Sisterhood without borders
For this years gala we wanted to celebrate sisterhood. That's how the idea of an exhibition was born.
Sisterhood has been a priority for Future heroes since day one. We nurture it in our participants and highly value the community we have built around it. It is the base and support for the ambitious and empowered women to build-up on. The safe space of supporters and friendly critics to try out whatever ideas you might have.
While looking for the theme of this year's gala we realised, that nothing represents Future Heroes more than our sisterhood. The sisterhood without borders, spreading further with every passing season and closing the space between like-minded to make way for something greater.
Still, the definition of sisterhood is not fixed. It varies between every community, every person and every experience. That is why we want to bring this exhibition to you, to discover the limitless borders and bonds of sisterhood as well as giving you a chance to share your own.
While looking for the theme of this year's gala we realised, that nothing represents Future Heroes more than our sisterhood. The sisterhood without borders, spreading further with every passing season and closing the space between like-minded to make way for something greater.
Still, the definition of sisterhood is not fixed. It varies between every community, every person and every experience. That is why we want to bring this exhibition to you, to discover the limitless borders and bonds of sisterhood as well as giving you a chance to share your own.
" I remember when the word sisterhood was first mentioned in the program. I had never even thought about what it is or what it means. Today, I can proudly say that I am part of a sisterhood. We are a group of young girls who all have the same thing in common - we are Future Heroes. We all have worked through the program with support from each other and to each other. While learning about entrepreneurship, working on our own individual projects and building a community. I know that I can turn to these girls with any problem or with a crazy idea and they won't judge. These girls aren't just my friends, they are my sisters. Not by blood, but by the same passion, grit and mindset for achieving goals. "
- Elisabet Raig, Future Hero since 2017
- Elisabet Raig, Future Hero since 2017
" To me, sisterhood is support and optimism even when everything is looking down. It's building someone up, even you don't know them, giving them a chance, and being willing to change your mind about them. It's really caring about people and believing they would do the same for you. Sisterhood is also about learning from others and helping them learn too.
One of the most significant gains from the programme is the network of inspiring people. The speakers and coaches who are professionals in their field became much more accessible when we met them in workshops. The programme also introduced me to many hard-working, talented and passionate girls, some of whom became my friends, teammates or fellow activists. We have worked together on projects during and after the programme, supported each other during difficulties and had some wonderful time.
Sisterhood made me look at a lot of things from a different perspective. Made me open my mind to new ideas that I would never have considered before. Being around so many different girls from different backgrounds have really helped me grow. Sisterhood has also impacted me in being more confident in myself and I've made some great new friends. "
- Gerli Rehkalt, Future Hero since 2018
One of the most significant gains from the programme is the network of inspiring people. The speakers and coaches who are professionals in their field became much more accessible when we met them in workshops. The programme also introduced me to many hard-working, talented and passionate girls, some of whom became my friends, teammates or fellow activists. We have worked together on projects during and after the programme, supported each other during difficulties and had some wonderful time.
Sisterhood made me look at a lot of things from a different perspective. Made me open my mind to new ideas that I would never have considered before. Being around so many different girls from different backgrounds have really helped me grow. Sisterhood has also impacted me in being more confident in myself and I've made some great new friends. "
- Gerli Rehkalt, Future Hero since 2018
" Sisterhood for me is a power of always having someone behind your back to help you through hard situations. Sisterhood is also support from every woman not only from my community but everywhere in the world. No matter what I'm feeling I always have a sister to turn to. It also means I have people who share the same values with me that I can relate to on not only a personal level but an emotional level in the fact that I can always feel safe around them. Our sisters are our people, they're the ones that accept us with all of our flaws, they're the ones to turn to, they're the ones that are going to be there for life. Superheroes and sisterhood are like a closed circle, Superheroes depict sisterhood and Estonian sisterhood gets better by learning from Superheroes. Superheroes depict the true idea of sisterhood and women helping each other in difficult situations. Sisterhood and Superheroes gave me the power to acknowledge that this world is not man's one but women truly run this world. Sisterhood also gave me the power to finally be myself, to open up to people. Now I'm not scared of anyone, I don't care what people say about me and nothing ever can stop me from fighting. "
- Mari-Liis Mets, Future Hero since 2018
- Mari-Liis Mets, Future Hero since 2018
" I could list a million things Future Heroes taught me; time management, budgeting, team building, leadership styles, marketing, etc. These are all incredibly valuable skills, but they mean nothing without the two most important ones. Grit and Sisterhood.
First there is grit. Grit is passion. Grit is looking at the biggest mountain in the world, taking a deep breath, and taking your first step. Grit is not stopping until you get to the peak. Grit is looking back, being proud of what you accomplished, and then asking yourself "where's the next mountain I can climb?".
Then there is sisterhood. Sisterhood is support. Sisterhood is yelling at the top of your lungs in a rally against sexual violence. Sisterhood is silently passing a tampon to a girl you've never met before. Sisterhood is breaking the glass ceiling. Sisterhood is working with a group of girls to make your wildest dreams come true. Sisterhood is power.
When you put sisterhood and grit together, there is nothing in this world girls cannot accomplish. We support one another as we climb the biggest mountains. We share our grit when someone feels like they should give up. We believe in each other when no one else does. We get to the top of the mountain together, we hold up our arms together, and we scream at the top of our lungs together. Because we just did that, and we just did that together.
When we are together, we are invincible.
When we are together, we are Future Heroes. "
- Mackenzie LeVernois, Future Hero since 2016
First there is grit. Grit is passion. Grit is looking at the biggest mountain in the world, taking a deep breath, and taking your first step. Grit is not stopping until you get to the peak. Grit is looking back, being proud of what you accomplished, and then asking yourself "where's the next mountain I can climb?".
Then there is sisterhood. Sisterhood is support. Sisterhood is yelling at the top of your lungs in a rally against sexual violence. Sisterhood is silently passing a tampon to a girl you've never met before. Sisterhood is breaking the glass ceiling. Sisterhood is working with a group of girls to make your wildest dreams come true. Sisterhood is power.
When you put sisterhood and grit together, there is nothing in this world girls cannot accomplish. We support one another as we climb the biggest mountains. We share our grit when someone feels like they should give up. We believe in each other when no one else does. We get to the top of the mountain together, we hold up our arms together, and we scream at the top of our lungs together. Because we just did that, and we just did that together.
When we are together, we are invincible.
When we are together, we are Future Heroes. "
- Mackenzie LeVernois, Future Hero since 2016
" Sisterhood is when you know that you have someone behind your back no matter what happens. It is when you have people around you, you can cry, laugh or just be quiet with.
In Future Heroes when I feel overwhelmed with work or I am just stuck, I can write to any of Big Sister and ask for help. They are always available, at eight in the morning or eleven in the evening.
Sisterhood has given me the courage to step out of my comfort zone. Courage to speak with new people. But what is most important, sisterhood has shown me that I am valued and respected. "
- Jana Ogorodnik, Future Hero since 2016
In Future Heroes when I feel overwhelmed with work or I am just stuck, I can write to any of Big Sister and ask for help. They are always available, at eight in the morning or eleven in the evening.
Sisterhood has given me the courage to step out of my comfort zone. Courage to speak with new people. But what is most important, sisterhood has shown me that I am valued and respected. "
- Jana Ogorodnik, Future Hero since 2016
" Sisterhood is a group of women who are united by their passions and they have come together to work towards the same goal or agenda. In sisterhood you will find other women who have similar interest with you and when you start working together something magical happens. You will be empowered by them and and you will have the chance to empower others. It will be a group where you can share your ideas, thoughts and dreams and you will be encourage to act on them plus you will be offered support to really make them happen.
Future Heroes is a community that I call a sisterhood. It brings together young girls and gives them chance to work on themselves as an individual but also as a group. There are mentors who will guide and help the girls always encouraging them to try more. When I think of a sisterhood then the first thing that comes to my mind is Future Heroes. First time I met everyone in the beginning of my journey with Future Heroes I saw a lot of motivated and determined young girls in one place and it was amazing. It made me realize that there are a lot of other young girls that have similar interest with me and it felt really empowering. This sisterhood has given me great opportunities, I have had beautiful memories with this group and I have met a lot of inspiring people. I understood the power of having a mentors and a group of people around me whom is such a pleasure to work together. The environment that people are surrounded with has a great impact on them and the change I saw within myself when being in that group was nothing less than positive. I am really grateful and happy that I can be a part of this sisterhood. "
- Ruth Kübard, Future Hero since 2017
Future Heroes is a community that I call a sisterhood. It brings together young girls and gives them chance to work on themselves as an individual but also as a group. There are mentors who will guide and help the girls always encouraging them to try more. When I think of a sisterhood then the first thing that comes to my mind is Future Heroes. First time I met everyone in the beginning of my journey with Future Heroes I saw a lot of motivated and determined young girls in one place and it was amazing. It made me realize that there are a lot of other young girls that have similar interest with me and it felt really empowering. This sisterhood has given me great opportunities, I have had beautiful memories with this group and I have met a lot of inspiring people. I understood the power of having a mentors and a group of people around me whom is such a pleasure to work together. The environment that people are surrounded with has a great impact on them and the change I saw within myself when being in that group was nothing less than positive. I am really grateful and happy that I can be a part of this sisterhood. "
- Ruth Kübard, Future Hero since 2017
" I see sisterhood as a community of girls who share mutual interests, trust and support each other. I'd like to believe that all of the Future Heroes have felt strong sisterhood during the program. Since we all go through similar problems, it's much easier to solve them with help and advice from other Heroes. Sisterhood has helped me through tough times and also given me great friends for life. "
- Getterli Aavik, Future Hero since 2017
- Getterli Aavik, Future Hero since 2017
" For me, sisterhood means foremost a community of people who support each other. Sisterhood has a culture of cheering each other on instead of competing and trying to bring others down on the road to achieving success yourself. I think it's so important to understand these days, that the biggest achievement doesn't have to be being better than others, being more successful and richer than others. Sisterhood means acknowledging that your happiness doesn't have to come at the cost of anyone else's.
In the Future Heroes program, sisterhood is one of the core values and you can see it in everything that's going on there. Although there is competition between teams, that's not the most important part of the program. In season 2 of Superheroes when I was participating, when the winners were announced, I don't think anyone felt too sad or disappointed because they didn't win since most of us had made friends with members of other teams who won, and we were genuinely happy for them.
Thanks to the friendly and supportive atmosphere across teams, I was able to make more connections with people outside my own team. I think one of the most valuable things I gained from participating in the program was the new people I met and not necessarily the project I was working on. Right now, me and two other season 2 alumni are working organizing climate strikes together and we were not in the same group in the beginning. That's what I like about sisterhood- it doesn't have any borders and it doesn't have enemies- just sisters supporting each other and celebrating each other's successes like they were their own. "
- Kristin Siil, Future Hero since 2018
In the Future Heroes program, sisterhood is one of the core values and you can see it in everything that's going on there. Although there is competition between teams, that's not the most important part of the program. In season 2 of Superheroes when I was participating, when the winners were announced, I don't think anyone felt too sad or disappointed because they didn't win since most of us had made friends with members of other teams who won, and we were genuinely happy for them.
Thanks to the friendly and supportive atmosphere across teams, I was able to make more connections with people outside my own team. I think one of the most valuable things I gained from participating in the program was the new people I met and not necessarily the project I was working on. Right now, me and two other season 2 alumni are working organizing climate strikes together and we were not in the same group in the beginning. That's what I like about sisterhood- it doesn't have any borders and it doesn't have enemies- just sisters supporting each other and celebrating each other's successes like they were their own. "
- Kristin Siil, Future Hero since 2018