I was born in Libya in 1993 and I and live Benghazi
I graduated Highschool 2011 with 98,3% and plan to enter College of Human Medicin to become a doctor.
In 2011 I started “Mama’s Garage Benghazi”, a SistaEnable project run from her home, aiming to encourage girls age 12-15 to continue education, opposed to cultural pressure of early marriage.
Biography
I am a libyan girl born in 1993, and I live in Benghazi, Libya.
Late 2011 I completed high school and passed my examinations with 98.30%. My ambition is to enter the College of Human Medicine to achieve my dreams of becoming a doctor.
Before the revolution I was deprived of all kinds of freedom and all I saw was a dark future, because I was not able to achieve any of my ambitions in my future world … women were marginalized and disadvantaged .. but now we aspire to achieve our freedom.
All borders are open for women to educate, but there is still a lot of culture to change, and only in creating debate and information of our possibilities, and in giving women the opportunity to learn about the rest of the world, we can encourage them to the gender equal independence a true democracy is based on.
SistaEnable in Libya
Our civilization is ancient and we have a lot of historic sites in all the regions of the country, but our people has been suppressed for many years and we must now learn to find our pride again.
I do not see any developments so far in my country and this is due to the difficulty of the transitional phase in which we live now. I see how peace and security must prevail on Libya and by the establishment of the army as soon as possible and the return of police to the streets, to transform the present danger and chaos we experience in the streets, into the stability we need to re-build our country. Then we can develop ways of education and technology advancement and enhance development of our medical services.
Our country has resources like oil, tourism and the possibility of opening world trade and we have the possibility to build a strong economy, which can make us aspire to a partnership with the EU.
But our country will only have a bright future if officials consider patriotism and love for Libya away from personal interests, and only if our leaders will understand to move our nation in the direction of a modern, gender equal society, where men and women can work with and respect each other, and get equal opportunities to education and work.
Libyan women need to be empowered from early age, in order to identify themselves as a part of our working force. Libyan women lack the general knowledge, education and work leading to their independence. Any promotion of the SistaEnable easy-access-info will empower the women here. Locating SistaEnable Social Cafés “Mama’s Garage” will help young girls identify and encourage them to move on.
Encouraging girls from age 12 and up, to continue educating opposed to getting married.
Personally I would like to do my best in working with young teenage girls, from age 12 and up. I have started a group of volunteers my own age, and we visit schools and talk to young girls to inform them of the importance and the possibilities of continuing school and education. Too many girls in my country marry very young, most often because they are not aware of a different and more independent future.
I have partnered with adults who support me in my work; my father and a third grade teacher among them. Partnership is highly important, as I do not have the age nor the authority to pave my ways, but I do have the desire, the courage, the faith and the determination, to reach as many growing girls as possible with my message of the importance of building a new strong democratic country, by starting out with one self.
As a SistaEnable Ambassador I hope to add world focus on the work we, the young women of Libya, have ahead of us. I hope to build a global network, which can support us with information on where to go and how to grow. So far I am doing this work from my personal room at my parents house where I live.
I would like to find funds to start the first Benghazi “Mama’s Garage”, a SistaEnable Social Café, to have a place for all the girls to meet in the afterschool hours, with the opportunity to broaden our horizon and “see” the world, and to find the network we need. I am supported/encouraged by my parents and a female 3. Grade teacher.
This is why I am excited to be involved with SistaEnable.