This “IronMom” is Creating Jobs to End Poverty For Good
Have you ever been asked what fires you up and makes you come alive? For me, the answer comes easy.
I am haunted by the fact that there are millions of women all over the world who are desperately struggling to feed and provide for their children. Millions of women are in a position where they feel like their only option is to sell their bodies or to surrender their children to an orphanage—simply because they severely lack economic opportunities.
70 percent of people living in extreme poverty are women and children, and globally, women earn only 25 cents to a man’s dollar.
Plus, in many developing countries, over 70 percent of orphans have at least one surviving parent and were given up for economic reasons.
The injustice and tragedy of this global epidemic breaks my heart, and raising children of my own makes the statistics all the more real. I think about it every morning and every night as I go through the day with my kids.
As a result, I am committed to doing everything I can to advocate for families in these circumstances. And I am committed to stewarding my resources so that I can partner with people in desperate situations in a dignifying way that makes a long-term difference.
Extreme poverty is a root of both the sex trade and the orphan crisis. So I’ve chosen to fight extreme poverty by investing in job creation and economic development initiatives—a proven way to make a long-term, sustainable difference. It empowers families and communities in a dignified way and causes a powerful ripple effect.
I learned about Partners Worldwide and their initiative 100K Jobs in Haiti while watching the award-winning documentary Poverty, Inc. I knew immediately that I wanted to be involved in the work they were doing to create jobs and economic opportunities.
In addition to fighting poverty, another passion of mine is fitness.
It has been a lifelong dream to compete in an Ironman triathlon; and on April 28th, 2018 I will be racing in The Woodlands Memorial Hermann Ironman 140.6!
My husband and I decided it would be a privilege and an honor to use this as an opportunity to raise funds and awareness of the incredible work Partners Worldwide is doing through their 100K Jobs in Haiti initiative.
Here are some powerful ways your donations can support small businesses and lift people out of poverty:
– $10 helps a farmer plant one nut tree, providing additional family income for 30 years.
– $100 provides an entrepreneur with business training.
– $250 provides a beehive for a family to start a beekeeping business, generating household income.
– $500 provides a loan for a small business to grow and sustain families in areas of high poverty and unemployment.
My goal is to raise $2,500 to help support ten small businesses in Haiti. Visit my Facebook to follow along on the journey or to make a gift!
Your partnership and support mean the world to me, and every single donation makes a difference and is greatly appreciated.
Thank you for reading my story and for your shared passion to lift families out of poverty through dignified economic opportunities. I am very excited for this opportunity, and I can’t wait to race for Partners Worldwide and 100K Jobs in Haiti!
Sarah Lewis lives in Texas with her husband Jesse and their two children.
February 7, 2018