Aloha Global Community,

The environment, AIDS, poverty, education  - these are the topics that permeate our daily lives. So often they seem intangible and distant, yet it evokes the part of me that is optimistic and dreams of a world that tackles these issues through right action unencumbered by bureaucracy. I want to turn these dreams into reality.

When I starting Women for the World, I wanted to create a non-profit that tackled all of these issues. I soon realized that we would be more powerful if we put our voice behind the topic we felt was most important. It was hard for me - every issue holds as much emotion as the next. In my heart, though, I knew education was the right choice.

I firmly believe that I would not be where I am if I had not been educated. By this I am in no way referring only to the traditional form of education. After all, I don't have a high school diploma and have a checkered school history. The education I received was a combination of great parenting - the rule of thumb being "do unto others as you would have them to unto you" - innovative teaching and an unexpected amount of traveling the world at a very early age. I was always taught the beliefs of my elders while being encouraged to build from that and "find my own path."

With that in mind, Women for the World supports traditional education, believing that it provides a platform for us to grow. However, we also support alternative education including but not limited to sustainable health education for indigenous peoples. Our goal is to enrich lives through learning and we believe that to do that, we have to work within the cultural bounds of the communities we serve.

In addition, we believe in teaching children how to communicate and listen from the heart in hopes that it helps future generations become more aware of themselves and the world around them.

The world we live in is a beautiful place, filled with a myriad of people and traditions. We want to bring organizations and individuals together to honor this diversity, helping people around the world - in the far corners of Peru, to India, to Southern California - gain the knowledge they need so that they, too, may find their own path.

I have seen that individually we can make a difference, but I believe collectively we can change the world.

Thank you for your part in turning a dream into reality.

Mahalo Nui Loa,

Leilani Bishop
President & Founder Women for the World

~Strangers are family we have yet to meet~

- author unkown