DREAMEAVER‘S CHAI STORIES
Dreamweaver’s Chai Stories is a vivid and multi-layered collection of narratives and experiences that are both inspiring and comforting, similar to the communal and warming experience of sharing a cup of chai common in most communities across the world.
The term Dreamweaver typically refers to someone who creates or inspires dreams, visions, or significant changes. In our context, it symbolizes the organization and individuals within it who are actively working towards weaving the dreams of girls and women into reality through education, support, and empowerment.
The Dreamweaver’s Chai Stories is a cozy space where readers can find uplifting and empowering stories. These stories not only highlight the struggles and victories of girls and women but also serve to inspire, motivate, and bring together a community of like-minded individuals. It’s about sharing those transformative moments that resonate on a personal level, while sharing the metaphorical warm and inviting cup of chai that nurtures the soul and fosters a sense of belonging and togetherness.
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Celebrity Profile: Alicia Keys.
Alicia Keys started defying gender stereotypes at a young age. Growing up in New York City’s Hell’s Kitchen neighborhood, the budding musician developed her signature style — crown row braids and androgynous clothing — to ward off the daily sexual harassment she faced.
As a teen, Keys gained the confidence to speak her mind by joining her manager, Jeff Robinson, in high-level meetings. She learned the ins and outs of the industry but also experienced the challenges of being the only woman in a room.
“It was a constant battle, it was a lot of -isms,” Keys told the Guardian. “There was the sexism, but it was more the ageism — you’re too young, how could you possibly know what you want to do?”
When record labels tried to mold Keys into a cookie-cutter pop singer and asked her to change her image, she stood her ground.
Now a 15-time Grammy Award winner and judge on The Voice, Keys continues to be a champion for gender equality. Known to challenge beauty standards (she launched the viral hashtag #nomakeup), Keys has empowered women both by example and through her charity work.
By returning to the Global Citizen Festival stage this year in New York City’s Central Park on Sept. 28, 2019, she’ll encourage thousands of more people to stand up for change.
“I think being a Global Citizen is being respectful of all of us occupying this planet Earth,” Keys said in an interview at the 2013 Global Citizen Festival in New York. “Doing one small thing for one person empowers that person to go on and do one small thing for another person. Even in that way, that chain of events that might seem minuscule is very big.”
For Keys, a life-changing trip to South Africa at the age of 21 — where she met AIDS survivors, including young girls pushed into the sex trade to survive — inspired her to take urgent action. She said she saw herself in these young women and wondered what would’ve happened to her if she were in their position and no one offered help. Keys credits her mother, who raised her alone, for teaching her how to lift other women up.
By Global Citizen magazine.
major partner Johnson & Johnson, and other partners P&G, Verizon, and NYC Parks.