Sejal Hathi, 16, California
Girls Helping Girls

Sejal Hathi

Ever think about the lives of teens who live half-way around the world? Sejal Hathi does, and she believes that cultural exchange equals social change. She created Girls Helping Girls, an organization that connects girls around the globe to work together to improve their communities--and the world.

Teen Voices: How did you first get involved in activism?
Sejal Hathi: I have been interested in change initiatives ever since I was a little girl. My involvement with a non-profit organization called Girls For A Change really taught me that any girl, however disadvantaged, can leverage her inner power to make a difference. With Girls For A Change, I raised funds and awareness for the women and children victims of the Darfur genocide. My encounter with some of the girls and women we aided showed me that millions of girls in developing countries don’t have the knowledge, resources, or confidence to reach their full potential. That’s when I decided to create an organization that would bring girls together to solve major global issues. If women, who represent about 50% of the world population, are not involved in the creation of a better humanity, it will never happen. That’s why I created Girls Helping Girls (GHG).

TV: What does GHG do?
Sejal: GHG is an international non-profit organization that seeks to empower girls around the world to transform their communities. We have four main goals: eradicate poverty, increase access to education, improve health, and promote peace. Our primary initiative is called Empower-a-Girl, which is a grassroots sister-team program that partners girls in the United States with girls in developing countries. The teams work together to achieve those four goals by dialoguing about their lifestyles, supporting one another in fostering self-esteem, and creating social change projects.

TV: What role does education play in your program?
Sejal: We encourage girls to identify and learn about problems that affect both their local communities and their global sister communities. The girls then complete activities—anything from writing a letter to a local government official to creating a photo collage about poverty. The girls communicate by sending the activities between each other, thereby learning about their different lifestyles and the issues that affect them.

TV: How many girls are involved in GHG and where are they from?
Sejal: All together, almost 1,000 girls are involved in our initiatives. A lot of our sites are based in African countries like Ghana, Kenya, Ethiopia, and South Africa. We also work with girls in Sri Lanka and India, and we’re looking to expand into Jamaica and Turkey.

TV: Why do you think it’s important for girls in different countries to work together?
Sejal: The first step toward achieving peace in the world is understanding it [the world]. That’s the core principle behind having girls in different countries dialogue about their lifestyles and the issues that affect them. It’s really important for girls, especially, to connect because oftentimes they’re the most marginalized population. It’s important that girls realize that and collaborate despite cultural boundaries.

TV: What has been one of your biggest achievements or proudest moments with GHG?
Sejal: I don’t know if I have one favorite project. I’m most proud of the number of girls we’ve empowered and inspired to work together.

TV: Are there any adults involved in the organization?
Sejal: No. It is completely run by girls. I have some adult mentors who help me when I have questions or need to resolve team issues, but in terms of running the organization and implementing its programs, it’s all done by girls.

TV: Are other teens supportive of what you do?
Sejal: They are very supportive actually. Teens realize that they can make a difference, that they have the potential within themselves to be leaders.

TV: What is the most important thing you would like teens to know about the difference they can make on a global scale?
Sejal: Simply that they should find their passion and transform that passion into action. Once they do, the possibilities are infinite.

TV: Tell us a little bit about yourself: Where are you from? What do you do for fun?
Sejal: I’m a sixteen-year-old high school student from San Jose, California. I’m an only child but I have a dog. I love to dance in my free time. I’ve been dancing since I was six years old. I also love reading, writing, and playing the alto saxophone. I’m a normal teen; I’m just really passionate about social justice.

TV: What do you think your future holds? Will you continue this work after high school?
Sejal: I will continue my involvement in GHG and other non-profits, but I want to pursue a career in medicine. I hope to help increase people’s access to health care, and ameliorate the HIV/AIDS crisis, especially in sub-Saharan Africa. I hope whatever career I pursue, I will always be involved in social justice because it’s really more of a mindset and attitude rather than a specific activity.

To learn more about how you can get involved in Girls Helping Girls initiatives, visit www.empoweragirl.org.