Article about women helping women in Africa by: Nico Colombant

US Groups Help Africa's War-Affected Women

Nico Colombant  March 24, 2011

Photo: S. Black

The Maryland-based group Women for Democracy and Peace in Africa states as its goals helping African women displaced by violence and encouraging them to take part in politics and peacemaking.

Member Rebecca Affi is from Ivory Coast. She is nervously following the intensifying violence in her divided home country, where two men are claiming the presidency. U.N. officials report rapes are being committed by armed groups supporting both sides.

"Women are the first victims. When these problems occur, they are the ones who are persecuted. So it is very, very dangerous," Affi said. "That is why we all have to put our hands together and try to solve these issues because when the giver of life is in danger, a whole generation is in danger, this is how we have to see it."

REUTERS

Refugees from Ivory Coast walk with their their belongings through Grand Gedeh county in eastern Liberia Mar 23 2011.

Her organization is helping pay the schooling of ten girls across Ivory Coast. She says such initiatives seem small, but she believes it is only when more women are educated and reach positions of power that Africa will be able to have more security.

"Families are sustained by women and women are the pillars. Women are those who educate the children so we wanted to help our sisters, and educate them because for us the real democracy, the true democracy, can only be achieved by the education of women,"Affi said.

Saturday, her organization is sponsoring a conference in Washington looking into the issues of women and democracy in Africa, as well as case studies concerning Guinea and Togo.

Another woman who is helping Africa's war-affected women is American Sally Black. She found out about the Buduburam refugee camp in Ghana while reading the news several years ago. Hundreds of Liberian women have lived there since fleeing their home country, some of them more than 20 years ago.

Last year, Black launched a micro-lending project to empower women refugees in West Africa called One Step One World. She visited the women at the camp last month and keeps in close contact with them by phone and Internet.

"I think the primary lesson was nobody had ever asked them what can you do to help yourself?" Black asked. "They had grown quite accustomed to handouts and U.S. aid but no one had ever said to them. 'Well, I have resources so what can you do to help yourself if I am able to help you with some resources?' And the program was theirs from day one. The micro-lending was not my idea. It was theirs."
Black used her own funds, and then got money from friends and acquaintances, before setting up a donation link on the group's website and blog. She said building trust with the women in the camp was much more difficult than raising money.

The project has helped set up a small school, an after-school program, hair salons, food stands, clothes businesses, as well as a sewing project enabling women to sell their own bags. Many women initially dropped out because of health emergencies, so Black set up a medical fund. There is also guest housing for other volunteers, who have also brought in more donations.

One of the beneficiaries, Oretha Zulu, lives at the camp with her 14-year-old daughter. She says more help is always welcome.

"We need lots of support here. We need some machines to help the women because more and more women are interested in the sewing project. More and more women, they are interested in learning how to read and write," said Zulu.

Black and women from the camp are now looking into ways to help them return to Liberia. They have been fearful to go back because of past violence and also because they have no money or housing to start over. Zulu says one encouraging sign for herself and other African women has been the presidency of Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf back in her home country in Liberia. The only elected female president in Africa is expected to seek a second term later this year.

One Step One World Programming at the Buduburam Refugee Camp

Hello Friends and Family,

We continue to feel gratitude as you enable us through your donations to empower the women at Buduburam Refugee Camp.  We are presently focused on empowering women by teaching them how to sew. We have a wonderful teacher, Jackson who is gentle and patient.  Thirty students will graduate on May 15th.after six months of training.  If they decide to return to Liberia, we will need sewing machine donations. Returning to Liberia (where there is so little to return to) with a sewing machine will enable the women to begin their new life with some hope, as they look toward the future.  The old fashioned, non-electric machines are the best. If you have your Grandmother's machine in your attic or basement, please consider contacting us.  We may have a volunteer who is willing to carry a few machines to the camp this summer.                                       
       

The Women of the Sewing Class!

There are still plenty of African bags for sale and all proceeds are returned to the camp for our programs. Anna is selling the bags at Dartmouth College, and I am selling them in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico. On April 11th. they will be available for purchase in Vermont. They are beautiful, bright colors and we have three different designs. Some are a kente cloth print and others are batik and 100% cotton. Here is a picture of (the real) kente cloth below on the right. These are small hand-woven strips that are also for sale.

Kente Cloth Samples

And let's not forget about our night school where Mother Kou, Pauline and Joshua teach five nights a week. See photo below! These women are so proud to be in school. About 28 women are learning to read and write, and for the first time in the lives, many are able to write their names.  Contact Sally at onesteponeworld@yahoo.com or 802-595-2432 if you would like more information or if you desire to schedule a presentation about the organizations work.  

Night School Women!

The Liberian Business Women of Buduburam Refugee Camp

Vermont Trust Funds for Women's Empowerment is a program of One Step One World

We are a non-profit loaning interest free money to refugee women of Buduburam Refugee Camp (a permanent settlement of 21 years) who want to create change for themselves and their families. They are not looking for hand-outs, but rather hoping to open businesses to take care of their own basic needs ie: food, water, shelter, and medical.

Speaking at our Welcome Ceremony

This is not a refugee camp where the people are being taken care of - on the contrary they have to pay for their most basic services; if they use a toilet, they pay for it; if they drink water, they pay for it; if they eat, they pay for it.
 

The Sewing Class Women

Women who started businesses told me, "I was able to feed my children everyday." Out of all of the women who received loans, 9 months later only 50% are still in business. Why? Medical emergencies were most often the cause of the failed business. So before the next round of loans are given each women who receives a loan will put five cedis (equivalent to about 3.50US) into a emergency medical fund.
 

Members of VertFunds resting after painting 

We are presently raising money to give new loans to the women that I personally interviewed while living on the refugee camp last month. Jennifer has almost completed sewing class and she has applied for a loan that includes buying a sewing machine. Jassie wants to sell used clothes and Mamie wants to make and sell homemade donuts. Rolanda will open a hair salon and Evelyn will sell fruit.

My blog has a paypal link to make giving a donation easy for you. Thanks for any support you may be able to give, even a 10.00 donation will help.

Violence at the Buduburam Refugee Camp

Hi Friends & Family,

Joven and I left the the Liberian Refugee Camp last Friday and on Sunday (the 13th) violence erupted. Many reports are claiming that the Liberian Refugees started the violence, but I strongly disagree with these reports. Volunteers and staff at Vermont Trust Funds for Women's Empowerment tell a very different story then what the Ghanaian media is reporting..

Liberian refugees were merely seeking a change in leadership at the Liberia Refugee Welfare Council. The Liberian people felt that the former leader did not have the refugee's best interest at heart.  I heard much about this change in leadership while I worked at the camp for the last month.  The Liberians were merely seeking a  democratic change in leadership by electing Victoria Nimely as their new leader, a woman who they believed would serve the refugee population better. 

On Sunday the 13th of February, plans were well underway to install Victoria Nimely. As the Liberians prepared for this service to take place at the Baptist Church the police stormed into the church building, destroying the decorations that were in the process of being set-up for the event.If the Liberian refugees were not already in church, they were preparing to attend the installation service. There was no violence by the Liberian people that sparked the violence of the Ghanaian police. I was told that the police tore down the Liberian flag and stomped on it.

Liberians that were preparing for the new leader's installation were arrested; we think about 50 people in all. As they were being led away others tried to stop the arrests from taking place and this is when the Ghanaian police began firing into the crowd, some bullets were live and others were rubber. They also used tear gas.

A 25 year-old girl, identified as Mamie was shot in the breast, as men tried to carry her to the clinic close by - the police used tear gas - the girl died. Others (maybe a total of 5) were shot, but no-one is sure if they died or not because the police quickly covered the bodies and removed them from the camp.

It is another sad day for Liberians on the camp.  Schools and markets are closed, people are staying in their homes, some have fled into the bush or to Accra looking for safety. It is a sad day for all of the people of Ghana, not allowing the Liberian Refugees the right to elect and install their chosen leader at the Buduburam Liberian Refugee Camp.





 

Live from Buduburam Refugee Camp #3

Live from Buduburam Liberian Refugee Camp - Vermont Trust Funds
for Women's Empowerment

 - A Program of One Step One World -

Dear family & friends,

Joven and I have settled into a nice little routine. He travels during the week while I work on the camp, and we meet up at the coastal village of Kokrobite most weekend.  Kokrobite is a small fishing village on the Atlantic Ocean where many international volunteers, mostly Europeans come to relax on weekends.

Mornings we awaken to the orchestra of West Africa’s coastal birds as long, wooden fishing boats  full of young black boys and a few men head out for the morning trip to drag their nets down into the cloudy waters. Later in the morning they return and each boy has a few fish in his bucket. Strangely, no one is selling fresh grilled fish on the beach, even though there must be 100 young volunteers in town for the weekend. Mostly the fish is dried. Perhaps the fishing is for the purpose of feeding the family and selling fish to tourists. I am not sure. 

This weekend we have rented a small, light filled A-Frame structure.  We still do not have a bathroom or shower, but the outdoor bucket showers are open to the elements and they are clean. We have real toilets instead of filthy outhouses and we flush with buckets of river water.

At one of the schools back on the refugee camp, children drink this dirty river water to stay alive even though they get sick from the bacteria. They are sent home after only a half day due to hunger because the school no longer has the money to feed the children lunch. In fact, the teachers are holding things together by teaching without pay for over four months now.  This school needs about 400.00 US dollars per month to continue operating. There are 112 children.  Principal Toh O. Shadrack is a decent man, who is completely devoted to the children in his school.  He speaks at least two languages, English and French and he is a weekend student at the "University of Cape Coast". 

Besides the lack of drinking water, the air is very toxic due to the daily burning of plastics. Everyone burns plastic waste and some of the most desperate refugee women collect large bags of plastics for recycling. They are paid a few cedis and the plastics are melted down and re-used. Each day Ghana produces 230 tons of plastic waste, mostly empty, small bags of drinking water.

I have research to preform when I return to Mexico in a weeks time. There is a high percentage of Liberian Refugees (mostly women) who have strange spots on their eyes (the spots look like clouds). After many conversations about rather or not the cause is Accra’s (Capital of Ghana) pollution or if it is related to malnutrition, or maybe something that happened during the Liberian conflicts, a common story seemed to emerge. 

When the conflict began in Liberia these women were mostly teenage girls. As they ran to the bush to escape the killings many told stories of itchy eyes and skin rashes. There must be information out there about this - but my internet connection is not good so I will save the research from when I return home. My friends at Women's International League for Peace and Freedom, (WILPF) will know.  

Another common problem is malaria, a curable disease if you have the money for medications.  Last week,  we provided four children and women with medication for malaria. The confusing part was that every single case cost a different amount for medication even though we sent staff with each person to the clinic and they came back with receipts. I have yet to figure this out. Money and Africa is not an easy thing.

I have met the most amazing young boy, Varny. He is 16 and super smart. The first time I met him, he explained many things about life on a refugee camp in great details and with a wonderful vocabulary.  Ghanaian education is costly so if you are lucky enough to have family members that have been resettled and working in another country you may be able to attend school with remittances. If no family members are abroad another option is to find a sponsor. Many people have asked me about scholarships for school. 

If a child excels and tests well after the 12th grade, they can choose from the Ghanaian Universities. This is what Varney hopes to do. He could really use a sponsor to accomplish this and the cost is about 150.00 USD per year. The most expensive part will be the examination cost at the end of his senior year. This is the test that will allow exceptional students to attend good universities. The cost of the test ranges from 100.00 to 200.00 USD. 

One Step One World has given a school scholarship to Chuku (a 24 year old girl), who has volunteered for Vermont Trust Funds for Women's Empowerment for the last nine months. Chuku has been our  receptionist, and she can always be relied upon to show up and help out.  Both of Chuku’s parents are deceased.  She and her brother are the only two surviving members of their family. Thanks to Anna Pudimat and her sorority sisters at Dartmouth College, Chuku is be given another chance, a chance to complete high school. All Liberians deserve another chance.

Live from Buduburam #2

Live from Buduburam Refugee Camp in Ghana, West Africa

I have been here two weeks now and am settling into daily routines. I arise at 7am to have my bucket shower, eat my oatmeal and fried plantain. I also have my quiet time writing in my journal and at 8:30am I begin to walk to the office. It's about a 20 minute walk through the camp and there is a fair amount of activity as vendors sell cassavas, oranges, dried fish, African cloth, rice, and much more.

On Mondays and Thursdays I counsel the women in private; I have heard 75 personal stories. These days are the most exhausting, but also the most rewarding. The counseling space is small, stuffy and hot but still connections happen here; we share stories, we laugh, we hug, we cry, and we sit quietly.  

On Tuesday's we fast and pray as a group and then I conduct reiki healing sessions. The women for the most part are very open and receptive. Wed. and Fri. are for visiting schools, meeting with women at their business locations, sitting in on our sewing classes, teaching at the Adult Literacy Program, seeing members in their homes, conducting staff meetings, and working on the new guest house for volunteers.

Joven is off traveling in northern Ghana. We have cell phones so we talk several times a day. He will be visiting me soon at the camp! And tomorrow is his birthday!  He has been on lots of buses and his most recent adventure was visiting an animal watering hole with lots of elephants and antelope. I am excited to see him soon.

Vermont Trust Funds for Women Empowerment is a program of One Step One World.  We are a 501C3 so any donation that you give will be tax deductible. There is a paypal link here for you convenience but if you prefer a check can be made to One Step One World, c/o Sally Black at PO Box 983, Montpelier, VT  05601.

The women of Buduburam Camp and I thank you,

Sally

Live from Buduburam Refugee Camp

Live from the Buduburam Liberian Refugee Camp

Hello Friends & Family,

The community of Vermont Trust Funds for Women’s Empowerment has embraced us, and we are being well taken care of. We have over 130 members, and they are proud to belong to a women’s
micro-lending / skills training empowerment group.

I have had my first two full day in the office counseling refugee women.  I heard in private and one on one 48 women’s stories of struggle and faith. Long ago, this place was a model UN camp for 8,000. After two civil wars in Liberia the population swelled to 45,000. Many Liberians have returned home.8,000 - 12, 000 refugees remain here.

Nobody wants to live here, but they lack the funds to move on and begin anew. Here on the camp everything costs money; if a refugee drinks water, they buy it. If a refugee uses a real toilet instead of the ditch, they pay for it. If a refugee eats rice, they purchase it. Babies cry in the night from hunger and thirst. Two days ago a man died in his house, he starved to death.

And despite all of this suffering the women are amazing people. Most men either died in the Liberian Civil Wars or they split when they had a chance to get out. The women have told me over and over again, “We live here by the grace of God.  “Without God, they would have nothing,” a young volunteer told me on my first day here.

Oretha Zulu, Directress. This women is a power house. She never seems to stop. She is up by 5 am and she often leaves the office at 8pm. Each week she visits every member within their homes to offer encouragement and support. Her plan is to take me to visit every member in their home before my time here ends. She is a dreamer with great hopes in creating a better life for all members of the organization. Without Oretha, Vermont Trust Funds for Women’s Empowerment would simply not be.

Aymerson Sanny, Administrator. Aymerson helps the women refugees fill out membership forms, loan application forms, and he conducts weekly meetings with all members. He is the glue that holds the organization all together. He is smart, very organized, and kind. Without Aymerson, Vermont Trust Funds for Women’s Empowerment would come undone.

Ration Day

One day each month is ration day.  Before the day began, I told the Vermont Trust Funds for Women's Empowerment staff that ration day was not a sustainable project and we may need to consider focusing our efforts on our other programs ie: micro-lending, skills training, and adult literacy. Four hours later, after bagging and distributing over 500 pounds of rice (more expensive rice than usual because it is shipped through the Ivory Coast and the new shipment is delayed due to the conflict there) and packages of salt to over 80 women, I knew this would not be an easy decision to discontinue ration day.

Reading Glasses

One of the most popular items donated to the camp for distribution are reading glasses. Thanks to all of you who have donated them! We have been able to give 25 women glasses. Our waiting list has another 20 waiting - we need 9 pairs of 1.25’s, 8 of 1.50’s and 3 pairs of 2.00’s. Write us if you would like to donate glasses and we will give you instructions on how to make it happen.

Volunteer Housing

We are happy to report that we have signed an one-year-lease to rent a house for volunteers. This is another step toward sustainability for the organization as volunteers will pay rent. The metal gate was installed for security along with new screens to keep the mosquitoes out. We have painted the interior and within the next few days Joven and I will be moving into it.