This is for you ...

This is for you … who must go to the river every day to fill up a tank of water for your family and carry it on your shoulders for miles.

This is for you … who start your long journey to school before the sun rises, sometimes barefoot, for two hours every day walking through fields, always fearing that someone could abduct you.

This is for you … who were abandoned by your parents, but found the strength to forgive them and create your own hopeful future.

This is for you … who risked everything on a boat hoping to find a better life in Italy, and instead were forced by criminals to steal and sell your body.

This is also for you … who make sacrifices to send your donations, believe that this world can be a better place, and that all children deserve a chance in life.

This is for you ... all the women of A Chance In Life ... the young girls in our programs in Italy, Ethiopia and India, the sisters and the lay women who devote their lives to take care of them, and the women in the United States who support our children with their generous donations.

This message is dedicated to you ... Happy International Women’s Day, today and every day.

Thank you for all that you do and for the inspiration you give to all of us.

Gabriele Delmonaco