International Women's Day 2023

3/6/2023

Since 1911, people around the world have celebrated women’s accomplishments on International Women’s Day (March 8). This year to honor this day, we celebrate two women in India and in Kenya who have made incredible strides in their communities.

Debra Ejore, now 24 years old, is a Turkana student who joined the Children of the Kingdom sponsorship program when she was six years old after her parents died in 2006. Life was not easy for her and her two brothers, and they struggled to get food and school fees. Shortly after her parents died, she was added to the Children of the Kingdom sponsorship list. Through the years, she attended Kawalase Primary School, Our Lady’s Girls High School, and St. Paul’s University majoring in accounting. While this is a predominantly male dominated field, she worked very hard in her math classes, received her bachelor’s degree, and graduated with honors. Even before her graduation, she secured her dream job as a finance officer at a reputable humanitarian women-led organization called “Echami Aito” (the love of a mother).

Saroja Thota is an outstanding Dalit woman who has made it far in academia, and she has recently obtained her doctorate in biotechnology from Andhra University, India. Her research at the Central Tobacco Research Institute (CTRI) focused on reducing the carcinogenic agents in tobacco, and she is enthusiastic about continuing molecular-level research in her career as a scientist. Saroja not only excels in her scientific pursuits but is also an active participant in outreach and ministry. She directs a women's empowerment program in India through the Messiah Gospel Ministry, which has successfully helped hundreds of women graduate from sewing programs. She is also a passionate Sunday school teacher supporting many of the students in the Children of the Kingdom program, and she is a talented Kuchipudi dancer.