Ahead of International Women's Day 2019, RTÉ will be hosting a panel event on Thursday, March 7th, 2019. Get your tickets here.
This year's theme is Balance for Better and RTÉ's Taragh Loughrey-Grant will be talking to a panel of guests including RTÉ Director-General Dee Forbes, inspiring businesswoman Deborah Somorin, and fashion designer Brendan Courtney.
We sat down with Deborah, a woman who overcame homelessness at 13 to become an accountant with PWC, to find out a little bit more about her life, her accomplishments, and her new charity, Empower the Family.
"We are building student accommodation for single moms in education, with a creche on site. We have a big chunk of money that people donated to us, which was amazing, we literally just need the site.
Watch: Deborah appeared on The Late Late Show where she discussed her time living in a homeless hostel at the age of 13.
According to Ms. Somorin, the site will consist of a 'modular build' meaning that the buildings are prefabricated and can be ready to go within as little as twelve weeks. Now all she needs is a site.
"If anyone has a quarter of an acre of a site, please let us know! In North Dublin between TUD [Technological University Dublin] and DCU [Dublin City University], please give me a call."
All going well, the charity hopes to have three apartments plus a creche open by September. Ideally, a further seven apartments should be available by the following year.
"Every disadvantaged single mom that applies and gets a place will have a two bedroom apartment and a creche downstairs."
Watch the video above to listen to Deborah and click here to get tickets to this exciting #IWD event.
