Young Social Impact Heroes: Why and How Ruth Agurto of Global G.L.O.W. Is Helping To Change Our World
An Interview With Penny Bauder
Focus on uplifting your project, even if you have to start from scratch again and again.
As part of my series about young people who are making an important social impact”, I had the pleasure of interviewing Ruth Agurto.
In Cerrito, Peru, Ruth Agurto constantly witnessed girls having to make the difficult choice between getting clean water and living a fulfilling life. Ruth, at age 12, became a participant of Global G.L.O.W., a nonprofit operating in 23 countries, working with on-the-ground partners to create a more representative society through mentoring girls to advocate for themselves and build stronger communities. Ruth used her resources to create a plan and put it into action. Along with another participant and Global G.L.O.W.’s support, Ruth started “Water for Change” with the goal of connecting their community to the nearest water main and installing the necessary pipes to get clean, running water to every home.
Thank you so much for doing this with us! Before we dig in, our readers would like to get to know you a bit. Can you tell us a bit about how you grew up?
I’ve lived in Cerrito, Peru, since I was very young with my three brothers and my parents. Cerrito is in a rural area and living there has always been complicated since we didn’t have access to basic necessities like water and electricity. Schools were a half hour long walk away and I remember walking to Huanchaco, a nearby city, with my brother to be able to study. Over time, there was improved access to transportation, and street lighting was put in. But we still had issues with getting clean water, so we continued to try to better our situation and where we lived little by little.
You are currently leading an organization that aims to make a social impact. Can you tell us a bit about what you and your organization are trying to change in our world today?
I started a project called Water for Change after witnessing women having to make a difficult choice between following their own dreams and getting clean water for their families. The goal is to connect my community to the nearest water main and install the necessary pipes to get clean, running water to every home. I had the support of an international nonprofit called Global G.L.O.W., who focuses on gender equity work for adolescent girls. I’m 19 years old now and I’ve been a part of Global G.L.O.W. since I was 12. The change has been notable, not only in my personal and familial life but also in my academic environment — in each class and with each book. The direct, on-the-ground work that Global G.L.O.W. does supports girls from a young age to, little by little, foster a change of thinking in Peru as well as other countries. An indirect impact is changing the perception that people have about women through their projects and successes. We’re changing the world in small but meaningful steps.
Can you tell us the backstory about what inspired you to originally feel passionate about this cause?
When I was still a young girl in the program, I didn’t understand why my classmates’ moms didn’t let them attend school or the same club as me. As I got more mature and gained more life experience, I started to understand a lot more, including why some girls get pregnant at such a young age (15, 16 years old). It was their escape — the escape they used to be able to leave home. It is of course not a good solution, but their level of maturity and the circumstances they lived in at home drove them to make a drastic decision. The girls’ mothers, by making their daughters act as “mothers” to siblings, were preparing them for teen parenthood. My initial motivation was to make sure this didn’t happen to other girls, through getting to know them and visiting their families to try to get their parents to understand.
Many of us have ideas, dreams, and passions, but never manifest it. They don’t get up and just do it. But you did. Was there an “Aha Moment” that made you decide that you were actually going to step up and do it? What was that final trigger?
My aha moment was when I spoke with my mom and found out that she had been a victim of familial violence. This was the moment that made me decide to do something so this wouldn’t happen to the girls in my community. I couldn’t imagine my mom, a strong woman of character, suffering from violence. I asked myself how girls, like my classmates, could manage it.
Many young people don’t know the steps to take to start a new organization. But you did. What are some of the things or steps you took to get your project started?
When starting my Water for Change project, we recognized our reality and the needs that we have as a community and proposed it in a way that benefits everyone. Then we tried to publicize it in a way that more people became aware of what we’re trying to achieve. When we were able to get the initial financing, it was a great surprise and the best thing that could have happened to us not just as a team but as a community.
Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you began leading your company or organization?
In Peru, misogyny is an issue to this day and it was rare to see women working jobs that are generally considered to be for men. Working on Water for Change, there were the women of my community with trenching shovels making ditches and helping as if they had always done that work.
None of us can be successful without some help along the way. Did you have mentors or cheerleaders who helped you to succeed? Can you tell us a story about their influence?
I’ve had mentors throughout the Project. First, Carmen Días and Yaquelin FIigueroa — the support that they have given me during all this time has influenced me so much. From them I have learned and continue to learn so much. Each in her way, through helping me with the different subjects that we’ve dealt with, has made me the woman I am. Of course, my support at home was fundamental.
Can you tell us a story about a particular individual who was impacted or helped by your cause?
In Cerrito, there are many girls including my sister and my cousins who support me and want to help their community with the application of my projects.
Are there three things the community/society/politicians can do to help you address the root of the problem you are trying to solve?
What are your “5 things I wish someone told me when I first started” and why. Please share a story or example for each.
1._ You’re going to be able to do it.
2._ Don’t give up, you’re capable of finishing what you started.
3._ Focus on uplifting your project, even if you have to start from scratch again and again.
4._ Dream that, at the end of the day, everything is possible.
5._ If you believe in yourself nothing can stop you.
If you could tell other young people one thing about why they should consider making a positive impact on our environment or society, like you, what would you tell them?
Everything is possible if you have a good motivation and a desire to make it happen.
Is there a person in the world, or in the US with whom you would like to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she might just see this, especially if we tag them. 🙂
One person in the world who I consider a role model is Malala Yousafzai because she is a very strong woman. No one else has done the work she has been doing since she was very young for the girls of her country. I admire and respect her very much.
How can our readers follow you online?
I am on Instagram as @ruthagurto. Readers can follow Global G.L.O.W. at @global_glow or visit their website at globalgirlsglow.com
This was very meaningful, thank you so much. We wish you only continued success on your great work!
Young Social Impact Heroes: Why and How Ruth Agurto of Global GLOW Is Helping To Change Our World was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.