The Power of One

Did anyone see A Powerful Noise Live?

A Powerful Noise takes you inside the lives of three women to witness their daily challenges and their significant victories over poverty and oppression. Their stories are personal yet illustrate larger issues affecting millions of marginalized women worldwide. A Powerful Noise is a meditation on the inherent potential of women to change the world.

I got a bunch of girlfriends together and we went to see the production. I think each of us was more affected by a different story in the movie, but I definitely came away with something more than a one night experience.

The movie told the story of three women who had been affected by poverty, illness, and oppression. Each story began with one woman's personal struggle and as she came to terms with her struggle a power grew that gave her strength and confidence. Her confidence, gave her the power to affect change in the community around her then eventually a more global community. But it all began with the discovery of her own power - the power of one.

Today, I experienced the power of one in a friend from our local elementary school. Shawna, another mom, was surprised at the amount of trash our school's lunchroom generated every day. The lunchroom was using styrofoam trays to serve 200-300 kids every day and the students and kitchen food waste was being dumped into the trash along with recyclable containers. Shawna and her husband began exploring a better program for our school. They brought in the city waste department for ideas and visited other schools to observe their waste recycling program. Together with the school administrators, they devised a new program. As she talked about it with the staff and parents her concern for the environment and excitement affected students, teachers, other parents, and the lunchroom staff. One teacher was so supportive he asked his 6th grade class if anyone was willing to donate their lunch and recess time to helping in the kitchen washing dishes and helping students recycle properly. They said yes. Three kids wash the trays after the lunch rush and three more stand by the bins directing kids. We have a station for dumping waste drinks, a recycle bin, a trash bin, a food waste bin, and a juice pouch bin for pouches to be donated to an organization that makes juice pouch bags. Last week, the lunchroom produced up to eight large trash bags of garbage every day. This week, only one per day. The city will also pick up the recyclables bag and the food waste bag which will be composted. To top it off our school saved money because they were paying for trash pick up by the pound. As I was helping out today, I was amazed by the students and their excitement and commitment.

This was all started with the power of one person

Links:
A Powerful Noise
CARE: We place special focus on working alongside poor women because, equipped with the proper resources, women have the power to help whole families and entire communities escape poverty.
Nicholas Kristof: Human rights journalist for NY Times