A Voice For the Voiceless

The Advocacy Project helps marginalized communities to tell their story, claim their rights and produce social change. We recruit graduate students to volunteer as Peace Fellows with partners.

The Impact of Service



"Speaking with locals and living in a country is the best way to learn about the real lives of citizens, not just the stories in the mainstream media. I will be more critical of what I read as a result of this experience. I also feel even more grateful for my education, and I feel a stronger responsibility to assist others who do not have resources or access to opportunities in their communities."

Maria Skouras (New York University) volunteered in 2011 as a Peace Fellow for eHomemakers in Malaysia.

For more 2011 feedback click here.

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Partner Campaigns > Women's Repro... > Women at Risk > Awareness > Garvi Devi Ram

Garvi Devi Ram

Garvi Devi Ram knew something was wrong when her uterus fell. She just didn’t know what was wrong. She had never heard of uterine prolapse, and for twenty years did not know what afflicted her.

Garvi had her first child at age 15. Returning to work a week after the birth of her fifth child, she was bringing home soil when she felt her uterus fall.

“I was so surprised and scared and I did not know what happened,” she said.

Garvi did not know where to go for treatment, or even that there were treatment options available to her. She did not tell her husband or anyone else about the condition because she was afraid to talk about it.

Garvi spent 20 years silently dealing with her prolapse before she met a social mobilizer who educated her about the condition. The campaigner told her to go to Darhan for an operation, and her family supported her during her hysterectomy.

Garvi is now a spokeswoman for the issue of uterine prolapse at advocacy events. She no longer fears talking to others about her condition and is helping others access the same information she once needed about the condition.

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