These words reflect the aspirations of young women and adolescent girls participating in the U.S. Agency for International Development’s Hayatna (“our lives” in Juba Arabic) project in South Sudan. The project continues the DREAMS (Determined, Resilient, Empowered, AIDS Free, Mentored and Safe) initiative begun in Juba County, South Sudan, in 2020. DREAMS, a public-private partnership of
As a young girl in Bangladesh, Zinat Begum was fascinated by the women aid workers who bicycled to different towns, reaching out to people in need. Their independence intrigued her, “Their lifestyle was different from most people, and they wanted to make a difference in people’s lives. That really fascinated me.” During college, Zinat had
Before I joined DREAMS, I wasn’t doing anything. I was a dropout due to the lack of financial support from my parents. I live in Juba with my parents and my brother, but he just drinks alcohol and doesn’t help us…. I just decided to stay at home, but when I turned 18, I got
