Sister Cities, Richmond, Virginia and Calcutta (Kolkata), India will work together to support each other in various ways, and this is the reason for this Giving Circle.

The second Esther Be gathering will be held in Richmond, Virginia on Saturday, October 14th and our desire is to gather in India in early 2018 for three city gatherings; Calcutta, Delhi, and the third is to be determined.  

By encouraging, empowering, and supporting these women in Virginia and India to share their stories with each other, our hope is that they become a support system for their women.  

One of the main goals of this developing/developed partnership is to provide 30 latrines in Jharkhand and Bihar India.  Women and young girls in these two rural areas of India are desperate for a safe area to relieve themselves.  In most poor, rural areas in India, open defecation is still the norm.  But while men squat by the roadside in the the early morning sun, culture dictates that women have to rise before dawn or wait until dark to relive themselves.  Young girls and women of all ages must go into the dark to defecate risking snake or animal attacks, or worse, attacks by men.  Just to go to the bathroom, a pure life necessity.  Their dignity is compromised when they must defecate during daylight hours in the open because they have no bathroom or latrine in which to find privacy.  It is a common sight to see women, especially during the rainy season, squatting by the roadside.  

Monies from this Giving Circle will allow Esther Be to:

- Provide funding for 30 latrines in Jharkhand and Bihar | 
- Esther Be Gathering | India 2018
- Esther Be Gathering | Richmond 2017
- Provide Gathering Scholarships to women who are not able to pay the ticket price
- On the ground support for Richmond, Virginia and India
- Help support the Y12SR program in Richmond