etta projects
http://www.ettaprojects.com
A luminous presence in life, Etta Turner’s memory is a powerful beacon that leads us to fulfill the work she inspired.by Pennye Nixon-West
One of Etta’s many gifts was her ability to find the key to understanding the people she met, what made them unique and the innate potential of their individual circumstance. She lived her life that way in Washington State. Then, she brought that same perspective to her experiences with the people she came to love as an International Rotary Exchange student in Montero, Bolivia. Etta not only asked “Why” she asked: “Why not?”
Now, Etta Projects is built on her way of being in the world — operating from mutual respect, open dialogue, and a firm belief in the power of people to come together for good.
Etta died November 25th, 2002, at the age of 16, in Bolivia. During her travel as a Rotary International exchange student, Etta and six Bolivians were killed when their bus driver fell asleep and drove off a cliff.
Even after her passing, Etta’s presence remained strong in Bolivia. A few months after her death, her family in Washington state was contacted by the local Rotary Club and the priest of the Silesian Catholic Church in Montero (also Etta’s school principle) who knew her compassion and commitment to social justice well, and asked for a gift: that a nutrition center for impoverished children use her name. The sorrow of Etta’s death was transformed into joy with the feeding of many children at the Comedor de Niño’s Etta Turner.
It is a most fitting legacy for Etta: to give of herself to the world. Her family, friends and like-minded individuals now support the continuing Etta Projects.
