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Winner of the Avon Hello Tomorrow Fund - May 20, 2008
Razia Kosi Honored with $5,000 Avon Hello Tomorrow Fund Award
May 20, 2008

Ellicott City, Maryland Resident Wins Cash Award To Fund Group That Addresses And Combats Social Stigmas In The South Asian Community


(New York, NY, May 20, 2008) Ellicott City, Maryland resident Razia Kosi, 40, is one step closer to driving meaningful change in her community and creating a better tomorrow. Razia was named this week’s winner of the Avon Hello Tomorrow Fund, a weekly $5,000 cash award program from Avon Products, Inc. to support individuals in their work to empower women. She is the second recipient in Maryland to win this award and among the first Hello Tomorrow Fund winners to be selected by a newly expanded panel of judges that now includes Sarah Ferguson, The Duchess of York and actress Phylicia Rashad. Razia’s award will support the Women’s Wellness Group, an education and support program, aimed at addressing cultural pressures and eliminating the stigma of mental illness in the South Asian community.

Seeking help for mental illness in the Asian community is still frowned upon, yet the suicide rate for South Asians is five times higher than the global average. According to CNN, of women ages 15-24, Asian-American women have the highest suicide rate of women in any race or ethnic group. Asians are also up against the “model minority” myth – a falsely held conception that Asians immigrate with universal success. The issue of mental illness is still deeply hidden, and there is little talk about the immense pressure to succeed. Razia, a social worker in the public school system, wants to bring to light soothe many social issues that Asian women face.

Razia started the Women’s Wellness Group three years ago as part of Counselors Helping (South) Asian Indians (CHAI), an organization she created in 2001 to provide support for women from South Asia, including India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Nepal. They proactively identify stressors and offer peer counseling support networks. Most importantly, the Women’s Wellness Group is a safe place for women to speak freely about the pressures of the “model minority” and empowers them through support, trust, education and awareness. “I was inspired to apply for the Hello Tomorrow Fund because as a mother, I believe in teaching my daughters how to live the words of Ghandi,” explains Razia. “Be the change you wish to see in the world.”

The seven-week program is run by volunteer clinical facilitators who teach the participants anger management, coping skills and how to incorporate exercise and balanced nutrition into their daily lives as a method of stress management. The group practices tactics for setting boundaries within their families and learn to set realistic life goals. There is also discussion regarding healthy patterns of communication and relationships that help bring to the surface unhealthy situations, such as domestic violence, which most do not address.

With her Avon Hello Tomorrow Fund award, Razia will be able to compensate the clinical facilitators and train new ones, as well as advertise in the community and surrounding area to let more women know about the program. The Women’s Wellness Group will be able to touch the lives of even more Asian women and help them break the silence surrounding mental illness and other cultural pressures. Thanks to the Avon Hello Tomorrow Fund, South Asian women in Razia’s community will have access to the necessary tools and a support network to create healthier lives for themselves and their families.

Razia’s winning application to the Avon Hello Tomorrow Fund met the criteria of clearly presenting unique and achievable objectives to empower women or girls and ultimately improve society. It was selected from a pool of strong contenders by an expert panel of judges, including personal finance expert, Suze Orman, actress Phylicia Rashad and Sarah Ferguson, The Duchess of York. “We often forget that women from other cultures may not have the same support networks or outlets for expressing their fears and emotions,” noted Sarah Ferguson “This proposal addresses that a community can truly benefit from support groups that are sensitive to their cultural background.”

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