The Ellen Johnson - Sirleaf Market Women's Fund

The landslide vote that made Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf President of Liberia — and Africa’s first elected woman president — was the result of the strong support of Liberia’s women, an action unique in Africa and in the world!

We invite you to share this victory for women by contributing to a fund in President Sirleaf’s name that will help Liberian women traders restore their livelihoods as they recover from 16 years of civil war. During that time, these women sustained their families, saved lives and kept food supplies flowing while they marched and negotiated for peace.  In 2005 they turned their
hard-won organizational skills to the election of Ellen Johnson Sirleaf.

Today, as Liberians engage in reconstruction and reconciliation, a special concern of women is
renewal of the rundown and battered markets for food and basic goods that are community centres — places where women buy and sell from mats on the ground or temporary shelters.

The Sirleaf Market Women’s Fund is established as a sub-fund of the African Women’s Development Fund (AWDF), an Africa-wide fundraising and grant-making organization created in the belief that African women’s rights are inalienable, indivisible and an integral part of
universal human rights.

The United Nations Development Program will assist a preliminary survey of markets to determine priority needs with the market women themselves and design a programme to meet those needs. Included may be the improvement of health and sanitation as well as marketing infrastructure, offering periodic prenatal and well-baby clinics, and setting up revolving loan
mechanisms for the purchase of supplies.
We hope that you, your friends and organizations will join in creating the Sirleaf Market Women’s Fund and become partners with women who have struggled through years of war to make a living for themselves, their families and their communities so as to increase their power in the new Liberia. In contributing to this fund, we will honor Africa’s first woman president,
Ellen Johnson Sirleaf.

(Signed)

• Bisi Adeleye-Fayemi, Executive Director, AWDF               
• Thelma Awori, former Head, Africa Division UNDP
• Margaret (Peg) Snyder, Founding Director, UNIFEM
• Hilda Tadria, Co-founder, AWDF

PLEASE CONTRIBUTE TODAY!!

The Sirleaf Market Women’s Fund was proposed by members of the African Women and Peace Support Group: Thelma Awori, Comfort Lamptey, Jane Martin, Corann Okorodudu, Peg Snyder and Margaret Vogt. Their 2004 book, Liberian Women Peacemakers, is available from www.WomenInk.org and www.Amazon.com.
Initial supporters include Winifred Armstrong, Libby Bassett and Bob Richter, Herta Kaschitz, Elizabeth Lwanga, Jane Martin, Wanjira Mathai, Rachel Mayanja, Rose Odera, Claudia Sossah, Irene Tinker and Aster Zaoude.

HOW TO CONTRIBUTE

Worldwide, including online giving: Donations may be in any currency, by cheque, money order, direct debit, credit card or any other convenient means. Receipts are provided on request.

Write your contribution to the AWDF
Sirleaf Market Women’s Fund
c/o African Women’s Development Fund
25 Yiyiwa Street, Abelenkpe
Achimota Forest, Accra
PMB CT89 Cantonments
Accra, Ghana
Tel: 233 21 780 477
Fax: 233 21 782 502
Email: Bisi@awdf.org
Website: www.awdf.org

In the USA:
Write your check to Sirleaf Market Women’s Fund AWDF-USA, and send to:
AWDF-USA
c/o Rosen Seymour Shapss Martin & Company
757 Third Avenue
New York, NY 10017
Tel: 212 303-1046
Fax: 212 303-1804
Email: Peggy McCann (pmccann@rssmcpa.com)
AWDF-USA is a 501(c)3 organization, thus contributions may receive US tax deductions.

THANK YOU FOR JOINING THIS TRIBUTE TO ELLEN JOHNSON SIRLEAF!
Please let us know if  you would like your name listed as a contributor.