Raise HOPE for Women in Eastern DRC (Congo)

“I appreciate the respect that is given to every worker and the friendship between us” –Mama Alika, artisan

                  As many of you may know, this past year MamAfrica went through a transitional stage. Our former Executive Director, Ashley Nemiro, received her PhD from North Carolina State University and now is working with the International Rescue Committee in New York. Congratulations to Dr. Nemiro! And along with a new Executive Director we also have a completely new team of artisans. After spending the summer in Bukavu with our artisans, I wanted to take this time to showcase our new team to the world. 

                 In all honesty, our new Director should be the new face of the Energizer. For Jean, work is never over. Even when an order is completed and lights at the Bukavu office are turned off, she is somewhere crunching numbers or on hold with DHL. Furthermore, Bukavu is nine hours ahead of California so she would often have wake up at 5:30am to have weekly Skype calls with the team. If talking about baby bibs at 5:30am, before coffee, doesn’t constitute as dedication I don’t know what does. 

                 When I was originally told that we would have a new team I had so many mixed emotions. At first I was sad that I wouldn’t have the opportunity to meet the women that I was anxiously waiting to meet and had heard so much about from Ashley and Danielle. As the days inched towards my departure date the next wave of emotions hit me like a wrecking ball. I became so nervous that the women would not accept me; after all I was only a twenty-one year old student and I didn’t know how to sew to save my life. After I introduced myself in Kiswahili one of the women asked “Wewe ni mwalimu?”(Are you the teacher?). I responded “ Hapana, mimi ni mwanafunzi.” I pointed at our Sewing Director and sewing teacher and said “Wao ni walimu”. After a series of questions about schooling and my family I told them I studied Kiswahili and Lingala at my university.  They were more surprised that Lingala is taught at my university than my mediocre Kiswahili skills. I ended up becoming a mwalimu after all.

                  In the past MamAfrica offered literacy programs and held monthly healing arts programs. However, due to our transition phase we put such programs on a hiatus, but after a week or so of getting to know each of the artisans some of them expressed the desire to learn English and a little bit of Lingala. As to test the waters, we held English sessions for an hour or so during the lunch break twice or three times a week depending on workload. In return, they taught me several French phrases and more Congolese Kiswahili so that I could communicate easily with people.

                  The opportunity to work with the artisans and our directors was life changing. It was the hardest and greatest time of my life and I am honored and blessed to have been able to work with such an amazing group of people. The lessons that I have learned and the empowerment that I gained will transcend both time and space.

                  Once again, I would like to thank everyone and anyone that has and/or is supporting MamAfrica and our team. We are more than grateful. Without you all none of this would be possible. Our mamas and artisans are the reasons that we open our doors, but your support is what helps us keep our door open.

Jamilah

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