& change lives.

Empowering Women Improves the Lives of Children: The Seeds of a Community's Hope

"There is no tool for development more effective than the empowerment of women. No other policy is as likely to raise economic productivity, lower infant and maternal mortality, or improve nutrition and promote health, including the prevention of HIV/AIDS. When women are fully involved, the benefits can be seen immediately: families are healthier; they are better fed; their income, savings and reinvestment go up. And what is true of families is true of communities and eventually, whole countries"

-Kofi Annan, Former Secretary General to the United Nations

HHI embodies the spirit of women's empowerment and recognizes that it is the key to improving the lives of children, local communities, countries, and the world.

Equipping a woman with the proper tools is like dropping a stone in a pond; the ripple effects are inevitable. That is why HHI provides women of the world's most impoverished communities with the skills to properly care for their children. They apply this knowledge and the results can be seen in healthier children, stronger families, and more engaged communities. HHI's promotion of women's individual and collective empowerment also leads to more gender balanced representation in community organization and government, more employment and education opportunities, and increased community health awareness and disease prevention.

Empowering women is also the best chance that the global community has to meet some of the top United Nations Millennium Goals: the eradication of extreme poverty and hunger, universal primary education, gender equality, the reduction of child mortality, the improvement of maternal health, and the end of HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases.

An HHI Success Story: The Power of One

As HHI Executive Director Laura Peterson said, HHI trainee Vijaya Lakshmi, was "bubbling with pride" when she reported a miracle of her own making to HHI Master Trainer Sujatha. Her friend's elderly mother was hospitalized with an unidentifiable neurological condition. After weeks of pain and partial paralysis, the woman showed no signs of improvement. Vijaya Lakshmi approached the woman's doctors with the offering of her healing massage skills (which she learned from an HHI training) which she could give to her every day, free of cost. She was permitted to do so and within no time, the woman was healed and walked away from the hospital on her own. The hospital staff was amazed and Vijaya Lakshmi was so proud to know that she helped to improve the woman's health. Both Vijaya Lakshmi and her HHI trainer, Sujatha, were honored for this healing in the woman's village. Read the whole story in Laura's words.

This is just one miraculous result of HHI's empowerment of women. Vijaya took the skills that she learned from HHI and reached out to help someone in pain. Now that HHI has reached 1200+ women with its training, just imagine how many more miracles have happened and how many will happen again.

HHI-INDIA CERTIFIED TRAINERS

Sujatha

Sujatha was HHI's first certified local trainer. She is high energy, 31 years-old, has 2 children of her own and has been involved with child services for her entire life. She has a passion for children, specifically those with special needs, and this combined with her life experiences led her to earn a BA degree in Psychology. In her spare time, she teaches classical Indian dance to children in a local school. Sujatha speaks English as fluently as she speaks her native language. She translates HHI's trainings and will continue to offer the trainings to local orphanages.

Indhu

Indhu earned a Master's Degree in social work with a special focus on medical and psychiatric issues. She is intelligent, hard working, focused and dedicated to serving others with her work as an HHI Trainer. Prior to working with HHI, Indhu had an impressive work history, serving in community, hospital, NGO and orphanage settings. When HHI expanded its work in to the state of Kerala, Indhu was quickly recognized for her talents in teaching others, as well as her knowledge of child development. She enjoys traveling, music and reading and can speak and write both English and Malayalam. Indhu provides HHI trainings to orphanage caregivers and the teachers of India's Integrated Child Development Services.

Tapaswini

Just Some of the Many HHI Trainees:

Vijaya Lakshmi

Vijaya Lakshmi became a grandmother at 40 years old. She was married very young and had her first of 2 sons when she was 15. She was able to go to 10 years of schooling. She held a job in a garment factory, but was laid off and has had a hard time finding work ever since then. Vijaya Lakshmi jumped at the chance to take HHI’s training. She loves children and has a particular affection for youngsters with special needs. Vijaya Lakshmi has a bubbly personality, a perpetual smile, and a very generous heart. Read more about what she has done since her HHI training in Unpredictable Miracles.

Sarswathi

Saraswathi is about 42 years old. She was a child bride, married and had her first baby when she was 12. Her husband died in 1998 and she now lives with her grown children and grandchildren. Saraswathi was only able to attend 3 years of schooling. Once she had a job at a factory, but it made her sick and after 6 months she had to quit. She is soft spoken, quick to smile, and is deeply committed to the health and well-being of her grandchildren.

Manjula

Manjula was married at 18 and a widow by 27. She is now 28 and has a young daughter to provide for. She attended 6 years of schooling, but stopped when her father died and she had to work at home to help her family. Manjula came to HHI’s training because she wanted to work with orphaned babies, providing them with the affection and encouragement to be successful in life. She was eager to work with the youngest and most fragile babies. She is extremely gentle and loving, and babies are known to quickly and peacefully fall asleep in her embrace.


Annpoorani

Annpoorani is 33 years old and married. Although she adores babies, she has not had children herself. She worked at a garment company for 5 years, but the work was grueling and often made her sick. Annpoorani blossomed during the HHI training! She learned quickly and was able to give many ideas of how to provide the best care for small children.

Chitra

Chitra is married and has 3 children of her own. She attended 5 years of schooling, but had not held a job outside of her home. She wanted to take HHI's training to gain a job at a local orphanage. She was very involved during the HHI training and was eager to learn how to help the children who seem the hardest to reach. She loves to hear the laughter of children. Chitra's goal was to "bring successful children into the world"

Shanti

Shanti was married and had 3 children of her own. She only had 5 years of formal schooling,
but is very bright and friendly. She is very generous and has a passion to serve children in orphanages. Shanti attended HHI's very first training and her goal was to work at a local orphanage where she wanted to help keep children safe and secure until they are adopted. She plans to use her own income to ensure that her children will be able to attend school.

Jothi

Jothi is the youngest of her 5 siblings and lives with her extended family. She has earned a high school diploma and has completed a year of training as a nursing assistant. During HHI's training she was a leader in teaching skills about health and hygiene and as is obvious from her photo, she is naturally warm and nurturing with the children in her care.

Vara Lakshmi

Vara Lakshmi has 2 young children at home. Although she had only 2 years of formal education, she was quick to learn about child development and loved to give the babies massage. Vara Lakshmi is gentle and kind, and always gave love, affection and encouragement to the children in her care.