Boston Globe Article!

Posted by Ellen on Thursday, April 24, 2008

Today Emerge was featured on the front page of the Lifestyle section in the Boston Globe, and the outpouring of support has been truly inspirational. I can't tell you how many emails I've received from people supporting our organization. The emails usually come in one of three forms:

1) I want to buy jewelry but you're Etsy store is sold out!! Help!

2) You guys are great! Keep on saving the world!

3) You guys are great AND I want to buy jewelry!

For those of you in the first camp, my advice is (1) check the Etsy site again ... we are posting products as fast as we can and (2) if you're in the Boston area, come to our Mother's Day Sale on May 2nd and 7th. We're getting a brand-new shipment of jewelry soon, and will have much more inventory at that time. In addition, thank you for supporting our cause. It's through the sale of jewelry that Emerge has been able to have a positive impact in the lives of over 60 Sri Lankan teenage mothers.

For those of you in the second camp, thank you for your support. I got involved with Emerge a little over 7 months ago, and my heart and soul has truly been poured into this project. Your encouragement and positive reinforcement is a perfect example of the type of community that Emerge is aiming to build in Sri Lanka and between Sri Lanka and the United States.

Finally, for those of you in the third camp, you're my rockstars. Keep spreading the word about Emerge!



All my best,
Ellen Sojka Read more »

Emerge Founder Speaks at MIT's Global Poverty Initiative

Posted by Alia on Sunday, April 20, 2008

Alia Whitney-Johnson presented at the MIT Global Poverty Initiative Millennium Campus Conference on April 18-20 in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The conference, which hosted other speakers such as Senator John Edwards, Administrator Henrietta Fore, Dr. Paul Farmer, and Amy Smith, aimed to motivate, inspire, and educate students to tackle the many facets of global poverty. Alia was one of 6 students who presented in a panel called “Stories from the Field: Student Action in Alleviating Poverty.” She led two workshops, one on “Starting Projects for Global Change,” and the second entitled "Overcoming Barriers in Project Delivery." Ellen Sojka, Emerge Business Director, and Alia also represented Emerge at the "Student Expo for Social Change." Read more »

Emerge at BU's 85 Broads Event

Posted by Alia on Tuesday, April 15, 2008

Ellen and Alia were invited guests to the April 12, 2008 85 Broads conference held at BU. Through their table at the event, the discussed Emerge's activities and mission and solicited support for Emerge's activities. Perhaps most excitingly, they met Lauren O'Toole, the BU Chapter Co-President, who will be working with Emerge in Sri Lanka, beginning Fall 2008!

Read more »

"I learned, from these amazing girls, what it means to live with resilience and strength, but also what it means to have joy."

Posted by Alia on Sunday, April 13, 2008

By Charlotta Chung, Emerge Volunteer

I came back from Sri Lanka almost 3 months ago, but every day something reminds me of the remarkable girls I came to love in only a month’s time. Whenever I get dressed for the day, I put on a piece of Emerge jewelry and think about the girl who made it. When I turn on my computer, I see the group picture we took, right before we had to say good-bye, and think back to those days spent around the jewelry table and the laughter and the smiles I was so privileged to share with them.

I want to share an excerpt from my journal that I kept while in Sri Lanka. This was written only a week before we left, on the day when we brought 25 girls from another home to Ma-Sevana to make long necklaces.

There’s a verse from Isaiah 61:3 that I love. "Bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes..." I realized that despite the pain of these girls' pasts, ashes, if you will, new life has sprung, and it's vital and it's beautiful and it's truly amazing. I'm seeing beauty in their lives that I wouldn't think was possible before I came here. In Chandrythka's smile, Raluka's laugh, and Sansara's quiet intensity. The curiosity and innocence I see in the eyes of the babies the newer mothers bring into the workshop room. The joy in Vindanda’s eyes when I hold him or make funny faces with him. Beauty for ashes indeed.”

I learned, from these amazing girls, what it means to live with resilience and strength, but also what it means to have joy. My time in Sri Lanka gave me an understanding of the power that women gain from learning a skill, teaching it to others, and finding self-worth in it. That understanding was my joy to gain.

It has been my privilege to share the joy that I found in Sri Lanka with others here in the United States. At St. Lawrence University, my home campus, I’ve been able to do 4-5 presentations to groups about Emerge and the girls and the bead project, and each time, people come up to me and ask what they can do to contribute, whether monetarily or through their time or word of mouth. Through sales, over $1500 has been generated for the girls. But more important than the money is the community of support that has been built, and that I am blessed to be a part of.

Going around campus, every day I see girls wearing their Emerge jewelry, and I can hear them excitedly telling people where the jewelry was made, and for what purpose it was sold. I see brochures hung on doors, and I see the canvas sales bags used as change purses, always serving as reminders of where the jewelry came from and who its sales support. I am also in the process of working with others on this campus who were inspired by the stories of the girls at Ma-Sevana to figure out ways that we can further build a community of support for Emerge here at St. Lawrence University. I am confident that these girls will continue to touch the lives of those who hear their story, and I am so grateful that I was able to be there in Sri Lanka with them and could return to share that time with others. Read more »

Emerge Presents at the Leadership Training Institute

Posted by Alia on Tuesday, April 08, 2008

Alia Whitney-Johnson, Emerge Executive Director, and Ellen Sojka, Emerge Business Director, presented at the Leadership Training Institute on April 6, 2008.

"The goal of the Leadership Training Institute is to teach motivated high school students the philosophy behind leadership, the importance of teamwork, and to promote self-reflection and the comprehension of self-identity." (http://www.mitlti.org/about/).

They shared the Emerge story with the eager group of high school students and helped brainstorm about the high schoolers' own projects. Through sharing the Emerge story, Emerge hopes to encourage other young people to passionately work for social change. Read more »