EmpowerHer
In 2016, a conversation between Jo and her good friend, Andrew Hawker, opened the door to a remarkable journey. Andrew shared a project led by Bruce Claridge and his wife—a project spanning ten years that involved taking footballers to India to teach the beautiful game to boys and young men from Kolkata's slums.
This unique blend of adventure, sports, and making a difference deeply resonated with Jo. It sparked the idea: what if they could introduce netball alongside football, sharing the spirit of community and unity that netball fosters? Jo's passion for community and country netball, where women of all backgrounds unite to play and support each other, fueled her vision.
In 2018 and 2019, Jo and a dedicated team joined forces with Bruce and ventured to India, teaching both football and netball under the guidance of Kaushik, a key figure in making this initiative come to life.
These trips not only introduced Jo to the inspiring girls they met but also connected her with local individuals on their own mission to make a difference. During the 2019 trip, Jo and the team had the opportunity to collaborate with the Mukti Organisation. Here, they met leaders from Red Alert, an organization dedicated to preventing sex trafficking in rural villages, particularly in tea garden areas.
Red Alert was captivated by the power of netball in building teams of girls who looked out for each other, learned new skills, and pushed themselves physically. They believed that netball teams could become a safeguard against trafficking risks, using coaches as points of contact for concerns. This enthusiasm ignited Jo's passion even further.
A netball workshop for over 30 girls introduced Jo to Sushila, who journeyed from Dooars to learn the game. Red Alert then employed Sushila for a year to return to her home village in Dooars and teach netball to young girls.
Dooars, located between Nepal and Bhutan, is a region primarily comprised of tea gardens. The girls and women, including Sushila, live in villages within these gardens, and their livelihoods are tied to the tea garden companies. They work long hours for meager pay, trapped by the need to work to maintain their homes.
In 2020, as the world grappled with the COVID-19 pandemic, Jo embarked on her first netball-only tour to Kolkata and Dooars. In Dooars, two villages had embraced netball, all thanks to Sushila's dedication.
Sushila's role in this journey is pivotal. Her encouragement of girls to play netball throughout the year became the cornerstone of building and sustaining communities. It motivated girls to attend school, learn English, and aspire for more.
During the 2020 trip, Jo and Kaushik learned of a young girl in one of the netball teams who had disappeared, likely tricked by a trafficker. The team's alertness and quick response led to her rescue, highlighting the real impact of their work.
They also met Sujit, a local with deep roots in Dooars, who had worked in tea factories and now ran a travel service. His passion lay in empowering his community, especially its young women. Sujit's involvement added another critical piece to the organization's foundation.
And then COVID-19 struck. Despite the challenges, Jo saw the potential for lasting change and connected with Meg and Lo, who have now joined forces to establish EmpowerHer.
In November of this year, they will embark on the very first EmpowerHer trip with a small group.
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