Help Vulnerable Women Become Leaders of Change

On behalf of all of us at Global Grassroots, we thank you for your continued support of the work of our grassroots change agents.  Following are some snapshots of progress from a few select ventures. 

Since July, Global Grassroots venture, “Have a Good Life,” (with the mission of creating access to clean water as a way to help prevent violence against women), has continued to make excellent strides in helping people in their village.  This team of Global Grassroots graduates, who after achieving their initial priority of gaining access to water, have turned their focus to training people in the village about domestic violence.  While working on this objective they learned how little people understood the importance of good hygiene in relation to waterborne diseases and their own health. Now they are training village members about the importance of clean water and how washing carefully plays a critical role in their health. Sixty bars of soap were just distributed in the last training to press home the importance of good hygiene.

Another Global Grassroots venture, “A Friend Indeed” is continuing to work on creative ways to tackle a deeply set sigma that single mothers face. In a survey taken before the project, 100% of their community members indicated the belief that single mothers are useless to society.  This finding led to a training campaign of over 100 women that focused on the rights each woman has when faced with discrimination.  This training, which took place in June 2013, was considered so successful that the group now plans a next training on reproductive health for the winter of 2013 to help prevent unwanted pregnancies.  The biggest news from this group is that twenty women have launched a special initiative to raise money for the training sessions.  Just a few weeks ago in early September, they developed a plan for setting up a tailoring class to teach others how to sew. With a fee associated with the training, the plan is for the women who can afford the fee to help raise money for those who are unable.  The fee covers the cost of renting a space, the teacher’s time, and the supplies such as fabric, thread and needles.

News from a third venture, "Education for Young Girls", whose mission is to keep girls from missing school during menstruation, because of harassment and high drop out rates from school, demonstrates continued progress. Over the past few months, the venture has:

• facilitated HIV testing for 255 students.
• followed-up with parents of each student to engage them in actively supporting their children’s needs. 
• led the building of a girls “chamber,” a private room where girls can wash their clothes during menstruation if needed, or use as a place to rest if they have cramps so that they do not have to return home.  
• launched a fundraising campaign based on a local football match with donations targeted to cover the costs of  a doctor who will provide training on reproductive health.

These ventures are close to becoming financially self-sustained by their communities.  With your generous support each of these ventures will be that much closer to reaching its long-term goal.

Global Grassroots will be initiating its next Academy for Conscious Change on October 7 in Kigali with a cohort of teams specifically focused on water issues.  We look forward to updating you on our progress as we round out this calendar year. Thank you for your continued support, which enables grassroots women change agents across Rwanda to advance ther own ideas benefiting women and girls in their communities. 

Links:

• Global Grassroots

In the last few months, 3 teams of graduates from the most recent Academy for Conscious Change in Rwanda began official, autonomous operations. It is remarkable to watch previously marginalized women grow into respected community leaders and conscious change agents. We are thrilled to share with you some of what they have accomplished, feats possible because of your financial support.

One of the ventures, A Friend Indeed, is working on the problem of violence and stigma against single mothers. The baseline study conducted by the team reveals some troubling information, including the fact that among single mothers surveyed, 91 percent of the pregnancies were undesired, and 49 percent of respondents report having no knowledge of reproductive health. Still more troubling, 92 percent of these single mothers experienced violence during their pregnancy and 100% of community members surveyed said that a single mother was useless to society 

In June, the team hosted their first training with 140 single mothers on human rights to help them have more knowledge and confidence in standing up for their rights.  They bestowed 67 certificates of completion to single mothers and other community members who completed the full program. Additionally, seven of the mothers who were outstanding in their attendance, participation, and practice of new skills were also awarded chickens in a special ceremony.

Their next endeavor will be to conduct a training program in reproductive health with young people in the community to begin to improve education so as to prevent further unwanted pregnancies.

A second team, Kind People, working in the Ruhango District of Rwanda's Southern Province received a grant from Global Grassroots to buy their motorbike. This venture is designed to protect women's property rights an issue that is often a trigger for domestic violence. The motorbike represents the kind of innovating thinking, problem solving, and sustainable venture design that is taught at the Academy for Conscious Change. Not only will the motorbike allow team members to reach the hundreds of women and 22 anti-violence clubs they have started in remote villages it will also act as a revenue-generating taxi to support the teams ongoing operation costs.