Foundation in memory of murdered schoolgirl will help Sri Lankan girls escape poverty

A foundation set up in memory of murdered schoolgirl Rosie May Storrie, of Bottesford, is helping to give girls in Sri Lanka a chance to break the cycle of poverty.

The Storrie family were caught up in the 2004 Asian tsunami in Sri Lanka, a year after Rosie May’s death and were humbled by the bravery of the people in the face of such tragedy.

The Rosie May Memorial Fund (now the Rosie May Foundation) turned its attention to building the Rosie May Home for girls orphaned by the tsunami. The home is now a safe haven for 20 orphaned or abandoned girls.

The charity was among those to support International Women’s Day on Sunday. The day was organised to help empower women and promote their basic human rights.

Volunteering co-ordinator Laura McCartan said poverty and violence against women were two major factors stopping them becoming equals in their own society.

“In Sri Lanka, where the Rosie May Foundation works, women often find themselves working in factories in terrible conditions or working to build roads and sleeping on the building site with no home at all,” she said.

“Countless women move abroad and become house maids in Saudi Arabia or Dubai, where they often fall victim to abuse.

“What all this has in common is the lack of choice for women and the unequal access to a safe wage and home.”

Laura said the Rosie May Foundation was passionate about ensuring that all the girls received an education, despite their background.

She said that if a woman received an education her children were more likely to survive; she was less likely to become a child bride and each extra year of school increased a girl’s income by 15% to 25%.

“At the Rosie May Home the girls have the amazing opportunity to break the cycle of poverty ensuring they have the skills and, in the future, jobs to support themselves and their families,” Laura said.

The Rosie May Home opened in 2008 and works to reunite families and ensure the girls can enjoy the futures they deserve. The first girls have just sat their O-levels and are awaiting their results, showing the real way the charity helps provide skills and qualifications.

“As a charity based in Bottesford the Rosie May Foundation is an incredible example of how local people are working to empower women and create a truly equal world,” said Laura.

“You can sponsor a girl at the Rosie May Home for as little as £5 a week, joining the effort to empower a new generation of young female leaders and professionals.

“After all, investment in a girl is an investment in her family, culture and community.”

More information is available from the charity’s website http://www.rosie-may.com/ and Twitter: @RosieMayHome