Blossom Bath & Body is proof of the power of young women.

The owner, Shauna Podruzny, is a young woman herself. And she makes sure to fill her shelves with perfumes, soaps, and skin care products made by other young women from around the world.

Shauna is a big supporter of Because I Am A Girl, using her business savvy to raise awareness and funds for the campaign. Today, she shares her tips and tricks about mixing business with charity!

KJ: Can you tell me a bit about how you’ve been involved with Because I am a Girl?

I was first approached by Sara, who started the Markham Woman’s 5k and is a customer of mine at Blossom Lounge.

Last year we put together a team to run the Markham Woman’s 5k. There were five of us, and let me tell you…most of us aren’t runners! This year we donated a portion of that day’s sales at Blossom Lounge and did the gift bags for the run. And recently, during a street festival, we held a Because I am a Girl Pink LemonAid stand.

KJ: What made you decide to get involved with the Because I am a Girl campaign?

My business is all about highlighting products from young female entrepreneurs from around the world – I am one myself! So, I wanted to be a part of Because I am a Girl because of that.

Because I am a Girl highlights an issue that doesn’t get enough attention. People are really focused on what’s happening around them. Sometimes it’s hard to get them to look outside the comfort of their own homes. If we can, we should step outside and help girls that don’t have the means to take care of themselves, whether its through raising money or awareness. So, when Sara approached me, I decided to put all my charity efforts on helping Because I am a Girl.

KJ: You’re mixing business with activism – what made you decide to combine those two things?

All businesses have a platform to help through charity, and as a business owner it’s your duty. You have to use what you have to go beyond just getting yourself a paycheque. You have to ask, whether it’s local or international, how can I make a difference?

A lot of the fashion and beauty lines we feature in our store are by independent women entrepreneurs. The Because I am a Girl campaign is kind of the same thing. It’s about empowerment, and it ties directly with what we’re doing in the store. We’ve got lines from Brazil, Italy, France and Canada, but not a lot of stuff from developing nations. It would be nice to see more fashion and beauty products coming from there!

KJ: Tell me about the ins and outs of holding a Pink LemonAid stand.

It’s just a matter of girl power! Who doesn’t love pink lemonade? What makes it even better is that you’re not just buying a drink, you’re also helping girls.

Getting it set up costs next to nothing. Just buy cans of lemonade at the grocery store, mix it up, find a good spot and start selling. It’s effortless! The best thing is that people come up and talk to you so you can help spread the word about girls while raising money, too.

Make sure to check out Blossom Lounge on Facebook, Twitter and their blog!

Are you planning a Because I am a Girl Pink LemonAid Stand this summer? Tell us about it!

Hilary and girls living in a Plan supported dorm in Tanzania

KJ: Tell me a little bit about yourself!

I’m Hilary and I go to school in Toronto at the Bishop Strachan School. I’m a grade 10 student and in September I travelled to Tanzania with Plan Canada.

KJ: You headed to Tanzania last Fall – can you tell me a bit more about that experience?

We were gone for 10 days in total. We visited two girls’ dorms at schools – one was completed, and the other one was being built with the help of Sara and Maddy who we travelled with.

As we were driving up, we were looking around to see where people lived…they were so far from the school! When girls are able to stay at school they don’t have to worry about safety and that long walk walk. As well, they’re in an environment of learning and studying so they can focus on school work more than at home.

After visiting the schools we went for a safari in the Serengeti. The coolest thing we got to see there was a whole pack of lions, with a few baby cubs. They came up to to our cars and licked the tires. We also saw zebras, giraffes and elephants.

KJ: How were girls’ lives different in Tanzania compared to Canada? How were they the same?

One of the things they asked was whether a lot of teenage girls get pregnant in Canada. It is so prevalent in Tanzania, and one of the reasons so many girls don’t end up finishing school. In Canada, it happens but not to the same extent.

The thing we have in common is big dreams and goals. One of the girls wanted to be a pilot. Another wanted to work in the Tanzanian embassy and get the chance to travel to Canada.

I go to an all girls school with the motto girls can do anything. There’s that drive to do whatever you want to do as your job. The girls I met in Tanzania really weren’t going to let their situations hold them back – just like us, they were determined to achieve their dreams.

KJ: How have you been involved in the Because I am a Girl campaign since coming home?

Well, Sara and Maddy who we travelled with to Tanzania hold a fundraising run each year to raise money for the Because I am a Girl campaign. This year, my mom and I ran the Pink LemonAid stand at the Markham Girls and Women 5k to help raise money.

Also, at BSS, we wear a uniform all year. On Grub Days we can wear regular clothes if we donate $2 to a charity that we vote on. It’s been Because I am a Girl two years in a row!

KJ: What impact has going to Africa had on the way you see the world?

The girls at the dorm held a dinner for us an put on a play where they told us about the barriers they face just because they are girls. And they also told us that the biggest way to change this is through education. It shows girls what they are capable of and that they can be leaders in their community.

I realized how they are breaking down those barriers and how happy they are to have this opportunity.

KJ: What’s your advice for girls that want to get involved in the girls’ movement?

The first step is checking out the website, if you’re not sure on some of the issues or if you want to help but don’t know how.

The Pink LemonAid stand was also great. It’s easy to do. We were raising money, but also lots of people asked us about the Because I am a Girl campaign so we were raising awareness too.

Diana in Sudan with women using a fuel efficient stove

One month after Diana Gee-Silverman joined Plan’s emergency program team, disaster struck Haiti in the form of a massive earthquake. Diana has been busy ever since.

As Diana explains, Plan deals with two kinds of emergencies – ones that happen suddenly, like the Haitian earthquake, and those that are ongoing, like conflict in Sudan.

I had the chance to catch up with Diana and ask her about the current situation in Sudan, and also what it’s like to work as a program manager in emergencies. Here’s what she had to say:

KJ: You used to live in Sudan when it was one country – can you give a quick summary about the referendum and upcoming split?

DGS: In January 2011, Sudan’s citizens voted to divide their country into two brand new countries: South Sudan and North Sudan. The decision to split came as a result of years of conflict between the two halves of Africa’s largest country. The split will become official on July 9, 2011.

KJ: What do you think this means for the country and its people?

DGS: It will mean more displaced people on both sides. Southerners living in the North will move back to the South, and vice versa. Even though people are heading back to where they came from, if they haven’t been there for a while it might mean that they don’t have the support structures that they need.

South Sudan has extremely limited infrastructure. For example, people have been on the run for so long that farmer’s fields have been left uncultivated. In a conflict situation, there are obstacles to planting and harvesting food. People are concerned that they may be pushed off their land at any time, or that if they do try to grow crops they will be taken away.

Did you know: South Sudan, roughly the size of France, has only 50 kilometers of paved roads and almost no public electrical power. It also lacks public water and sanitation systems.

KJ: Sudan is often in media as country at war and in deep internal conflict – do you have another side of the country and people to share?

DGS: Years of conflict have made people very resilient. They still lead lives…they get married, have families and raise kids. You can’t say that they are normal lives – that wouldn’t be true, but they still have lives. Kids still have fun, they still play soccer on the street.

KJ: What do you think it would be like to grow up as a girl in Sudan from your experience living there?

DGS: I don’t know! It’s so far removed from my experience. I’ve got two master’s degrees and I’ve been in 50 different countries. I grew up in a country that has health care, I was vaccinated as a child, I never was forced to leave my home. It’s like apples and oranges. I couldn’t imagine what life would be like for one of the people staying in the displacement camps. It’s hard to put my feet in their shoes.

KJ: What was your experience personally as a woman living in Sudan?

DGS: It’s very different for me being a foreign woman, compared to the lives of local women. As an educated woman in Sudan there is more freedom to work, to be out of the house, to live the life they want.

KJ: Can you tell me a little bit about your role as an NGO worker overseas? What does that really mean?

DGS: I’m not a nurse, not a doctor, not an engineer, but as a program manager what I do allows these kinds of people to get their job done. There are always delays and things don’t go your way, but the most important thing is to be flexible and just roll with whatever happens.

The job allows me to experience lots of different places and learn bits and pieces of new languages. But, there are also challenges. It’s hard to maintain relationships with friends and family, and I miss stuff like lattes and movie theatres.

Diana’s Top 3 Tips for getting involved in emergency work:

• Read LOTS: Anything you can get your hands on, including newspapers, books and novels.
• Volunteer: At the beginning, Diana had to work two jobs to afford to go overseas.
• Do your homework: Before you head overseas, learn as much as possible about the organization you’re going with. Make sure that it is well recognized and respected.

The long-time Because I am a Girl supporter and ambassador has decided to trade in her skis for books as she dives full-time into the world of political science and business management at McGill University.

Jenn has used her athletic fame to mobilize others towards her cause. In February 2010, she announced that she’ll give $25,000 of her own money to the Because I am a Girl Campaign and lead a fundraising challenge to raise a total of $1million.  She’s on her way!

Wanna join the Jenn Heil challenge?

About her retirement, Jenn says, “I think it’s really the right time and you have to respect when that time is. I want to find as much success off my skis as on my skis. I’ve got a lot of exciting things waiting for me.”

Most of us don’t think of retirement at age 27. For Jenn, it doesn’t mean resting on her success, but going after a different type of prize: girls’ rights.

You can stay in touch with Jenn on this new adventure via twitter, her website or stay tuned here for more details.

On or off the mountain, we think Jenn Heil is an inspiration.

To sum up my feelings about 2010, all I can say is this: I AM SO INSPIRED BY ALL OF YOU!

Without further ado, here are the Because I am a Girl Girls that ROCK Highlights of 2010!

A Year of Girls that Rock

Laura and Avery: These artsy sisters from Nova Scotia sang and painted to raise awareness and dollars for the Because I am a Girl movement.

Sara and Maddy: This mother-daughter duo decided to help build a residence for girls in Tanzania. On Mother’s day they held a run, raising $20,000! This fall, the two of them headed to Africa to see their dollars being put to good use.

The Because I am a Girl Speakers’ Bureau: You’ve met them before – Manar, Zahra, Julia, Saba, Amy and Maneesa. These ladies travel the country (and beyond!) as your representatives, speaking out on girls issues every where from fashion shows to Parliament Hill.

Leah Stuart-Sheppard: Having seen issues facing girls in Kenya first hand, Leah represented Canada at the G(irls) 20 Summit in June.

Julia and her Vintage Motorcycle: This adventure-seeker rode her vintage Cub from Brampton to Newfoundland this summer, raising awareness about girls issues the whole way!

Willa: went bald for girls to draw attention to issues facing girls around the world.

The Cantores Celestes: This women’s choir chose to belt it out for Because I am a Girl with a concert.

Roma: Each year, Roma picks one charity to support for the year, and then pulls out all the stops. She is an event planner extraordinaire, and this year she supported Because I am a Girl!

Cambridge Turbos Ringette Team: These champions decided to support Because I am a Girl on the ice!

St. Joseph’s High School: These lovely ladies hosted an amazing vintage fashion show to support Because I am a Girl.

Beatrice: A journalist at 13, Beatrice covered the climate change conference in Copenhagen.

East Coast Michaela: An activist at 11, Michaela from Nova Scotia decided that the best thing she could do for girls was to raise awareness, which she does through starting conversations, wearing her Because I am a Girl shirt, and giving presentations on girls issues.

Will you become one of our Girls that Rock in 2011, and join this amazing group of girls?  Check out BecauseIamaGirl.ca’s Engage Page to learn more!

Earlier this year, you heard about Maddy and Sara, a mother-daughter team fundraising to build a residence for girls in Tanzania.  The goal of the project was to help make education safe and accessible for these girls.  Maddy and Sara raised $20,000 and five months later, they headed to Tanzania to see their funds in action.  Here’s what 9-year-old Maddy had to say about her experience:

My name is Madeleine and I just returned from Africa with my Mom Sara. We went there to see the construction of a girls high school residence that we helped raise money for. We organized a girls running race and raised $20,000, which we gave to Plan Canada for this project.

Plan invited us to Tanzania with a group of other people who gave money, to meet the girls and see the construction of our residence. My Mom said yes right away! So we started planning our trip, just me and my Mom.

We left on September 24th. The plane ride was REALLY long – 18 hours but I slept a little bit. We watched some funny movies too. We stopped in Amsterdam which was neat.

The day after we arrived in the capital Dar Es Salaam, we went to see a school that already has a residence, ours is still being built. It was really neat – the whole community came out to see us. They danced and sang for us and there were a LOT of speeches.

I was surprised how much they are like girls here. They laugh and giggle like us. Two of the girls want to be doctors and the other wanted to be a policewoman. I hope they can be those things someday.

The next day we flew to Kilimanjaro. We saw Mount Kilimanjaro from the plane window, above the clouds. When we landed we met our driver & guide, Hussein. He was really funny.

We drove from Kilimanjaro to Arusha and then to Lake Manyara Park, for a safari. It was awesome. We did a safari there, then the Ngrongoro Crater, and the Serengeti. I couldn’t believe all the animals I saw! Lions, giraffes, zebras, elephants – they were my favourite. They got really close to the trucks, we could have pet them if we wanted to (but didn’t!!!).

After the safaris, we drove to Mwanza. This is near our girls school, which is in Bhuhongwa. Going to see the construction of our residence was really cool. It was so neat to see what we worked hard to raise money for. We also got to make some bricks, put our hands in cement and plant a tree for the school. It was my favourite day of the trip.

We did some other neat things in Mwanza before heading back to Dar, and saw a lot of that part of the country. I was really surprised by the poverty, I had not imagined anyone could live like that. We are so lucky to have what we have here in Canada.

It was a fun trip and I definitely want to go back to Africa again. I loved everything about it, and want to learn more about the people and their culture. I also want to see our residence again someday, built with 100 girls living it, safe from violence and going to school.

Click here and here to read more about Maddy and Sara’s project, or how you could find a project of your own.  You can also sign up to run with Maddy and Sara this Spring to raise money for a school in Rwanda.

An interview with Jen Fawcette (aka Rocket Girl), girl cycle blogger extraordinaire!

When she’s on her bike, Jen Fawcette sees her legs as “jet engines,” propelling her up hills. A few years ago, Jen decided to take her passion for cycling online and create a site for women’s cycling in Toronto. She tests products and routes, journals about her own goals and challenges, and coordinates girls-only bike rides and bike maintenance. When she’s not sharing her cycling thoughts online, Jen’s busy getting girls (and guys) into bike shape as the manager at CYKL, Toronto’s first exclusively RealRyder™ indoor cycling studio.

KJ: Why did you think it was important to start a girl-focused cycling community on and offline?
RG: It was important to start a girl focused cycling community online and offline because cycling is still a “man’s” sport. I found road cycling as a sport very confusing when I first started, and trying to find any information on women’s gear, apparel, teams, groups, etc was almost impossible. So, decided to create a blog that focused on women’s cycling, my experiences, my opinion on gear and rides. The cycling world is huge and there is so much to learn, so I try to post everything I learn or experience, so others can navigate the cycling world easier! Really it’s just a starting point for most women, but I love talking and sharing about all things cycling, so my blog really has become a passion of mine. And I have had the opportunity to meet some incredible people in the cycling world because of it.

Starting a women’s road cycling group was important to me because nothing like it exists in TO. Cycling clubs are predominately run by men, who get a kick out of racing with each other and pushing their limits, often dropping each other. Which is totally fine if that’s what you’re looking for, but there are so many women out there that need, and want, to learn the fundamentals of road cycling (gearing, shifting, even clipping in and out of pedals). So, starting a causal women’s ride just made sense. We learn together, we grow together and we’re always pushing each other, but not in a jerk type-of-way. My group is as strong as its weakest rider, and if someone is falling behind, then I wait for them. For me the ride isn’t about pushing my personal limits, it’s about everyone getting something out of it. This summer was the first season for CYKLfemmes, and it was a whole bunch of fun!

KJ: What about being a girl helps you kick ass at cycling and getting other girls to get their butts in the saddle?
RG: So many women have boyfriends or husbands that ride and they often hear “Hunny you should buy a bike! We can go and ride together.”  But these woman often don’t get involved with the sport because of they don’t think they can do it or they don’t think they’re fast enough. Yet, as soon as I say “you can do it, I’ve taught lots of my friends how to ride a road bike, clip in and out of the pedals, and eventually all of them can finish, long difficult 100km rides!” There is something that lights up inside them. I think hearing it from a woman who sees the potential and can teach them over time, as opposed to their boyfriend or husband who may not be the most patient teacher (and who is looking for an excuse to just ride more, so if their partner is involved they can), inspires confidence and ultimately gets them on the bike.

KJ: You love what you do…what advice can you give to girls that want to turn their hobbies into careers?
RG: Cycling indoors and outside has helped me really love who I am. After university I felt defeated and lost. I wasn’t passionate about my job, it was just a paycheque. I started spinning, which sparked something inside of me. It made me challenge myself, gave me confidence and ultimately lead me to amazing people, one of which is my boyfriend (Barf! But it’s true!). We inspire and challenge each other through cycling. He’s been my number one fan, and is an honorary member of our women’s road group! But in all seriousness, once you start to do something positive in your life, it’s contagious and you start to attract more positivity. All this positivity eventually shifted my life from being lost to knowing exactly what I want. It’s turned cycling into a complete lifestyle for me: where every ride I take is different, the weather/ roads/ routes are constantly changing and no matter what it always challenges me to learn something new about myself!

As for hobbies-to-careers my advice is to do it! DO IT NOW! Don’t wait to do what you love. If you live your life working at something you’re passionate about people will notice and success will follow. Life’s too short to be miserable and in a dead end career that isn’t what you want out of life.

KJ: You picked the name Rocket Girl for your blogging alias.  Can you tell me what’s behind that name and why it represents you?
RG: Seriously, you are the first person to ask me what my name means! I chose Rocket Girl because I’m so speedy up hills…I envision quads to be like two jet engines! Honestly though, I’m not that fast, but I do have moments where I fly past grown men, on expensive bikes. I love seeing the devastation on their face as a “girl” kicks their butt up a hill! I secretly love crushing the male ego. Sometimes they deserve it.

CYKL Femmes on the road

An Interview with Gail Prosser-Craig from

Last week I had a chance to ask a couple of questions to Gail Prosser-Craig, a female master carpenter and contractor, and member of the cast of Canada’s Worst Handyman. She’s also the owner of Women Who Build Stuff. She took time out of her busy building stuff schedule to tell us about what its like to be a woman working in a field traditionally dominated by men. Here’s what she had to say!

KJ: What made you get into carpentry and contracting?
GPC: Carpentry seemed a natural fit for me.  My father is a mechanic, so as a kid, I was a garage rat.  He would frequently bring home scrap cars for me to dismantle.  (I thought every kid had their very own scrap yard…turns out, not so much).  I also grew up just outside of Sudbury: basically, the middle of nowhere.  Trees everywhere.  My cousins and I lived in the forest…we would steal supplies from my grandfather and build tree houses, play in them briefly, then decide to upgrade to a nicer spot…and build again!  I think that’s how I became so comfortable with tools…I DO NOT hammer like a ‘girl’…I use my hammer like a carpenter.

So – I guess life really led me to this career…I’m passionate about working with my hands, I’m creative, and I love problem solving…these things are essential in the trades.  It became obvious to me as a young adult – that the fact that I would drive by a construction site, and be jealous of the men working on it – meant I should make a move towards it…and feel the same type of reward for building something as they do.

KJ: Do you ever feel like you’re treated differently from your male counterparts?
GPC: My experience – not every woman’s story in the trades – has been healthy. Basically what happens is: I show up on site – the older men especially stare, and wonder why I’m not sweeping, cleaning…or simply wondering what the heck am I even doing there…they truly get nervous…as though I just walked into their own house without invitation.  I think the key to fitting in on site has been a few things: I have a trucker mouth.  They love it.  I am unscathed by ‘locker room’ talk (there is a lot)…I am physically strong – this is a big one for them – they need to know I can handle it and hold up my end…and I am competent.  I appreciate how the older generation of tradesmen think…To be resistant to that would mean I would never be given a chance. I know it takes time for them to accept.  The younger guys have been much easier.  They are very open to it – and excited to see women on site.  Almost daily at a lumber yard, or on a site, a man is shaking my hand, or asking questions about being a women in the trades.  Many of them say “it’s about time…”

My street cred has definitely increased since being the expert carpenter on Canada’s Worst Handyman for Discovery Channel…they recognize me and want to say great job – it’s been nice.

KJ: Is there something about being a girl that makes you awesome at this particular job?
GPC: I think the fact that I am a girl working as a carpenter means a whole new level of awesomeness!

Homeowners trust women more in their home.  I have a huge client base of single women that love being able to feel comfortable with their contractor.  My true success in this business has been because I can communicate with my clients…Contractors are famous for the opposite.  Everything about my projects is discussed with the client, every change or problem is addressed.  I am always on time, I never leave the project unfinished to start another, always on budget, we clean up before we leave…Also, we as women have an eye for detail – this is essential.

KJ: What advice would you give for girls that are thinking about getting into careers that have traditionally been dominated by men?
GPC: The old stereotypes of the kind of person who works in the trades have changed dramatically.  People have always looked at the trades as the career for someone without options.  Uneducated, stuck, unhappy, dishonest.

The people who are entering the trades now want to be there. We are educated, and we choose a trade so at the end of the day so we can physically look at what we built…and be rewarded by that.  We are building homes that people raise their families in.  Where they sleep, and where they are the most vulnerable. I take this responsibility very seriously.  I feel special when people trust this part of their lives with me – it’s a big deal.

Girls have to be realistic in the journey.  You will start at the bottom.  It will be very hard. You will sweep floors for weeks. You will sand wood for months.  I sanded wood until my fingers bled – more than once – before I was taught how to really build something.  You need to understand that the people, often men, who will take you under their wing and teach you a trade have perfected their craft for decades…nobody wants to give up their gift to someone who doesn’t show longevity or passion in the early stages.

When you are sweeping the floor, you should be watching out of the corner of your eye – how the carpenter is building that wall…and when you are sanding – you need to pay attention to why he built those bookshelves the way he did.

Gail finished with this awesome piece of advice that I think applies to girls everywhere, whether they have a hammer in their hands or not:

Trust your gut. Reach out to other women in the trades for advice and direction.
Ask questions. Keep busy. Stay focused.

In this Web 2.0 world, of course, you can watch events and celebrations online…tune in any time.  They’ve also got a great YouTube channel where you can check out event highlights, interviews with athletes, and even wacky sports “advice” from the Youth Guru (watch her get wrestled by an Olympic Champion here!)

Here’s my favourite video from a Canadian girl that rocks, Jazmyne, who is competing in the oh-so-Canadian sport of canoeing:

Jazmyne’s self declared goal of going to the World Championships and the Olympics shows just how tough and committed she is.  First stop: Singapore Youth Olympic Games 2010.  She had a day of rest today, but will be competing tomorrow and hopefully for the gold on Wednesday!  You can also check out her blog here.

Julia: Speaking up for Girls Rights

Saba: The Take Action Expert

Amy: When it Comes to Girls, “Ignorance is NOT Bliss”

Maneesa: Seeing the power of one girl