11 minute read
CINDY O. CHARLES
COVER STORY
POWERHOUSE GLOBAL MAGAZINE (PGMAG) INTERVIEW WITH:
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CINDY O. CHARLES (CC)
PGMAG: Cindy, so good to have you on today’s interview with Lady Anita.
CC: My pleasure and thank you for having me.
PGMAG: Please briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
CC: I am Cindy O. Charles. I am the Founder & CEO of Kupanda Sisters, Inc. A native of Guyana South America. I currently reside in Brooklyn, New York. I am an advocate for literacy for all and an agent of social change. My goal in life is to provide a lasting and positive impact on vulnerable populations.
PGMAG: As an advocate of literacy, what are some of the challenges faced by those in the underserviced communities?
CC: ̣One of the main challenges those in underserved communities encounter is a lack of motivation to read. This may be so because of the attitudes inherent in the family. Maybe the home environment is not conducive or reinforcing toward reading. The family may not be able to afford reading materials or may not perceive value in reading, and as a result, cannot encourage it. Another challenge is the lack of interesting and meaningful reading matter available to students in the school. These students are bombarded by stories and textual material to which they can relate very little. The digital divide is bound to intensify the preexisting learning divide between rich and poor households due to closure of classroom teaching for this extended period. Children belonging to affluent and educated households have all the necessary support for learning, as parents themselves are capable of imparting education, and they can also access online teaching. However, children of poor and uneducated parents who mostly go to government schools and have no digital capabilities are left in limbo. Technology can help mitigate the impact of COVID-19 on the underserved population by implementing tools and resources. While many in poverty may not have a computer, despite this digital divide, the majority of those in underserved communities do have a smartphone, making digital channels a powerful means to send information to the masses.
PGMAG: 2022 is just around the corner and most people spend time writing their ‘New Year’s Resolutions – what’s your take on doing these things such as resolutions?
People spend time writing their "New Year's Resolutions" which may quickly be broken. Perhaps it will be more beneficial to renew the good and enduring values we know in our hearts.
It is a time to release old hatreds, resentments, grudges, and fears and renew love, tolerance, and understanding.
PGMAG: Please tell us more about your projects including ‘Kupanda Sisters’ and ‘Door Dash’.
CC: History of Kupanda Sisters Kupanda Sisters, Inc. originated from my childhood experiences where I grew up in the depths of societal illiteracy and widespread poverty. As a child, I spent many days memorizing passages rather than learning to read. My lowest point came when I failed the Caribbean Examination Council (CXC) exams which caused me to feel the burden of disappointing my entire family, who had so much hope that I would be the one to achieve literacy. I then began to take private literacy lessons which marked the beginning of my literacy renaissance. However, some of my contemporaries in the community were not as fortunate and their lives were ruthlessly affected by widespread poverty and illiteracy. “Everyone has a dream that lives deep within, that they deserve to have realized.” It is because of this, I felt I was inspired and founded Kupanda Sisters, Inc.
The Kupanda Sisters, Inc., was incorporated in New York as a non-profit organization in April of 2019 and it was launched in the Cooperative Republic of Guyana, South America, on May 25, 2019.
In Swahili, “Kupanda” means “rise.” Hence, our organization is designed to raise and uplift women and girls in underserved communities by providing them with quality literacy resources and skills that would equip and empower them to transform their reality, unleash their full potential, and become meaningful contributors to their communities and our world. Kupanda Sisters Inc., began providing services in early 2019 to more than 20 children at the Sophia Primary School in Georgetown Guyana to build their literacy levels to meet academic standards under the slogan “Together We Rise.” The Sophia community is about 32,000, accounting for about 10 percent of Georgetown’s population. Unemployment is high. Poverty is high. School dropout rates are high. Teen pregnancies are high. In some parts of the neighborhood, crime is high. Some households have electricity and water, but many do not have these basic services. Illegal squatter’s settlements are prevalent and have no basic services either. For those who are lucky enough to have services, they are frequently vandalized and stolen from. We are determined to change these dynamics, beginning with literacy and education. When children can read, when they feel confident in their knowledge and hopeful about their futures, they strive for happy, productive lives. They do not turn to crime for a way out. That is why, we are here. Because we are very aware that environment begets result and by changing what they are exposed to in the environment, we can drastically change their results.
OUR PILOT PROGRAM
Through a series of workshops and teambuilding projects, all participants learn the value of teamwork, leadership, respect, and compassion. This curriculum we use is consistent with the Ministry of Education targeted Literacy Standards and Benchmarks for Phonemic Awareness, Phonics, Vocabulary, Fluency, Comprehension and Written Expression, and it is structured into six modules. The organization also focuses on empowering women in Guyana through wellness, entrepreneurial workshops, and awareness campaigns.
OUR PARTNERS
Kupanda Sisters Inc. has partnered with Sun Books of the World Literacy Foundation to launch a pilot program to provide literacy tablets to students at Sophia Primary School. The World Literacy Foundation is a leading international literacy organization working in the United Kingdom, United States, Australia, Latin America, and Africa to deliver literacy resources and skills. Through the Sun Books initiative, Kupanda Sisters will be utilizing literacy tablets to make a transformative change in off-the-grid communities with limited or no access to electricity, the internet, or educational resources.
COVID - 19 & KUPANDA SISTERS, INC. CHALLENGES
This has been an unprecedented moment in history for all of us in this country and around the world. Millions of people across the globe are facing tremendous hardships. While this pandemic is new, the underlying needs are not, the COVID -19 crisis brings to the surface many of the issues that our children and families have experienced for far too long. This pandemic reveals both how deeply interconnected we are as humans and how unequipped our infrastructure is to provide the necessary to the most impacted. However, this pandemic has given us a moment to reflect on a much deeper global issue, how education is not equal everywhere. There is a line that some of you may have heard growing up...That it takes a village to raise a child. In our technological, plugged in, tapped in, turned on, 5G, bluetooth and online based world it is easy to see our globe as a village. And my question continues to be “is that globe doing enough to raise every single child in every village? Furthermore, while this account of current Covid caused numbers may seem like the crisis the true emergency came well before. Because on any given day during normal times 258 million children do not attend school daily, 617 million cannot read or do basic math, and 770 million adults are illiterate. Even the U.N. deputy chief said “There is an alarming crisis in education.” Because half of students do not complete secondary education. We can change this. That is why we are all here, and our children need us now more than ever!
The Kupanda program is the beginning of my much larger mission to increase literacy around the world while decreasing the digital divide.
Sadly, the pandemic nearly closed my organization in 2020, but I searched for new ways to sustain it. I began working part- time, as a food delivery driver on the Door Dash platform. Starting an initiative called Dashing for Dollars to raise money for my organization. Since then, I have raised $10,000 that will go to purchasing tablets for children in underserved communities. There is much more collaborative work that needs to be done. Over the next twelve months we intend to seek collaborative assistance as well reposition our organization, enhance our infrastructure, refine our programs, and value delivery, and pursue meaningful and sustainable private-public partnerships.
I believe with our passion and our commitment we GIVE to these children the SDGs that are specific to the literacy goal 4.1 and 4.6 is achievable. So, if you see as I see and you feel as I feel then get involved and join me in making a difference in expanding our reach and amplifying our mission: connect with us on Facebook, visit our website or contact us via email. Because our globe is a village, and it is our responsibility as individual members of that village to ensure that a proper education is an intrinsic human right for every child in every village. I ask you to carry this responsibility like an Olympic torch that each of us holds, able to ignite every hall in the coliseum of education.
Kupanda Sisters, Inc., will give future generations the hope that Reading Changes Lives, the tools to empower learning, we will give children the opportunity to dream, and the strength to say… “I can and I will.” It is my responsibility! It is your responsibility! It is our responsibility to empower our future leaders! I look forward to advancing the movement with the Kupanda Academy which will be launched in 2022.
PGMAG: What would you say to those who have been through one form of abuse or another?
CC: Even though persons have gone through abuse, often they remain stuck mentally. They yearned for change in their lives. As the great Mahatma Gandhi said: “Be the change that you wish to see in the world.” And to have the change they must identify a goal and work towards accomplishing it. This is not a simple task, but commitment is key, hence- they will have to surround themselves with positive people who will support them along the journey. I will also encourage them to share their stories as this can be therapeutic.
PGMAG: What were the top three books that changed your life?
CC: The three books that changed my life are: 1. The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho. This book opened my eyes to the notion that you should always follow your intuition and trust your gut on what you truly feel is right. The Alchemist taught me to pay attention when my heart and brain talk. Goals are important and you need to keep them in mind whenever you do anything, but the journey is what matters. Most importantly, The Alchemist can teach you a great lesson about overcoming the fear of failure.
“There is only one thing that makes a dream impossible to achieve: the fear of failure.”. That means you should put your fears aside and pursue your dreams.
2. 7 Habits Of Highly Effective People, by Stephen R. Covey. It showed me that I should take ownership of what does not work in my life. It also introduced me to the fact that not all tasks are created equal, some are more important than others.
“Trust is the glue of life. It's the most essential ingredient in effective communication. It's the foundational principle that holds all relationships.
3. “The Power Of Now” by Eckhart Tolle.
I have recently read one of the most inspiring and life-changing books: “The Power of Now” by Eckhart Tolle. The book covers the topic of accessing the power of “now” — the present moment. Tolle explains that by accessing it, we acquire true peace. This book was truly revolutionizing for me.
PGMAG: What is your message for world leaders?
CC: Your citizens are your greatest asset, and it is your responsibility to ensure that they have access to every service that is available. There should be no "underserved communities." At election time you need their votes; but do you refer to those votes as "underserved?" Certainly, not. Therefore, all people - regardless of where they live - must be given the opportunity to make their lives better through meaningful education. of highs and lows, successes and failures, setbacks, and comebacks. Therefore, it is imperative that you develop your resilience muscle. Do not worry about getting knocked down. Instead, focus on getting back up as quickly as possible.
PGMAG: Finally, what would you say to your younger self?
CC: This wild ride that we call in life is an endless string
PGMAG: Thank you for your time.
CC: My pleasure & once again thank you this wonderful opportunity.
PGMAG: Please share your links with us.
CC: Our website – Kupandasisters.org Face book @kupandasisters Email - info@kupandasisters.org
