Courageous Young Women Who Care

Courageous Young Women Who Care

Young women around the globe are making a difference in their schools, their communities, their cites, and their countries. Here is one example how they are doing that.

Meet Kehkashan Basu.

On the left is a video of Kehkashan in 2016, when she won the International Children’s Peace Prize. She was 16 years old at the time.

On the right is a video she made in 2022.

For more examples of young women who care, check out 13 YOUNG WOMEN LEADERS YOU NEED TO KNOW at VitalVoices.org.

Individually, young women are a powerful force. Collectively, they can do things no army could accomplish. You are part of that effort. You can help make the world a better place. If you don’t know how or where to start, ask yourself this question:

What do I care about?

As you go through life, your thoughts will show what you really care about. Pay attention to what draws your attention because it’s odd, or doesn’t look right, or makes you worry, or isn’t fair, is incomplete, or could just be better.

“Is that dog lost?”

“This is a scary place to cross the street.”

“That kid looks cold.”

“That swing is broken.”

“That lady needs help.”

“That baby’s shoe is falling off.”

Anything that makes a solution come to your mind, or that makes you look for a solution–those are things you care about. When you wish someone would do something, or when you wish there was something you could do–those are things you care about. When you see something horrible, or even just sad on the news–those are things you care about.

Challenge 1

1. Get your journal and draw a line down the middle of a page.
2. Set a timer for two minutes.
3. On the left side of the page, brainstorm and write down all the things you care about: at your school, in your community, or in your city. Don’t worry about what you can or can’t do to help. Just identify problems.
4. Keep writing until the timer goes off. No matter what, keep writing things down. Big or small. In the world, or in your home. Write it all down.

Challenge 2

1. Read your list.
2. On the right side, accross from each thing you care about, write down the need. What would help this situation? Think of at least one thing that might possibly help, even in a small way.
3. Rank each item.
   1. Write a #1 by the ones you could help with all by yourself.
   2. Write a #2 by the ones you could help with if one other person helped, too.
   3. Write a #3 by the things it would take more people to help with.
   4. In the examples above, you could help the baby with its shoe or tell the adult that the baby’s shoe is coming off; you could probably find a coat for the kid who looks cold; you might be able to help the lady, depending on what she needs. You might be able to fix the swing if someone helped you; you might be able to find the dog’s ownder or find a home for it with a little help. Getting a crosswalk or a light put in at the scary street crossing would take a coordinated effort, gathering signatures, talking to the city, etc., but it could be be done.
4. Choose three needs you care about from the list, and do something about them. Make a plan, get what you need, and do it.
   1. Caring isn’t just a feeling or an emotion. Caring is helping where and when and how you can.
   2. Caring, is making the world a better place, even if it’s for only one person.
5. Record your experience(s) in you journal.

You are a courageous young woman who cares.