'If you want to develop Africa, you must develop the leadership
of African women.' -- Ms. Soukeyna Ba, President of Women's
Development Enterprise in Africa, Senegal
Dear Madam
Torkin, This is William Oella, brother to beader Grace Kamokech (name
changed). This is to tell you that Grace is no longer with her husband,
who never paid the bride price. He is wanting you to remove her from your
list. Since having money she no longer listens to him. He is beating her
until she left. She is residing under me and I am in control of her. Please
leave a future in her and no removing from BeadforLife.
Sincerely,
William Oella, brother and guardian of Kamokech Grace
This letter captures so much which defines a woman's life here in Uganda. The man does pay a bride price to the father-in-law. A good bride price is 4-6 cows. Once the price is paid the girl cannot go home again or the cows can be demanded back. The brother's assurance to me that Grace was now under his control reveals the belief and practice that every woman is supposed to be under the direct control of some man. Men beating their wives is all too common. Women can be thrown out of the house and a new wife installed in their place. Boys often receive more education and health care. However, research shows that development focused on women is more effective at increasing the health of the entire family, as well as the long-term prosperity of the nation. The betterment of women is fundamental to the development of any country. It is our goal.
BeadforLife is helping to assist the women of Uganda. Not only do we provide income generation opportunities for women but we are also sending girls to vocational training to learn computers, interior design, catering, nursing, and hair styling. We collaborate with Marie Stopes International to provide family planning services, HIV testing, and malaria diagnosis and prevention. We are assisting our members to launch small businesses and to own homes.
I have such admiration for the Ugandan women we work with. They are holding up the sky for children, orphans, and siblings. Women here work from early morning and are the last one to bed. They are often supporting the entire family. Many have HIV and malaria. They write songs and sing with power and joy. They cook, carry water, and pay school fees. And they roll beautiful beads. These women are my heroines.
March 8th is International Women's Day.
This is a day to recognize that there is still much to be done world wide to secure the basic human rights for women. It is also a day to celebrate being female and all of the wonderful talent, gifts, and mystery that is woman. Happy Women's Day.
Torkin
Wakefield
BeadforLife
Community Development Planner Campbell Mayer with the Land Planning Committee
.............On
the land with the beaders
Campbell Mayer
with chats with BFL Habitat Committee member BunaFred James
From this...
To this!
How a dream of owning a home is becoming a reality……
Deep in
the heart of most Ugandans is a yearning for the land, for a sense of
place and roots. There is a reverence for the land typical of agricultural
people who have grown up growing most of their food.
Owning land and having a home seemed beyond the possibility of our members
when we first met them. They said it was what they wanted the most: A
place to live, a kitchen garden, sanitary surroundings, a way out of the
slum, a chance for their children to own land someday. "I'm just
dreaming of planting potatoes," says Mary Auma with a glint in her
eye and an image of herself in her own garden.
BeadforLife began dreaming with them, talking to Habitat for Humanity Uganda, looking for land. Now one year later we are so thrilled to tell all of you….
WE BOUGHT 18 BEAUTIFUL ACRES OF FARM LAND AND WE ARE STARTING TO BUILD A VILLAGE.
BeadforLife will provide the land, the roads, wells and drainage. Beginning in April, we will be seeking funding to establish a revolving fund to build the houses.
We plan to build 120 houses in the next year and a half. The houses will be built in collaboration with Habitat for Humanity who has worked out a wonderful program of self-help and mutual support as neighbors assist each other in building houses. Once a group is ready to build they clear the land together, stake out the plots, and dig foundations. Skilled workers do brick work, the roof goes on, and the family moves in. This small miracle can take less than a month.
Clearing the land will begin in April. May will have our first houses going up. The beaders are saving more of their earnings to pay the down payment. We deposit these savings directly into the beader's bank account. It is heartening to see. Everyone is so excited.
We are grateful for the opportunity to do this work, grateful for the success of BeadforLife's wonderful hostesses, buyers, and wearers of our beads. This village project is totally funded because people like you do care, have bought beads and made this possible.
Stay tuned
for more developments and ideas about how to get involved.
Meet Beader
"American Height", Akot Lillian
Lillian is our tallest beader. Her over 6-foot stature has earned her
the nickname, "American Height." But it's her towering spirit
that has earned the respect of her fellow beaders and all us us at BeadforLife.
As a young girl, Lillian's peaceful world was shattered when rebels invaded
her village in northern Uganda, killing both her parents and, later, both
of her brothers. Lillian eventually made it to a slum in Kampala. Her
fortunes began to change when she joined BeadforLife. Now she supports
and pays for school fees for her and her sister's children. She can also
afford her HIV medicine and her health has returned. She has a vision
of the house she is saving for in our new BeadforLife village. Lillian
says she feels powerful and knows there are other new heights she will
now reach.
"Now I am very happy and strong. I have hope that I can still do many things in this world!" she cries, her long arms waving toward the sky.
American
Height is planning on opening a general store in the new village called
"New Hope".
March 8th is International Women's Day, and the entire month celebrates Women's History. At BeadforLife, we experience the strength and suffering of women every day. Did you know:
- 70% of the 1.2 billion people living in extreme poverty are women.
- Women own less than 15% of land worldwide.
In Uganda,
63% of 18 year old girls are married to men who are, on average 6 years
older than them. Thirty percent of these girls enter into polygamous marriages
in which they have one or more co-wives.
And yet, women are also the key to development:
- African women produce 80 to 90 per cent of all food consumed by their families and comprise 60 per cent of the agricultural labor force
- For every additional year of schooling a girl receives, her children are 5 to 10 percent less likely to die as infants and are much more likely to be educated themselves.
- Although women represent only 11% of elected positions throughout Sub-Saharan Africa, Liberia recently elected Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf making her the first woman President on the continent.
Take Action
today by sharing these facts on women with one or more women in your life.
Click here to send an email with this information.
You can always partner with Ugandan women to help alleviate poverty one
bead at a time by hosting a BeadParty
or Event!
Shopping is Giving
Celebrate International Women's Day with a gift to a girl friend.
We recommend our jewelry bags, which are unique and beautiful. They now have a BeadforLife tag sewn inside, which insures that the recipient of your gift knows this gift helps others. Women and girls love them for jewelry or other treasures. They come in rich yummy colors. A great buy at only $15.
Ideal Spring Gifts:
- Jewelry bags in beautiful Spring pinks, reds, and purples $15
- Band Bracelets make great gifts for the men in your life $15
- Gift
certificates now available in our web store; let your loved ones
choose their own special items (prices between $10- $100)
Check out these and other items at our web store:
Your gift gives twice; once to the lucky recipient and once to the woman who made the beads.
Here is a poignant poem by a Ugandan woman - A Brother's Hug.
