(160417) -- BEIJING, April 17, 2016 (Xinhua) -- American director and actress Natalie Portman attends a meeting of her movie "A Tale of Love and Darkness" in Beijing, capital of China, April 17. 2016. The meeting is part of the 6th Beijing International Film Festival lasting from April 16 to April 23. (Xinhua/Mao Siqian) (mp)
Los Angeles, Aug 13 (IANS) Actress Natalie Portman is trying to empower women by educating them.
"I've been very interested in girls' education," the actress, 35, told people.com. "So I did some research and saw that WE - previously known as Free the Children - was really the most efficient and effective school creator."
She added: "In 2015, I travelled to Kenya in support of WE's Power of a Girl project and was able to see the ripple effect that a girl's education can have. WE has young people in developed countries - primarily in North America - raising money to build schools for their peers in developing countries like Kenya, China, and India. It's an amazing way to engage young people."
After travelling to Kenya, Portman became inspired by the power of teamwork.
"WE creates this sustainable system, so it's not just a new school, but also wells, health clinics and organic gardens that the locals learn how to tend for food," said the actress.
"The goal is to build a village that can be sustained by local people for the rest of its lifeline."
