‘Strength, innovation and resilience’
Woman’s work with women, girls in Ethiopia inspired by the people she helps
HEIDI TATTRIE RUSHTON
Growing up in Clyde River, P.E.I., Rebecca Gass never would have imagined she’d end up living in Ethiopia someday, working on a project to help young girls continue their education.
Her journey with international work started in 2008 when she attended a session at her university about voluntourism. It inspired her to take her first trip abroad to volunteer in Thailand, an experience that changed the course of her life.
After that trip, she spent several years working at home and volunteering with local organizations but eventually, she connected with Marian White, who was working for Cuso International on the Island.
“Their mission is to help reduce poverty through the expertise of skilled volunteers,” explains Gass, who jumped in and started volunteering for the cause’s international efforts from her home in P.E.I.
In 2018, she successfully applied for a position with Cuso International in Ethiopia. She now lives in Addis Ababa, where she is the project development and communications officer for the UGIRLS2 program, a newly-funded program that focuses on the empowerment and education of girls in Benishangul-gumuz Ethiopia.
The line is fuzzy between her paid job and her volunteer work, and one often spills into the other. She loves being involved with the organization because of the support it provides to volunteers, including training, travel and living costs, on-ground support in foreign countries and the focus on lifting up impoverished communities and encouraging sustainable solutions.
When asked about her typical day-to-day duties, she laughs.
“This is a challenging question. It could be anything, depending on the day,” she explains. “One of the things I like most about working with Cuso International, especially in the Ethiopia Country program office, is that they work with your talents, strengths, and interests, not against them.”
MAKING A DIFFERENCE
Gass has been able to use her passion for supporting women’s causes while in Ethiopia. One example is from last year, when she was on a task force to help spread the word to women in Ethiopia the government was offering a free HPV vaccine to adolescent girls. In rural areas, announcements are made by an audio van that travels around and shares the message from speakers. The announcement was always recorded in a man’s voice; however, Gass successfully lobbied for them to record it in a female voice for the first time ever, in an effort to connect more strongly with the women and girls who needed the information.
After that accomplishment, she was asked to work on the grant proposal for the UGIRLS2 program, which addresses the barriers that Ethiopian adolescent girls face that prevent many of them from continuing their education after Grade 8. Gass led the fieldwork for the grant’s content and was thrilled when the grant ultimately secured $12.9 million dollars last summer to fund the program.
Her main focus right now is implementing this program, and Gass is travelling the region and talking to educators, administrators, families and the girls affected to find out how to better support them to continue on with their education.
HELPING BACK HOME
This experience has inspired her to lend her skills to causes back home in P.E.I. as well.
“This achievement gave me the confidence to work on other grant proposals,” says Gass. “During my summer home in Prince Edward Island, I worked with Blooming House Women's Shelter Inc. and successfully secured almost $160,000 in grant funding for the organization.”
She also undertook a solo fundraising project to purchase supplies for Assosa General Hospital's One Stop Centre, which treats survivors of sexual-based violence and assault.
Although the grant proposal wasn’t approved, it didn’t stop Gass. She and a friend in P.E.I. decided to raise the money themselves and were able to secure $900 to purchase supplies for the centre.
Gass says she’s inspired by the people who receive help from the work she’s doing.
“I always feel most motivated after meeting with or visiting beneficiaries of our programs,” she says. “This could be Ethiopian doctors, nurses, or currently, meeting and speaking with high school girls and their teachers. Their strength, innovation and resilience keep me motivated.”
For more information about volunteering with Cuso International visit cusointernational.org.