-Mission-

Partnering with those empowering

women to lead in their strength & beauty.

-Vision-

This is how we do it....

EDUCATE:

NuShu Sisters is a movement devoted to empowering girls and women through educational workshops and events to help improve and empower their lives. Our society loves to promote the "mean girl", and we are passionately devoted to bring about a change. Through these workshops and events, women learn to compliment one another rather than compete, empower rather than enslave one another to society's demands. In a world that screams, "You're not enough!" we hope to share a message that reflects on every woman that SHE IS MORE THAN ENOUGH, and loudly proclaim, "NO MORE MEAN GIRLS!"

ADVOCATE:

As a non-profit organization with a 501C3 status, we welcome donations to advocate for the needs of our sisters in need around the world. We partner with like-minded organizations who empower women and help them unlock their strength and beauty. We work alongside charities and businesses to create unique NuShu products as well as funnel funds in order to help women not only across America but across the globe. 

INSPIRE:

Each woman has something unique that allows her life to sparkle and shine on the lives of those around her; our mission is to encourage her to live that out on a daily basis. We inspire girls and women to unlock their own unique strength and beauty, and to speak a language of love and encouragement to the women around her.  

                           ....and we do this locally, nationally, globally.

-THE HISTORY-

   once upon in a land far far away....

Silencing women and their suffering has been an age old issue that transcends into many times and lands. Women have combated their oppression in a variety of ways, but one of the most intriguing methods women have used to fight oppression is their ability to retain their voice. This was most extraordinarily expressed through the Hunan women in China.

In feudal China, women were assigned to arranged marriages, which were often abusive and brutal in nature. Small feet were a sign of beauty, so they were made to wear bindings on their feet that often compressed their feet to lengths as small as five inches making it nearly impossible to walk. Not only were they crippled physically, but they were crippled socially when they were forbidden to learn Nan Shu which was “Man’s Writing”. In order to endure these harsh and oppressive situations, a group of women calling themselves the “sworn sisters” banded together and developed their own culture and language. This unique dialect of an argued 1,200-7,000 characters called “Nu Shu” which translates into “Women’s Writing” and has been affectionately referred to as "The Language of the Heart." The language is based on traditional Chinese characters but altered with a wispy and graceful slant as only a woman can create. Nu Shu was sung, written on paper fans, or woven into cloth for more than two centuries to over a millennium. The writings, or songs were highly secretive and guarded from men but were passed on to their daughters and granddaughters. With secrecy and beauty, they shared their woes, stories, and determination to hold onto their self-respect through: music, poetry, and artful embroideries. When the melody was sung, those who could hear it came and joined in. Eventually, the men found out about the secret language but they considered it insignificant so they allowed it to survive. This shared language became a way for the women to share their burdens, avoid isolation, and prevent suicide. After the Chinese Revolution, literacy was accepted among women and Nu Shu was not needed or used. Many of the old manuscripts were destroyed due to fear of the language being discovered, a cultural tradition to burn the manuscripts on the author’s death, and the mission of the Red Guards to destroy old cultures. Today, only a handful of women can still read, sing, and understand it, but the Chinese government has agreed to preserve the ancient language, even though as few as 600-700 characters remain. In the spirit of survival as modeled from their ancestors, younger women are learning to write Nu Shu today in order to preserve its’ existence.

Here at NuShu Sisters, we are continuing the vision that these brave Sworn Sisters once held. We believe it is time for women of all ages to speak a new language of love, acceptance, and honor with themselves and towards other women they encounter; and to form a sisterhood where we share our own unique stories, full of strength and beauty and in a spirit of collaboration vs. competition.

-The Team-

Jennifer Dean-Hill: Founder & ceo

Jennifer is the visionary and creative developer of NuShu Sisters. Jennifer is a lifelong learner and teacher. She is a certified teacher who taught in three different states in three years, following her 5-year degree program at Azusa Pacific University and MSW at Walla Walla University. Jennifer loves to create, through many outlets like music, art, and writing—any expression that captures the passion of human emotion and relationships. She loves to inspire others to live their greatness and experience the awe-inspiring energy of women coming together in a positive and powerful force. As a mother, she believes in the power of nurturing our daughters to be an inspiring, powerful woman, and to teach our sons how to treat and love these women. As a therapist, she has dedicated much of her professional life to helping women get in touch with their beauty and strength they possess and to participate in their healing journey. Jennifer believes that our greatness is expressed when we as women learn to creatively express our pain without bringing more pain to ourselves, experience grace instead of shame from other women, and live balanced living with ourself, God, and others. She believes in the power of compassionate and collaborative connections and believes Nu Shu Sisters is a powerful force that will transform the culture of our world if we let it. It has been a dream that haunts her and will not let her sleep till she sees it brimming with life.

Hannah Bottino: Design Director

McKenna Dean-Hill: Operations/Brand Director

jake dean-hill: chief operating officer

Darren grew up in Southern California as well and comes to NuShu Sisters with a wealth of experience in the development and fundraising areas. He is married to Heather and has two wonderful kids in high school.