November 15, 2007
Dear Friends:
At this time of year, you would normally expect to get a letter from Margaret Willson, Bahia Street’s International Director. Margaret’s letters always begin with a lovely description of the weather in Seattle, go on to describe the wonderful accomplishments of Bahia Street, and then thank you for your generous support of Bahia Street. This year, I asked if I could write the letter, on behalf of the Board of Directors, so that I could tell you personally how important you are to us. Donors like you mean we can continue to provide support, educational opportunities, but most importantly, a real future for impoverished girls working their way from illiteracy to university in Salvador, Brazil.
Sometimes, I imagine being in the room when Bahia Street co-founders Margaret and Rita Conceição first began to dream about what has now become Bahia Street. I wonder if the earth shivered just a bit in delightful anticipation. Their vision, their energy, their leadership, their commitment, but most of all, their passion for justice and equality led them to create an entirely unique model of how non-profits should work. Their integrity, determination, and great good humor have moved mountains, and we’re just fortunate they invited us along for the ride. And what a ride it has been!
When I first became involved with Bahia Street, there were only three little girls in the program. Margaret was working out of her kitchen, we had a bare bones staff in Salvador, and our school was in a borrowed space above an office. Funding was scarce, and the future looked bleak. How could a program with such financial, cultural and language barriers hope to succeed when many larger, better-financed operations were failing? Margaret and Rita, however, never lost hope, and never gave up their belief in the importance of what they had set out to do: break the cycle of poverty and violence devastating communities in Rita’s native city, Salvador.
Today, the Seattle branch of Bahia Street has an office (in an abandoned space at the end of boat repair dock!) and a small, diligent staff; in Brazil the girls attend classes in our own building with a dedicated teaching staff determined to see that the bright future we promised these girls is fulfilled. And the girls? Well, there are 61 of them now! Three of them have been admitted to university, a feat that would have been unheard of a mere eleven years ago.
The story of what was once only a dream is beginning to unfold in many exciting ways. We now have boards in Seattle, Salvador and London, with plans to expand further. For the past five years, people from Seattle have traveled to Salvador where Bahia Street staff have led them in studying issues of race, class, gender, and global economics. Margaret has written a book on the early days of Bahia Street. Our board is exploring additional ways to bridge the divide between Seattle and Salvador and create educational opportunities here in the United States about issues that impact America and Brazil. This October, Margaret was one of four Honoree Heroes of the Thomas C. Wales Foundation Passionate Citizenship Award here in Seattle, where she was recognized for her dedication “to the betterment of others across international and cultural borders.”
As you can see, today we are a very different organization from our humble beginnings eleven years ago. And in large part, that miracle is due to the support of people like you – compassionate, caring people who dare to believe they can make a difference. One of the reasons I enjoy my involvement with Bahia Street is that I know my support has a positive, immediate, and tangible impact on the lives of the young women in the program. Your support for Bahia Street means that young girls who would otherwise face a life of hopelessness, violence, grinding poverty, and poor health have a real chance at a bright future.
Recently, I heard a speaker say that worldwide research has shown that a dollar spent on educating a girl in a so-called “Third World” country results in an $84 return. I defy you to find a stock that has a better track record! I hope, as you make your end-of-year decision about charitable contributions, you will consider the great good you can do by contributing to Bahia Street.
I thank you deeply, on behalf of the Bahia Street Board, our staff, here and in Brazil, and most of all, on behalf of the girls whose lives you’ve touched, for your support of Bahia Street.
Sincerely,
Joyce Mork-O’Brien
President, Bahia Street Seattle Board of Directors
