We all know that atrocities occur every minute around the world. On this SAS voyage we have been fortunate to meet some of the incredible people who choose to do something about them. We can now put names on the faces we see in the photos. 

Nepal has one of the highest maternal death rates in the world. There, 90% of the population have no access to health care. They have no natural resources and the government is corrupt, chaotic and non-functional. Mothers-in-law often dictate the care of women and do not allow them to seek needed medical care for things like a breech delivery. They believe it is better for them to die so their sons can marry a stronger woman. The average income is $212/year it cost $54/year to educate a child, so the expense of education is not "wasted" on girls.

There is a very high incidence of girls (ages 8-12) being sold into slavery. They simply "disappear" from their village. Once this occurs they have a life expectancy of ~3 years, as men in India and elsewhere believe that having sex with a virgin will cure AIDS. Nine years ago Semester at Sea professor Jeffery Kottler met Inu while he was on a mountain trek in Nepal. Inu was about to "disappear". When he asked how much it would take to keep her in school he was simply told it was very, very expensive. He kept pressing the principal and quickly discovered it was $54/year which he immediately gave to the principal to ensure her education. However, a traveling companion noted that the money went into the principal's pocket and Inu would disappear unless he told both the principal and family he would be back next year. He has been back for 9 years now and Inu is the first girl in her village to attend college. She is studying radio and television communications, on full scholarship, in Thailand. His organization, Empower Nepali Girls, has had great success in keeping girls in school, even so girls still disappear. You can find out more at www.EmpowerNepaliGirls.org