The Sisterhood of the Traveling BDUs
The Sisterhood of the Traveling BDUs is a project approaching it’s first full year. So far, according to the homepage it has impacted 5000 people and has 150 people who are directly involved. What is it and how can you help?
Taken from their site:
The problem? (Excerpt)
The affects of deployment on teenage girls are real; failing classes, depression, lack of confidence, moodiness, eating disorders, and cutting are real dangers. No, our problems are ignored; written off as normal teen angst. However, there is nothing normal about going through the motions of everyday life while your father is God knows where being shot at by terrorists. There is nothing normal about worrying if your dad will even recognize you after he returns home for a long deployment. There is nothing normal about falling asleep without knowing if your loved one is okay; or better yet, even alive. There is nothing normal about father missing his own daughter’s birthday because he is off protecting freedom. However, all of the afore mentioning harms of deployment are becoming common place within the lives of the thousands of military girls across California. We are in your classrooms, neighborhoods, and shopping malls. We may look like you; going to school, participating in sports, hanging out at movies, but we mask many emotional hurts unseen by society as a whole.
The Plan Of Action
The problem is real, but the solution is possible. Representing tens of thousands of military girls across the California, two military teens are creating a change. Kaylei Deakin, an Army teen, and myself, Moranda Hern, an Air Force teen, are passionate about leaving a legacy of helping other military girls who walk in our boots. The change is this: create a conference to bring military girls together to share their struggles, triumphs, and experiences. Furthermore, create a network of social bonds between military girls across the state. Our project, The Sisterhood of the Traveling BDUs, will do just that. The Sisterhood of the Traveling BDUs will bring together 500 military girls from across the state for the first ever weekend conference for military girls to build self esteem, grow in leadership, build up their communities, and empower one another in sisterly support. The first conference will take place on March 5-7, 2010 in Clovis, CA. Initially, the conference will directly impact 500 military girls. However, think about the big picture. The conference will inspire military girls to come and lead their communities. The mantra for this event is, “UNITE, INSPIRE, LEAD.” The Sisterhood of the Traveling BDUs will do just that; bring military girls facing indescribable struggles together; inspire them with the tools to enrich their own lives, the lives of their families, and the lives of those in their communities; and to lead the Sisterhood into the next generation of change.
Watch the video and see if you can help the girls out. They are seeking coporate sponsorship for the conference they are hoping to have next year.
