RAKMI SHAIZA, originally from Ukhrul District, who now lives an runs Stitching Change nonprofit in Kansas City, Missouri, United States has been listed among 32 Inspiring Nonprofit Leaders Who Will Impact the World in 2022, according to Causeartist.
Each year, the Causeartist highlight and showcase nonprofit leaders dedicating their lives – everyday to their missions and respective causes in the United States.
Rakmi was born and raised in a town called Ukhrul situated in Northeast India near Burma. As a girl and young woman growing up there, she witnessed the difficult times that the Hao (Tangkhul) tribal community went through because of drugs, AIDS, and military occupation, which resulted in much social and political unrest.
She has seen friends and family members suffer from addiction, and attended funerals for many of them.
During this confusing time, hope, creativity, and dreams for better social and political conditions became a luxury for those who were lucky enough to survive. Against all odds, Rakmi kept dreaming of a community free from drugs, alcohol, and AIDS.
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Rakmi is deeply concerned about the world’s refugee problems, especially in Africa, Burma, Syria and Nepal. She believes it is possible to help these countries build peace, so that their citizens do not have to flee their own communities.
She also believes that we need more women leaders in peacemaking, community-building, health care, education, and building a world with clean air and water, healthy food, and a livable climate.
Rakmi founded Stitching Change not only to help empower refugee women, but to also be part of the change that she wants to see happening in the community. She strongly believes that when women are empowered and creative, the community becomes stronger and healthier.
The women of Stitching Change not only learn about sewing and other skills, but together they are learning how to take care of one another and extend care to the larger global community.
Stitching Change brings women together to work collaboratively, market their products, and provide them with supplementary income. They also work to repurpose surplus and scrap fabrics into beautiful, handcrafted products, keeping them out of the landfill and preventing pollution.
The organization believes all women should have the opportunity to express their creativity while contributing to building a better society. Their resilient, refugee women work in collaboration to establish better lives for themselves, their families, and their communities.
Causeartist is a global community of social entrepreneurs, builders, creators, and conscious consumers, who believe business can positively impact the world, created by an individual called Grant. Since 2013, Causeartist has been read in 150+ countries. Over this time I have interviewed 700+ impact entrepreneurs, impact investors, and impact ventures from around the world.
Courtesy: Causeartist
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