Written by Melody Mociulski, Chair and Founder of Educational Empowerment Girls around the world today are struggling to achieve their basic human rights – protection from forced labor, early marriage, conflict, and sex slavery; access to education; prevention of needless death from pregnancy and childbirth; freedom to determine for themselves their life path. In the face of these ongoing and seemingly insurmountable obstacles, natural disasters add yet one more barrier for them to overcome. On Friday May 2nd, 2008, Cyclone Nargis, the 8th worst cyclone ever recorded, hit the Ayeyarwady Delta in Myanmar. Approximately 150,000 people were killed, and 20,000 girls and boys were orphaned. Villagers were starting their day as usual when all of a sudden the wind whipped up the river and the water began to rise. Trees and houses crashed down and floated away. Families were separated. Darkness came. Although crying of children and animals could be heard, no one could see anything. The water kept creeping up. In the morning, all was mud and destruction. Children tried to find their families …![]()
