Yet these women are transforming communities and making a positive difference in the world. They are unsung heroines. This month we are returning to an idea we fell in love with in the early days of Prosperity Candle... celebrating women who uplift others with their kindness and compassion - and bravery - yet go largely unnoticed.
Who is an unsung heroine?
The word hero is used often and has many meanings. For us, an unsung heroine is a woman who has made a positive impact on someone else or a community through her actions or words. She is someone who has dedicated her time, energy and enthusiasm to helping others thrive and inspires the people around her because of it. Yet she is unsung because she has not sought acknowledgement.
Historically, we know that women have had profound impacts in every field and walk of life, but often haven't received recognition for their contributions. They work as hard or harder than male counterparts, yet without similar resources, support or rewards. It's unconscionable, especially in this country in 2018, let alone elsewhere. This is the reason our founders chose to invest in women entrepreneurs.
Unsung heroines can be innovators, activists, visionaries, survivors, mentors and leaders. She can be elderly, just starting her career, or a young student. Her actions, large or small, have made a difference. She could be someone whose name you don’t know or a person close in your life. If her actions or words have inspired you in some way, then she deserves recognition.
By sharing her story and celebrating women, then maybe, just maybe, her impact can be multiplied.
Our unsung heroines
Naturally each of us here has women in mind from our childhoods, our travels and our communities. But we have to begin by saying how immensely inspired we are by the women refugees here in our studio. They have faced unfathomable hardships and loss - beyond anything we can imagine - yet are are ready to build new lives in a strange place and contribute.
Despite a past torn apart by violence and intolerance, and many years in refugee camps, they come to the studio every day to work side-by-side, making each other laugh, pouring and packaging candles. They work hard and diligently, pay their taxes, and several have recently achieved citizenship.
When asked about their weekends, we often hear about helping others... taking care of a family member, cooking for someone in need, acting as a translator at the hospital. These women refugees are among the most generous people we know. They inspire us with their unbounded kindness and compassion for which they never seek recognition. They are truly unsung heroines.
How to get involved
Now it's your turn! Join us on Facebook and Instagram where we are always celebrating women from our studio and the unsung heroines in our lives. We'll be inviting you to share your stories celebrating women doing the extraordinary, as well as sharing more of our own. The idea is simple... to bring to light the infinite ways that women across the world are making a difference.
So take a moment now to follow us on Facebook and Instagram, and stay tuned!
