event is being co-hosted with the Canadian Federation of University Women -- Oakville, another group of inspiring women and the Canadian Club. My grandmother, Betty Makoni and Sally Armstrong are among so many women who inspire me to reach out and help those in need. I hope you will also be inspired and continue to help by supporting the $MOMO endeavour and the Stephen Lewis Foundation. Halla is a 12-year-old female African Savannah elephant working with $Millions or More Oakville ($MOMO) to support the Stephen Lewis Foundation (SLF) and the fight against AIDS in Africa. For more information, visit www.millionormoreslf.ca or call 905-469-6415. Heritage Furniture L I F E T I M E QUA L I T Y / U N B E ATA B L E P R I C E S HUGE SAVINGS! 50% Special on 100% Solid Wood Canadian-made Bedroom! Complete King Size Sets include: King Bed, Dresser, Chest and 2 Night Stands $ Up To Reg. 7999 $4999 Compare at Great Sofa & Loveseat Special 2 pcs. $ 2799 $ 1699 NOW Beautifully Tailored Accent Chairs Reg. $1899 Great styles to choose from Pair of chairs Now $ 899 THERE'S NEVER BEEN A BETTER TIME TO BUY! 4205 Fairview Street, Burlington · 905.634.5298 DENTURES tarting at S 379 905-815-8208 $ LIMITED TIME OFFER · Weekday Lessons 4/$107 or $35/Lesson BERTIN STABLES Winter Lessons and March Break Camps Now Booking · Saturday at Farm 10am-3pm $40 (Children 5-12 yrs.) www.bertinstables.com (905) 827-4678www.bertinstables.com