Together We Rise

March is Women’s History Month. Every day this month, there have been events in New York City (and around the world) which celebrate the importance of women and the dignity, respect, and honor they deserve. The events held this month brought to light the current issues affecting women and young girls worldwide and how to tackle them. Such issues included safety and security, education, health, and economic empowerment.

On Saturday, March 7, 2015, I was scheduled to be at Google’s headquarters in Chelsea for a morning meeting with a group whose aim is to teach programming and technology to a new generation of female coders who will become builders of technological innovation and of their own futures. A few days before, I learned about an organization called WomenWerk. They were having a Conference on the same day during the same time.

Founded by Nekpen Osuan and Demi Ajayi, WomenWerk is a movement that brings women and men together for a modern take on International Women's Day, celebrated annually in March. It was founded to change the way women discuss, perceive, and overcome challenges. The founders wanted WomenWerk to be a platform for women to affirm and celebrate individual and collective success.

WomenWerk's hallmark events were the Annual Forum and Gala. I wasn’t able to attend the Gala. However, I decided attend the Forum briefly before heading to the meeting at Google. The Forum was held at NYU Global Center.

As I entered the site, I was greeted by the organizers at the registration table with a welcome and hearty smiles. Tables were set for the vendors nearby. Although I was late for the first session, I decided to chat with the vendors. I came across a young woman named Alana Brown who was one of the ambassadors of Girl Rising, which is a global campaign for girls’ education by using the power of storytelling to share the simple truth that educating girls can transform societies.

I learned that Girl Rising unites girls, women, boys and men who believe every girl has the right to go to school and the right to reach her full potential. The vendor next to her was not there, but the materials were already arranged. I told her I knew someone who was a part of the organization. We later discovered that we both knew my friend, Haris Melendez. Moments later, Haris stepped off the elevator. I hadn’t seen her since 2011 at a mutual friend’s wedding. It somewhat felt like a reunion and we were happy to see her again. We decided to take pictures to commemorate the moment. One of the organizers announced that the morning session would be over soon.

As I headed towards the elevator, I came across Oluchi Obi, one of the speakers who had a dynamic personality. She was speaking to a parent who had brought her young daughter. Oluchi spoke about her struggles and how she overcame obstacles because of her faith in God.

By this time, I knew I was already late for the meeting at Google, and I wouldn’t make it. I stayed for a couple of minutes for the lunch break. At the entrance to the where the food was prepared was a journalist named Arao Ameny. I had recognized her from past events. I stopped to say hello and she greeted me with a smile and a hug. Our conversation was encouraging, insightful, and thought-provoking. By the time we finished speaking, we decided to meet again to discuss holding a forum on depression in the African community.

Although I didn’t attend the afternoon forum sessions because I had to leave for the rest of the day, I have to say that my conversations with the attendees and participants were encouraging and empowering. The organizers of WomenWerk did a phenomenal job in achieving their mission – to affirm and celebrate individual and collective success. I reminded of a quote, “Together, We Rise; Apart, We Fall.”