Interview with Sharim

The following is from an e-mail question and answer correspondence with Sharim Algarin, Program Coordinator for Sistas.

Question: What is the meaning behind spelling women "womyn"?

Sharim Algarin: For me it is because I am and empowered womyn and do not need a connection with a man in order feel that.

Q: What types of opportunities are available to those who would like to assist your program and volunteer? Do you have any upcoming events and/or meetings that we may attend?

SA: We have trainings every week and we work in groups on our projects Monday-Wednesday. You can call us and set up some time with us. We are also hosting our fundraiser in May.

Q: What sorts of issues to your members seek to address and do they propose Ways to address them?

SA: Our members address issues such as lack of parks in our community, pollution, and womyn's health issues. They have addressed them publicly through our newsletter and website. We have also participated in the womyn's right march, the world social forum, women of color against violence conference, and various other functions in order to address these issues concretely.

Q: I noticed that some of your articles in Holla! are written by your members. Do you see this as empowering them with their own voices and if so, how do you feel that transfers to their lives outside of Sistas on the Rise?

SA: Yes, very much so. Sistas on the Rise is an organization is a youth led organization. The youth have a voice and make decisions in all aspects of the organization. We have a leadership circle which consists of 2 adult womyn and 3 young womyn. the leadership circle makes organizational and programmatic decisions. Our members have a voice in planning for an upcoming semester. We have youth on our board also; we also have a functioning board. They participate in our programs. One of our goals is to develop young womyn's leadership that of course will transfer to their lives outside of Sistas on the Rise and in order to do that they have to be in the forefront of our work.

Q: How does your Education Campaign work? Do you offer day care so that the teen mothers may attend school or do you help them get GED's?

SA: We offer childcare in our space for the young womyn to participate in our programs. We do not have the resources or capacity to offer childcare during school hours right now. We are currently in the process of following up with a childcare cooperative to see how can we make that possible for Sistas on the Rise. We also have a list of LYFE Centers and daycare centers for new York city, on site for a resource. We do not provide GED classes, but [do] have resources on GED programs.

Q: Also, do you help these mothers find ways to continue their educations into college (and if so how) or do you focus more on preparing them to get good jobs with chances for advancement?

SA: We have resources for scholarships to college, we go on college trips, and we are available in supporting them to continue their education. 3 of 4 of our leadership members are currently in college 2 of which are young mothers, the other young womyn is still in H.S. I think our organization prepares the young womyn to deal with all types situation, whether advancing in a job, creating community, developing an analysis of social and economic injustices.

Q: What is your organization's view on the relationship between men and women, especially given that your primary focus is assisting teenage mothers?

SA: Our primary focus is on teen mothers, because we don't have an organization/program in our community that is empowering young mothers. The majority of our leadership overall are/were teen mothers. We want to address issues that we face as young mothers and adult womyn in our society.

Q: What is your method of organizing?

SA: Build a base in the four "P" schools and educating the young womyn through a series of workshops. Is it primarily confined to those within the Sistas on the Rise Program? We have shared our resources and facilitated organizing workshops in various spaces.

Q: What issues/legislation, etc have you organized around and have you been involved at all with local, state, or national elections?

SA:We primarily organize around education for young mothers. Our goal is to decrease the number of teen mothers from dropping out of school.

Q: Do you work more on teaching your members to think critically about their situation and politics or is your focus more on organizing a large constituency...or both?

SA: Both.

Q: What sorts of changes do you advocate for, what institutions do you hold responsible, and what do you see as the primary needs of the people?

SA: We held the Department of Education responsible for ensuring that all programs being provided to the teen mothers be adequate. The young womyn organized the meetings with the DOE and facilitated the meeting.

Q: In what kinds of "social justice" work do you engage, and how do you feel that enriches your members?

SA: Womyn's health issues, lack of quality health for womyn. our members begin to critically think of the issue and begin to make informed decisions regarding their health.

Q: What sorts of careers and/or schools do some of your members move on to after this program and how do you help them get there?

SA: We have only been in existence for 3 years so we have not experienced their career moves yet. As stated above, college and we support them through that transition.