Because I am a Girl Blog

Meet Marie Dumay Miracles.  She’s a perfect example of how the Because I am a Girl approach works.

Today, Marie is a Civil Engineer, and the Deputy Mayor of her home town in Haiti.  But, it wasn’t always clear that Marie would be able to reach this level of success and have the chance to give back to her community.

When Marie was young, Plan became a part of her family’s life when her brother became a sponsored child.  It didn’t just change her brother’s life, though – Plan’s involvement made a difference in the lives of the whole family, and the community.

Plan helped Marie’s parents to become more productive farmers through training and supporting a community built irrigation system.  The organization also supported the family to send the children to school, and according to Marie, all 9 children finished school.  This is a big deal, illustrated by the fact that in many areas of Haiti children face obstacles going to school.  For example, girls in particular stay home and help with household chores rather than attending classes.

Marie was given a scholarship through Plan to attend university, which wouldn’t have happened otherwise:

“My parents were working hard but they could not afford to pay for my university.”

Now, Marie is an active member of her community and she is putting her engineering skills to use in the aftermath of the earthquake, and helping Plan to coordinate their relief efforts.

Marie is a flesh and blood example of how investing in girls can help women become leaders in their communities, working to make positive change.

But, Marie isn’t stopping there.  Next step?  Running for Mayor.