Sammamish woman strives for justice internationally
July 7, 2010
By Tara Sackman
Sitting in church one Sunday between her freshmen and sophomore years of college, Kathy Kading heard a presentation from the International Justice Mission and had a realization. She was going to go to law school and then work for the group.
“I just knew what I was meant to do, it just clicked,” Kading said.
Contributed Kathy Kading (right) poses with Mervis, one of her students on the last day of school. Contributed
The International Justice Mission is a “human rights agency that secures justice for victims of slavery, sexual exploitation and other forms of violent oppression,” according to the International Justice Mission website.
Kading recently spent a month in Zambezi, a small province in Zambia through a trip arranged by Gonzaga University where she is a rising senior.
In Zambezi, Kading worked in a basic school, what would be called an elementary school here.
While English is the official language in Zambia, some of the more rural areas still only speak a native language. Zambezi is one of those areas. Kading and her peers worked to teach English to younger children, who might go on to study someplace where English would be needed.
After working in a foreign country’s education system she noticed distinct differences between American and Zambezi attitudes. She described an eagerness to learn in the classroom that she had never seen before.
“I’ve never seen anything like it in America,” Kading said.
On the trip Kading saw first hand the living conditions and situations she had only heard about.
“Some pretty remarkable transformations happen in terms of learning lessons about simplicity,” said Dr. Josh Armstrong, director of Comprehensive Leadership at Gonzaga University. Armstrong has led this trip for four years and continues to see students learn from their experiences.
“While being exposed to some pretty heartbreaking situations, there is an underlying joy from being there with students who want to make a difference,” Armstrong said. Kading experienced this same heartbreak as she lived among the people for three weeks.
“It made me completely aware to a situation I had been blind to,” Kading said.
A particular experience that stood out in Kading’s trip was when a 10-year-old boy was reading her a story he had written about his older sister. The boy’s sister had made a deal with an elder to provide sexual favors and in return he would pay for her education.
This and other experiences showed Kading exactly where the need was for drastic revisions to the educational and legal systems were.
“He didn’t understand it was wrong,” Kading said. “Seeing it in the children too was mind blowing.”
Prior to this trip Kading had never been outside the country and jumped at the opportunity to pursue her newfound passion and broaden her perspective.
“It’s a need based (culture), they don’t ask for anything they want. It was humbling to be with people who provide for themselves,” Kading said.
Kading also worked with and observed the beekeepers in Zambia. Gonzaga University has started a business called Zambia Gold where the organic honey harvested in Zambia is sold and the money then given back to help fund schools like the ones Kading worked in.
“It’s a great lab for students to learn about importing and exporting,” Armstrong said.
Back at school in the United States, Kading last year started the campus chapter of the International Justice Mission at Gonzaga University. Their main goals are to spread the word about the organization and opportunities it offers. They raise awareness about the injustices that occur nationally and internationally and also raise funds to support the organization.
Last year Kading helped organize a benefit concert called “Stop Traffik” from which the funds raised were donated to the International Justice Mission. The goal is to raise $1,000 dollars per year.
“It’s further inspiring me to work for the International Justice Mission in the future,” Kading said.
“Kathy’s definitely confident and has drive for things she’s passionate about,” Armstrong said.
Kading hopes to continue the work she started. One day, she says she would like to return to Zambia or go to other countries.
“This goes on everywhere, there are so many places you can target,” Kading said.
Intern Tara Sackman can be reached at 392-6434, ext. 248, or samrev@isspress.com.
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