Tag: girls
AWDF-USA and Girls Empowerment Summit Sierra Leone (GESSL) Team Up for ‘Celebrating Empowerment 3’
AWDF-USA and Girls Empowerment Summit Sierra Leone (GESSL) Team Up for ‘Celebrating Empowerment 3’
[tp lang=”en” not_in=”fr”]AWDF-USA is a proud to be taking part in the Celebrate Empowerment 3 fundraiser being organized by Girls Empowerment Summit Sierra Leone (GESSL), in collaboration with the Visao Foundation. The 3rd annual Celebrate Empowerment Fundraiser will be held on Thursday, June 25th at the United Nations in New York. Celebrate Empowerment 3 will raise funds for projects supporting young people in Sierra Leone.
Founded in 2012, GESSL is women-led, and engages vulnerable girls between the ages of 12 and 16 years in Sierra Leone. The organization provides girls with skills and knowledge, in addition to building their confidence to become the next generation of women leaders in Africa. Over 100 girls and their families have benefitted from two annual summits, as well as a series of workshops to empower girls and connect them to female mentors in Sierra Leone and the Diaspora.
Over a one year period, GESSL provides workshops focused on leadership and self-development, sexual and reproductive health, community development, entrepreneurship and technology. Furthermore, girls participate in community projects to address pertinent issues in their communities. Ultimately, these programs are designed to nurture leadership potential, build sisterhood and foster networking and transformative mentorship.
At the height of the Ebola epidemic in Sierra Leone, GESSL devised innovative ways and alternatives to ensure that girls could access continued education and emergency relief. With the disastrous impact of the Ebola, especially to social infrastructure, this fundraiser provides a unique vehicle to share GESSL’s story, raise visibility about its work and mobilize diverse resources for sustained impact.
Moiyattu Banya, Co-Founder of GESSL has been working closely with AWDF USA in an advisory role as well as supports AWDF USA’s communications efforts. In 2015, AWDF is celebrating 15 years and AWDF-USA is partnering with GESSL to raise visibility in the US about the presence and work of AWDF on the continent.
For more on Girls Empowerment Summit visit:
www.girlsempowermentsummitsl.org[/tp]
[tp lang=”fr” not_in=”en”]AWDF-USA est fier de prendre part à Celebrate Empowerment 3, une collecte de fonds organisée par Girls Empowerment Summit Sierra Leone (Gessl), en collaboration avec la Fondation Visao. La collecte de fonds de la 3e édition de Celebrate Empowerment aura lieu le jeudi 25 Juin à l’Organisation des Nations Unies à New York. Celebrate Empowerment 3 va lever des fonds pour des projets en faveur des jeunes en Sierra Leone.
Fondée en 2012, Gessl est dirigées par des femmes et implique les jeunes filles vulnérables âgées de 12 à 16 ans en Sierra Leone. L’organisation fournit aux filles des compétences et des connaissances, en plus de la construction de leur confiance pour devenir la prochaine génération de femmes leaders en Afrique. Plus de 100 filles et leurs familles ont bénéficié de deux sommets annuels, ainsi que d’une série d’ateliers pour aider les filles et les connecter à des mentors féminins en Sierra Leone et de la diaspora.
Sur une période d’un an, Gessl offre des ateliers axés sur le leadership, le développement personnel, la santé sexuelle et reproductive, le développement communautaire, l’entrepreneuriat et la technologie. En outre, les filles participent à des projets communautaires pour aborder les questions pertinentes dans leurs communautés. En fin de compte, ces programmes sont conçus pour favoriser le potentiel de leadership, construire de la fraternité, mais favorisent aussi le réseautage ou un mentorat transformateur.
A la hauteur de l’épidémie d’Ebola en Sierra Leone, Gessl a imaginé des moyens et des solutions de rechange novateurs pour s’assurer que les filles puissent accéder à la formation continue et au secours d’urgence. Avec l’impact désastreux d’Ebola, en particulier sur les infrastructures sociales, cette collecte de fonds fournit un vecteur unique pour partager l’histoire de Gessl, accroître la visibilité de ses travaux et mobiliser des ressources diverses pour un impact durable.
Moiyattu Banya, co-fondatrice de Gessl a travaillé en étroite collaboration avec AWDF-USA dans un rôle consultatif ainsi qu’en soutient des efforts de communication d’AWDF-USA. En 2015, AWDF célèbre ses 15 ans et AWDF-USA s’associe à Gessl pour permet d’accroître la visibilité aux États-Unis sur la présence et le travail d’AWDF sur le continent africain.
Pour en savoir plus sur le Sommet d’autonomisation des filles visitez:
Sierra Leone’s Disabled Women & Girls Union Combats Stigma In Ebola Epidemic
Sierra Leone’s Disabled Women & Girls Union Combats Stigma In Ebola Epidemic
[tp lang=”en” not_in=”fr”]The outbreak of the deadly Ebola virus last year left in its wake not only over 10,000 dead in Sierra Leone, Guinea and Liberia, but the equally devastating impact of stigma.
Fear and superstition of the haemorrhagic disease has led to Ebola survivors being repeatedly outcast from their communities, shunned and abandoned by family and friends, causing untold emotional and psychological damage.
The Disabled Women and Girls in Sierra Leone’s Kailahun District has led the way in breaking down those barriers through an innovative project aimed at mitigating the spread of Ebola amongst disabled women and girls in Ebola infected Communities in Kailahun District in Sierra Leone.
The project’s activities centered around the sensitization of caregivers of disabled women and girls in the localities about Ebola. The group provided thirty radios and hygiene materials to heads of families with disabled women and girls. The special high-frequency radios were chosen to facilitate prompt dissemination of information on Ebola.
One outstanding example of the success of the project is the case of Isata Momoh, an Ebola survivor from the village of Borbohun. Shunned after her discharge from the Ebola treatment centre, she lived in isolation until the Disabled Women & Girls Union intervened. Through a skillful sensitisation program, the fears of the Isata’s community were allayed, eventually leading to Isata’s reintegration.
Before the involvement of Disabled Women & Girls Union, there had been an increase in the cases of death and infection from Ebola in the targeted communities. One contributing factor was that hundreds of discharged Ebola patients had sexual intercourse with their spouses and partners before the end of the recommended 90 days abstinence period, unaware of the risk of transfer. Consequently, their spouses and partners were infected, leading to new cases of Ebola.
In response, the Disabled Women & Girls Union project mounted intensive education in the affected areas. Seventy five out of total of 85 Ebola survivors who had had unprotected sex before the end of the suggested mandatory period were reexamined for signs of infection or reinfection, leading to a reduction in the spread of the virus.
One other result of the project was the introduction of new by-laws by chiefs and other community elders in the project communities to deter members from flouting the rules relating to the outlined issues. Penalties in the form of fines will be imposed on offenders.
In the future, Disabled Women & Girls Union plans to follow up on Ebola survivors to curb further hostility and stigmatization. They will also promote income-generating activities, and continue with psycho-social counseling to help them cope with the devastating effects of the disease.[/tp]
[tp lang=”fr” not_in=”en”]L’épidémie du virus Ebola de l’année dernière a laissé dans son sillage non seulement plus de 10.000 morts en Sierra Leone, en Guinée et au Libéria, mais aussi l’impact dévastateur de la stigmatisation.
La peur et la superstition de la maladie hémorragique a conduit à plusieurs reprises les survivants d’Ebola a être les parias de leurs communautés, boudés et abandonnés par famille et amis, causant des dommages émotionnels et psychologiques incalculables.
Les femmes et filles invalides à cause de la maladie dans le district de Kailahun en Sierra Leone ont ouvert la voie pour briser ces barrières grâce à un projet novateur visant à atténuer la propagation du virus Ebola chez les femmes et les filles handicapées dans les collectivités infectées dans le district de Kailahun en Sierra Leone.
Les activités du projet centrées autour de la sensibilisation des personnels soignants, femmes et filles, dans les localités touchées par Ebola. Le groupe a fourni trente radios et du matériel d’hygiène aux chefs de familles avec des femmes et des filles ayant des séquelles. Des radios spéciales à haute fréquence ont été choisies pour faciliter la diffusion rapide de l’information sur le virus Ebola.
Un exemple remarquable de la réussite du projet est le cas de Isata Momoh, une survivante d’Ebola du village de Borbohun. Boudée après sa sortie du centre de traitement Ebola, elle a vécu dans l’isolement jusqu’à ce que Disabled Women & Girls Union intervienne. Grâce à un programme de sensibilisation habile, les craintes de la communauté d’Isata ont été apaisées, pour aboutir finalement à sa réintégration.
Avant la participation de Disabled Women & Girls Union, il y avait eu une augmentation des cas de décès et d’infection par le virus Ebola dans les communautés ciblées. Un facteur aggravant était que des centaines de patients touchés par Ebola ont eu des rapports sexuels avec leurs conjoints et partenaires avant la fin de la période de 90 jours d’abstinence recommandée, ignorant le risque de transfert. Par conséquent, leurs conjoints et partenaires ont été infectés, conduisant à de nouveaux cas d’Ebola.
En réponse, Disabled Women & Girls Union a monté un projet d’éducation intensive dans les zones touchées. Soixante-quinze des 85 survivantes d’Ebola qui avaient eu des rapports sexuels non protégés avant la fin de la période d’abstinence recommandée ont été réexaminées pour des signes d’infection ou de réinfection, conduisant à une réduction de la propagation du virus.
A l’avenir, Disabled Women & Girls Union prévoit le suivi des survivantes d’Ebola pour mieux juguler l’hostilité et la stigmatisation dont elles sont victimes. Ils seront également présents pour promouvoir des activités génératrices de revenus, et continuer avec un soutien psychosocial pour les aider à faire face aux effets dévastateurs de la maladie.[/tp]
A Phone Call, a Journal, and a Bar of Soap by Moiyattu Banya
A Phone Call, a Journal, and a Bar of Soap by Moiyattu Banya
[tp lang=”en” not_in=”fr”]A Dispatch from the Girls of Sierra Leone about the impact of the 3-day-Ebola Lockdown
I always look forward to hearing from my girls, because they brighten my day. When I noticed the +232 area code, I answered because I knew the caller was a loved-one. Ever since the Ebola epidemic, not one +232 number has gone unanswered.
The phone rang and I heard Isatu’s cheery voice, she was flashing me, a regular practice that Sierra Leonean’s use to alert their loves one to call them back.
“Aunty Moiyattu, call me back—I don’t have any credits.”
Since this was a normal occurrence between us. I called her back in haste. She told me that it was the second day of the Ebola lockdown that Sierra Leone’s government had imposed on the country. When I asked her how she was doing, she expressed that all was well, and that she was in high spirits. This made me smile as I wondered when next I would see her.
Every year, my organization which is focuses on girls empowerment work in Sierra Leone, hosts an annual summit that brings 50 Sierra Leonean girls aged 12-16 from various backgrounds together for a two-day Summit, providing them with various workshops to help enhance their sense of self, to build relationships with peers, and to train young Sierra Leonean women mentors. Throughout the year, the girls meet in small cohorts and participate in community development projects.
My team and I have been doing this since 2012, but for the first time, things are uncertain. Our Sierra Leone-based programming has been placed on hold because of the Ebola outbreak and we have no idea what the next steps for the girls or the organization would be in the next few months.
During our chat, I asked Isatu how the lock down was going.
“The Ebola people dem cam tiday,” she explained.
The Ebola Ose-to-Ose (house-to-house) response team that had been conducting sensitizations during the three-day lock down in Sierra Leone. When they came to her house, she reported, the team had instructed her family to wash their hands, avoid bodily and skin-to-skin contact, and left them with a bar of soap.
I smiled at the innocence of her explanation and asked her if she had found the information helpful. She responded that indeed, it was good to hear it, but that she had also heard the same information from our country coordinator.
I wondered how a bar of soap would help Isatu stay stimulated educationally so that she wouldn’t fall behind on her classes? How would a bar of soap help prevent Ebola from affecting Isatu’s family and many other families? At that moment I wished that the bar of soap could wash away every terrible memory of this Ebola epidemic. I wished the bar of soap could bring back the 500 plus lives that have been lost, I wish the bar of soap can bring the girls back together to see each other, I wish the bar of soap would allow GESSL to happen this year, but it won’t. It would serve its purpose of a few hand wash cycles.
I worry for her, my GESSL girls, and other Sierra Leonean girls, because I don’t see an end to this epidemic. Since the beginning of the Ebola epidemic, a few of our girls have lost their parents from unknown causes. Furthermore, the government has banned gatherings in the country. Therefore, the regular meetings we held with them had been put on hold for three months and counting.
Knowing that the girls relied on our support and on each other for support, our staff devised a plan to call them every two weeks to ensure that everyone was doing well and to take note of any emerging needs with which we could assist.
It was during these calls that they revealed some of their fears and losses, and it was in this way that we found out about deaths in their families. During these calls, the girls divulged that they were anxious to reunite and how much they missed seeing each other at meetings, and how much they longed to return to school.
Ebola impacts girls on many levels; it insinuates fears and uncertainties and takes away their lifelines, including critical programs such as GESSL—their contact with other girls and their mentors. This is what Ebola does to such critical work; it dismantles meaningful projects, dilutes efforts and pushes girls further away from achieving their greatest potential. Our meaningful work has come to a standstill.
On our call, she tells me she is writing in her journal everyday to different people including me about her experience during the lock down. The most exciting thing Isatu had to tell me was that she came third in her class and was moving on to Senior Secondary Two (SS2). I was so proud of her and asked her what soft drink she would want when we celebrate her success. She chuckled and responded that “anytin normor” (anything). I wondered when school would re-open for her to go back and continue exceling in her studies.
In Sierra Leone, school usually resumes by September. Unfortunately, with the uncontrollable spread of Ebola, they have been closed down indefinitely under government instruction. Any stretch of time that the girls spend out of school is detrimental to their learning and social functioning. This severely impacts children in the country, especially girls who are already at a disadvantage when it comes to secondary education. According to a report by the UNICEF “though attendance rates for boys and girls are almost equal at the primary level, there is a high dropout rate for girls and their enrolment in secondary education is low with net a secondary school attendance rate of only 19 per cent”, most girls drop out of school during secondary school and the Ebola epidemic could make this much worse. The fact that the girls have to stay at home can expose them to behaviors. Though there are some efforts within the country by local NGOs to help children stay stimulated via radio programming, this is the best that can be done. But it is still not enough.
As we were about to say our goodbyes, Isatu asked me,
“Aunty Moiyattu, is the summit going to happen this year? Will I see you this year December?”
Every year, my answer has been the same,
“Yes, of course my dear—ah dey live en direct,”
I usually tell them that I will be there. This year is different and it pains me. My voice shook in response. I realized that the answer I was about to give her was one more entry onto her list of uncertainties in the midst of Ebola. In that moment I wasn’t a Co-Founder of an organization, I was her sister.
“I am not sure yet, we will let you all know when the next GESSL summit will be.”
I could hear her sadness on the other end of the line.
“Noooooo! Aye booooo!”
At that moment there was nothing I could say to pacify her; it was impossible to assure her that Ebola would come to an end, or that life would resume as usual. I was at a loss for words. That was one of the hardest conversations I have had this year.
In the meantime, we continue to encourage the girls to write about their experiences in journals not only to stimulate their minds, but also as a means of therapy. We hope for them to be able to share their stories in a communal manner some day. We encourage them to call each other, and, we work on ways to support their families. As I ended the call with, I assured her that I would continue to pray and asked her to do the same. I assured her that, one day hopefully soon, we will have another summit, where she will play a key role. I can only hope that all they have learnt in these two years will keep them connected and keep them going through these hard times. When I hung up the phone, I realized that Isatu’s story and the story of many Sierra Leonean girls, girls in Kailahun, Kambia, Kono, might go untold in the midst of such an epidemic.
Bio
Moiyattu is a Feminist, Writer and Digital Mover and Shaker. She currently teaches Women Studies courses at Temple University and does consulting work for social enterprises in West Africa. She was a participant at AWDF & FEMRITE’s first writers workshop held in July 2014. Follow her on Twitter @Wcaworld or read her blog www.womenchangeafrica.com.[/tp]
[tp lang=”fr” not_in=”en”]Une dépêche de l’filles de Sierra Leone à propos de l’impact de la 3-days-Ebola Lockdown
J’attends toujours avec impatience des nouvelles de mes filles, car elles éclairent ma journée. Quand je remarquais le code +232 de la zone, je répondis, parce que je savais que l’appelant était un être aimé. Depuis l’épidémie d’Ebola,pa un seul appel en +232 est restée sans réponse.
Le téléphone sonna et j’entendis la voix joyeuse d’Isatu, elle me “bip”, une pratique régulière en Sierra Leone pour informer les personnes aimées de les rappeler.
“Tante Moiyattu, rappelle moi je n’ai plus de crédit.”
Depuis ce fut un phénomène normal entre nous. Je l’ai rappelée à la hâte. Elle m’a dit que c’était le deuxième jour de la Lockdown contre Ebola que le gouvernement de la Sierra Leone avait imposé au pays. Quand je lui ai demandé comment elle allait, elle a exprimé que tout allait bien, et qu’elle était de bonne humeur. Cela m’a fait sourire comme je me demandais quand je la reverrais.
Chaque année, mon organisation qui est axée sur le travail d’autonomisation des filles en Sierra Leone, accueille un sommet annuel qui réunit 50 filles sierra-léonaises âgées de 12 à 16 ans et de divers horizons pour un sommet de deux jours, en leur fournissant divers ateliers pour aider à améliorer leur sentiment de soi, à établir des relations avec leurs pairs, et former de jeunes mentors sierra-léonaises. Tout au long de l’année, les filles se rencontrent dans les petites cohortes et participer à des projets de développement communautaire.
Mon équipe et moi-même faisons cela depuis 2012, mais pour la première fois, les choses sont incertaines. Notre programmation axée sur la Sierra Leone a été mise en attente en raison de l’épidémie d’Ebola et nous n’avons aucune idée de ce que seront les prochaines étapes pour les filles ou l’organisation dans les prochains mois.
Lors de notre conversation, je demandai à Isatu comment le verrouillage allait.
“Les gens d’Ebola ils sont venus ajourd’hui” a-t-elle expliqué.
Une équipe d’intervention contre le virus Ebola avait été mené des sensibilisations ‘Ose-to-Ose’ (maison-à-maison) au cours des trois jours de verrouillage en Sierra Leone. Quand ils sont venus chez elle, elle m’a rapporté que l’équipe avait demandé à sa famille de se laver les mains, d’éviter les blessures et le contact peau-à-peau, et les a laissés avec une barre de savon.
Je souris à l’innocence de son explication et lui ai demandé si elle avait trouvé l’information utile. Elle a répondu qu’en effet, il était bon de l’entendre, mais qu’elle avait également entendu les mêmes informations de notre coordinateur national.
Je me demandais comment une barre de savon aiderait Isatu à rester stimulée scolairement afin qu’elle ne soit pas en retard sur ses cours? Comment une barre de savon aiderait à empêcher Ebola d’affecter la famille d’Isatu et bien d’autres familles? A ce moment, je voulais que la barre de savon puisse laver chaque souvenir terrible de cette épidémie d’Ebola. Je voulais la barre de savon puisse ramener les 500 vies et plus qui ont été perdues, je tiens à ce que la barre de savon ramène les filles de retour ensemble pour voir l’autre, je tiens à ce que la barre de savon permette à Gessl de se produire cette année, mais ça ne sera pas le cas. Il servir juste son objectif de quelques cycles de lavage des mains.
Je crains pour elle, mes filles de Gessl, et d’autres filles de Sierra Leone, parce que je ne vois pas de terme à cette épidémie. Depuis le début de l’épidémie d’Ebola, quelques-unes de nos filles ont perdu leurs parents pour des raisons inconnues. En outre, le gouvernement a interdit les rassemblements dans le pays. Par conséquent, les réunions régulières que nous avons eues avec elles avaient été mises en attente pendant trois mois.
Sachant que les filles comptaient sur nous et sur les autres pour le soutien, notre personnel a conçu un plan pour les appeler toutes les deux semaines afin de s’assurer que tout le monde va bien et pour prendre note de tous les besoins émergents avec lesquels nous pourrions aider.
Ce fut pendant ces appels qu’elles ont révélé certaines de leurs craintes et les pertes, et c’est de cette façon que nous avons découvert les décès dans leur famille. Au cours de ces appels, les filles ont divulgué qu’elles étaient impatientes de se réunir et combien elles se sont manqué depuis les réunions, et combien elles aspiraient à retourner à l’école.
L’impact d’Ebola sur les filles se fait à de nombreux niveaux; il insinue des craintes et incertitudes et enlève leurs lignes de vie, y compris les programmes essentiels tels que Gessl-leur contact avec d’autres filles et de leurs mentors. Ceci est ce que le virus Ebola a fait de plus critique pour notre travail; il démonte des projets significatifs, dilue les efforts et pousse plus loin les filles à réaliser leur plus grand potentiel. Notre travail significatif est venu à s’arrêter.
Lors de notre appel, elle me dit qu’elle est en train d’écrire dans son journal tous les jours à des personnes différentes, moi y compris à propos de son expérience lors du verrouillage. La chose la plus excitante qu’Isatu avait à me dire c’est qu’elle était arrivée en troisième position dans sa classe et passait en Senior Secondary Two (SS2). Je suis tellement fière d’elle et lui ai demandé quelle boisson elle voudrait lorsque nous célébrerons son succès. Elle a rit et a répondu que “anytin normor” (rien). Je me demandais quand l’école rouvrirait pour elle afin de revenir en arrière et continuer à exceller dans ses études.
En Sierra Leone, l’école reprend généralement en Septembre. Malheureusement, avec la propagation incontrôlable de l’Ebola, elles ont été fermées indéfiniment sous l’instruction du gouvernement. Tout le temps que les filles passent loin de l’école est préjudiciable à leur apprentissage et à leur fonctionnement social. Cela a un impact sévère pour les enfants dans le pays, surtout les filles qui sont déjà dans une situation désavantageuse quand on en vient à l’enseignement secondaire. Selon un rapport de l’UNICEF «si les taux de fréquentation pour les garçons et les filles sont presque égaux au niveau primaire, il y a un taux élevé d’abandon scolaire pour les filles et de leur scolarisation dans le secondaire est faible avec un taux de fréquentation de l’école secondaire de seulement 19%, la plupart des filles abandonnent l’école pendant l’école secondaire et l’épidémie d’Ebola pourraient faire que cela soit bien pire. Le fait que les filles doivent rester à la maison peut les exposer à certains comportements. Bien qu’il y ait des efforts faits dans le pays par des ONG locales pour aider les enfants à rester stimulés par les programmations de la radio, ceci est le meilleur qui puisse être fait. Mais il ne suffit toujours pas.
Comme nous étions sur le point de faire nos adieux, Isatu m’a demandé,
“Tante Moiyattu, le sommet va se passer cette année? Vais-je vous voir cette année en Décembre? ”
Chaque année, ma réponse a été la même,
“Oui, bien sûr ma chère ah-ils vivent en direct,”
Je leur dis souvent que je serai là. Cette année est différente et cela me fait mal. Ma voix tremblait en lui répondant. Je me rendis compte que la réponse que j’étais sur le point de lui donner était une entrée de plus sur sa liste d’incertitudes par rapport au virus Ebola. En ce moment, je ne suis pas la co-fondatrice d’une organisation, je suis sa sœur.
“Je ne suis pas encore sûre, nous vous ferons quand le prochain sommet de Gessl aura lieu.”
Je pouvais entendre sa tristesse à l’autre bout de la ligne.
“Nooon! Aye booooo! ”
A ce moment, il n’y avait rien que je puisse dire pour l’apaiser; il était impossible de lui assurer que le virus Ebola serait arrivé à son terme, ou que la vie allait reprendre comme d’habitude. J’étais à cours de mots. Ce fut l’une des conversations les plus difficiles que je l’ai eu cette année.
En attendant, nous continuons d’encourager les filles à écrire sur leurs expériences dans des revues non seulement à stimuler leur esprit, mais aussi comme un moyen de la thérapie. Nous espérons pour eux d’être en mesure de partager leurs histoires d’une manière collective un jour. Nous les encourageons à appeler les uns des autres, et, nous travaillons sur les moyens de soutenir leurs familles. Comme je l’ai fini avec l’appel, je lui assurai que je voudrais continuer à prier et lui ai demandé de faire la même chose. Je lui assurai que, un jour bientôt je l’espère, nous aurons un autre sommet, où elle jouera un rôle clé. Je ne peux qu’espérer que tout ce qu’elles ont appris au cours de ces deux années saura les garder connectées et les aider à passer par ces moments difficiles. Quand j’ai raccroché le téléphone, je me rendis compte que l’histoire d’Isatu et l’histoire de beaucoup de jeunes filles de la Sierra Leone, les filles de Kailahun, Kambia, Kono, étaient indicibles au milieu d’une telle épidémie.
Moiyattu est une féministe, écrivain et ‘Mover et Shaker’ numérique. Elle enseigne actuellement les études féminines à l’Université du Temple et fait un travail de conseil pour les entreprises sociales en Afrique de l’Ouest. Elle a participé au premier atelier des écrivains AWDF & FEMRITE tenu en Juillet 2014. Suivez-la sur Twitter @Wcaworld ou lisez son blog www.womenchangeafrica.com.[/tp]
International Day of the Girl
International Day of the Girl
Today is the first ‘International Day of the Girl‘ At AWDF we believe in “Investing in young women’s leadership, and promoting an inter-generational transfer of skills and knowledge“.
Grantee Highlight: Better HAG Uganda – Working With Champions
Grantee Highlight: Better HAG Uganda – Working With Champions
Written in bold, large fonts at the top of their webpage is the declaration: “We Strive to be Champions of Better Health”, and that is exactly what Better Health Action Group Uganda is turning out to be. Better HAG is a non-profit initiative with focus on Reproductive and Sexual Health, and in September 2011, they were given an AWDF (African Women’s Development Fund) grant of USD $1000 in support of their big, hairy, audacious goal: “… seeking a world of better health with no cases of preventable maternal, newborn and child deaths, where people can access sexual and reproductive health (including HIV and AIDS) services as well as exercise their health rights, and where vulnerability to children in all angles is greatly reduced.”
They are not only bold about their goals and vision, they are physical about it too; having recently made Sports and Events – S & E’s as they call it – one of their means of reaching out to and empowering women, girls, and the people in the community. They saw in football and netball, an invaluable opportunity and ability to bring together people of all makes and ages for a period of fun, interaction, togetherness, and all sorts of possibilities. These sports not only mobilise a lot of people in the community for interaction and information, but also bring them together for education and capacity building. This occurs through their engagement in the planning and delivery of the sports events, and their actual participation in them.
It is through these mediums that Better HAG empowers the participants – girls, youth, and women – in capacity and skills, whiles the sports commentator of the event provides the educational points for reform or advocacy. This is done during the sport activities, where the commentator would educate the crowd and players on the details of a particular issue of concern, say HIV/AIDS prevention, gender equality, child protection, etc. The people are not only educated on these, but also on the best values of the sport that they are engaging in, such as team-work, cooperation, respect for team-mates and other players, and these lessons linked to life values such as leadership, discipline, and conflict resolution. By doing all these, Better HAG helps in grooming happier, healthier, more responsible and protected girls, women, and society … bringing themselves several steps closer to their fierce, audacious goals!
Started in October 2008, in Uganda, by human health rights and development activists, Better HAG is focused on “an advocacy for accelerated realization of women and girls’ health rights”. Not only have they worked hard to sustain this, but they have also given it a new and wider lease of life, by using sports as yet another platform for reaching and empowering the people on life-changing issues.
Here at AWDF, we are very proud of our grantee, Better HAG Uganda. Our belief in excellence and the capacities of females to reach great heights is highlighted in their achievements. We hold the deep belief that if women and women’s organizations are empowered with skills, information, sustainable livelihoods, opportunities to fulfill their potential, plus the capacity and space to make transformatory choices, then we will have vibrant, healthy, and inclusive communities. Without a doubt, a hard-working entity like Better HAG fits just right into what we here at AWDF, hold in value when thinking of grants, support, and progress on issues of Reproductive and Sexual Health for women in Africa.
AWDF says “Kudos” to Better HAG!
Girls Power Initiative: Blessing’s Experience
Girls Power Initiative: Blessing’s Experience
When a friend suggested to Blessing Dickson, 17 years then that she accompanies her to an educational session at the offices of Girls Power Initiative (GPI) she was very reluctant. Not only was the meeting place a bus ride away, which she could not afford but also she really did not understand the essence of an after school educational session.
But the persistence of her friend and the encouragement of her brother led to her first attendance at the Girls’ Power Initiative educational session for young women after almost a year of persuasion, and since then she has never looked back. Blessing who is presently in the second year of the GPI programme is now a strong advocate of the Girls’ Power Initiative young women’s programme and has been convincing other friends to join the programme.
The GPI young women’s programme seeks to equip girls aged from 10 to 18 with human rights, and comprehensive sexuality education. The GPI young women’s programme is structured in such a way that everybody feels comfortable and safe. The entry level, level 1 is divided into 4 different groups based on age. The first group “shining stars” is for ages 10 and 11; second group “precious group” is for those 12 and 13 years old. The third group named “Silver” is for girls 14 and 15 years while the fourth group is for the older entrees aged 16 years and named “Pearls”.
To maintain the comfort of girls and young women within similar age groups the second level of the programme is divided into the older and younger girls. The younger girls are grouped together in the “Alpha” class while the older girls get into the “Bosoms” class. At the final level, which is level girl there is the “Damsels” who are younger and the “Seeders” who are the older group. The different classifications within the same level is to ensure that people feel free and are able to connect to and with people within their age group. The classification also ensures privacy and confidentiality. It takes 3 years to graduate from the GPI and an examination is taken at the end of each year before one is promoted to the next class. After the 3 years the graduate joins the GPI Alumni Association (GAA).
A wide range of topics are covered weekly including issues around women’s sexual health and rights; skills building activities including income generation skills, building of self esteem, imbibing a sense of responsibility and ability to think critically about issues. The girls are also taught to be firm in their convictions and to be able to withstand all the pressures of being a teenager.
GPI provides transportation to and from from the venue of the programme,, this ensures that the unavailability of a bus fare does not hinder any of the girls from attending the weekly classes/meetings.
Blessing who is now 19 years says, “Before joining GPI I could not stick to decisions, I was always wavering in my decisions and resolves but GPI taught me to stick to my decisions and to have a sense of responsibilities”. According to Blessing, the GPI lessons has helped her to shun all sexual activities as well as other negative social behaviours that teenagers usually indulge in. She has also learnt to respect the diversity of culture and tradition as well as to make responsible choices. She now can speak firmly but politely, is very assertive and has a high sense of self esteem.
Blessing is presently working as a fashion designer whilst saving money to continue her education. One of the key lessons Blessing has taken away from her training at GPI is the ability to readily apologise when she is in the wrong. This has brought about a lot of peace and tranquility within her relationships at home and amongst her friends.
She finds a lot of peace and comfort in the GPI family for she is able to confide in her facilitators especially in relation to issues around her sexual health, something she is unable to do with her mother. “The facilitators are friendly, they are like mothers to me. They listen to me, when I have problems even at home I tell them and they counsel me and support me and this makes me strong”.
GPI has helped Blessing to unearth her creative talents in poetry and song writing. She has presently written 4 songs that the GPI has adopted for the girls. Without the GPI most of these talents would have died within her. Blessing is planning to go to the medical school or to become a medical lab scientist, she plans on enrolling in a tertiary institution in 2011.
The GPI counseling programme is structured to involve parents and to engage with teachers when the need arises. Parents know that GPI is a safe space for their children, they have witnessed the changes that has occurred within their children and the diverse strength that has been displayed by daughters who have benefitted from the GPI programme. Teachers sometimes consult the notes of beneficiaries of GPI during lessons on sexual and reproductive health. Students approach students of the GPI programme for counseling, encouragement and support.
With the ever increasing numbers of girls attending the young women’s programme at the GPI there is the need to have a bigger facility that can comfortably accommodate all these girls. For this reason, AWDF is supporting the building of a new complex for the GPI.
By: Beatrice Boake-Yiadom
Grants Manager, AWDF