International Women's Day 2022

It’s International Women’s Day 2022!

IWD is “a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women. The day also marks a call to action for accelerating women's equality.”

This year’s IWD theme is #BreaktheBias in which the campaign encourages people to imagine a gender equal world, free of bias, stereotypes, and discrimination.

The theme this year resonates for me with respect to our own slogan “Telling a different story of Africa” and the bias inherent to how we describe the global south - Africa itself is often described as continent needing “salvation”.

When I met Esther, she didn’t need salvation, neither did the women that she was supporting with the Women in Action Development Project - her school for women and girls established during the Sierra Leone Blood Diamond civil war. She needed resources. She already knew the way forward out of this conflict and to rebuilding - education, community, love. There is a reason staff and students refer to Esther as “Auntie” and a reason why the Sierra Leonean government called up on Esther and Women in Action to be a key partner in the country’s DDR (Disarmament, demobilization, rehabilitation) program in the years to follow the war.

We are Esther’s Echo, literally because this is Esther’s vision, project, mission, passion. We echo her work into the world to help channel resources to places she may not have reach. This is our way to help Break the Bias.

-Matthew

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Esther Speaking at the 2021 Graduation Ceremony

Students at the Women in Action Development Program in Freetown

International Women's Day 2021, 25th Anniversary, and Microfinance

Hello Echoers!

Happy International Women’s Day! International Women's Day is a “global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women.”

Our whole organization and its efforts rest on the achievements of Esther Kanu and the staff and students of the Women in Action Development Project - our partners in providing education opportunities for vulnerable women and girls in Sierra Leone. Now nine years into our partnership with Esther, and because of YOUR achievements, we’ve seen nearly 500 students graduate from the school’s two-year curriculum designed to develop vocational and academic skills. But while we’ve been partnered with Esther for nine years, Esther founded Women in Action herself in 1996 recently celebrating their 25th Anniversary this past Feb 14th!! Congratulations Esther!!

Staff and Students at Women in Action in 2021

I’m playing catchup in this post as well. First off, thank you all again for your donations during Giving Tuesday 2020 both on the website and on Facebook. Because we hit our fundraising goals, we were able to cover another year of operating expenses for Women in Action. You are keeping the doors open. COVID-19 cases in Sierra Leone have been low enough that schools are now reopened and we’re expecting a regular graduation by the end of March! Another class of about 50 students! (Which puts us over 500 total graduates you’ve supported). I will be sure to post graduation photos and videos again this year.

Another cool project has begun to grow from Women in Action as well. About a year ago, we mentioned that Esther’s daughter Samuella was starting a microfinance program for graduates of Women in Action. The project is now launched! This means Women in Action touches the entire life-cycle of a student from child to alumni - an incredible vision from both Esther and Samuella. Presently, we have supported Women in Action Microfinance by providing furniture for their start-up office and I am going to be connecting with Samuella about how Esther’s Echo can further support this new branch of their work in Sierra Leone. Microfinance models provide small loans to help entrepreneurs get their projects off the ground. Through Samuella, Women in Action alumni starting their own businesses will now have access to this resource. More on that to come.

Staff at the Women in Action Microfinance Office

And finally, I recently received this marvelous thank you video from some of the staff and students at Women in Action in response to our 2020 fundraising. They thank “Esther’s Echo” and “Matthew” in the video but ultimately the thanks truly goes to all of you for helping me support Esther and her incredible work overseas. As they say “Thank you, Thank you!”

-Matthew

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International Women's Day

Donate for IWD 2020!

Hey Echoers!

It’s International Women’s Day!

When women are educated, the decisions they make have a ripple effect and can help break the cycle of generational poverty. Women who receive more education “tend to be healthier, participate more in the formal labor market, earn higher incomes, have fewer children, marry at a later age, and enable better health care and education for their children,” according to the World Bank.

I read the above in a Global Citizen article this morning on International Women’s Day. If there is one way to break poverty’s back in a place like Sierra Leone, it’s education. I already knew that heading to Sierra Leone for the first time as an undergraduate student. What I didn’t know is that the global efforts against poverty wouldn’t just come packaged by the branding of the largest international organizations and governments but by the organizing of women in their own communities. If that sounds ignorant - it was. I was a young white male working for an international aid organization. Meeting Esther, a local woman who ratified her community to lift young women, girls, and children out of poverty with no international assistance completely changed my worldview of what was possible with grassroots organization. That’s why, when I returned home, I wasn’t interested in only supporting large non-profits, but ensuring that financial support made it to the front lines directly - women doing the work within their own spaces and communities.

On International Women’s Day, of course my thoughts are going to be with Esther and the school. And I’m asking you to give your thoughts to them today too. I cite something frequently - the number of students whom have graduated since our formal partnership with Esther in 2012 - approximately 400. But Esther has been leading a fight against poverty since 1996. Thousands of women have been touched by her work. It’s a tough time right now in Sierra Leone. Right after our expansion to a second location, the Sierra Leone economy was hit hard and we are working to ensure the teachers are paid and the doors stay open. Contracts the school normally undertakes for catering services have shrunk considerably and they are relying on us to make up the shortfall. On International Women’s Day, please consider Esther and the Women in Action Development Project as a way to break the cycle of poverty around the world.

-Matthew

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By the way, was your school ever this lively in the mornings!?

International Women's Day - Why are You Here Instead of Her? - Revisited

Two years ago, on International Women’s Day, I reflected on a question that was posed to me live on Sierra Leone National Television. "Why do we need another white man telling us about the work that is going on in our own country? If this is another woman's school, why isn't she on the television? Why are you here instead of her?" I want to revisit that story.

Some 8 years ago now, that journey to Sierra Leone also yielded other unintended impacts. Because I had been visible in the community, the landlord at the time, who had taken over the original building Esther’s school resided in, threatened to increase rent rates. and began calling me personally demanding an absurd price to buy the building outright - one of many reasons we moved the school.

International Women’s Day Logo

When I was studying International Development, my anthropology professor at the University of Toronto would talk about the power dynamic inherent in development. Simply by being present in the community, there are impacts that are often unanticipated. Because of my origin in the West, even during my first visit to Sierra Leone as an undergraduate student, and as a man, I was ascribed authority although in the midst of people who were experts in their own communities. I realized shortly after my arrival that the way many organizations think of development was coloured by a sense of “white saviour” thinking.

This photo of Esther and I that I use often is actually IN the greenroom before that very interview

I am grateful that interviewer reminded me of the dynamic I was creating - and to be mindful of. Going on air was Esther’s idea, because she believed doing so provided credibility for Women in Action by demonstrating the school’s international connections. However, I should have brought her on air with me - a missed opportunity to empower someone else and create space for equity while reminding audiences that a local woman is champion and entrepreneur of this project.

Remaining as Esther’s echo, rather than Esther’s voice, is important to us and I was reminded of that conviction by the interviewer. This is why, wherever possible, I try to ensure the Women in Action Development Project can also share a first person voice. So, on that note, new videos! (below). This video shows the catering classes preparing breakfast for Esther and the staff as a review of things they’ve learned. All this is happening because of you. If not for your recent donations, the school would not presently be open. Furthermore, with some of the funds left over from our most recent donations, Esther said that we were able to help cover some outstanding teacher salary payments. Thank you ALL so much again for your donations.

Also be sure to check out the International Women’s Day movement online at https://www.internationalwomensday.com/. Quoted from the website, International Women’s Day is “a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women (Like Esther!) The day also marks a call to action for accelerating gender parity. International Women's Day (IWD) has occurred for well over a century, with the first​ ​IWD gathering in 1911 supported by over a million people in Austria, Denmark, Germany and Switzerland. Prior to this the​ Socialist Party of America, United Kingdom's Suffragists and Suffragettes, and further groups campaigned for women's equality.” There are events going on around the world today. Check and see if one is near you.

Once again, my sincerest gratitude to all of you! If you are able to make a contribution in light of International Women’s Day today, it would be greatly appreciated!

-Sincerely,

-Matthew

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Esther sits down to a breakfast prepared by the catering classes as an example of their learning for the staff.



Support Women's Education in Sierra Leone on International Women's Day

Hey Echoers!

It's International Women's Day! Today, across the globe, IWD celebrates the achievements of women in sciences, politics, and social justice while calling for gender equality. International Women's day has been observed since the early 1900's beginning with marches in New York. The reach of IWD has since crossed borders and boundaries. Esther herself writes me on IWD from Sierra Leone.

Women in Action also hosts a community of young children in their education program

In our support of Esther's school, the Women in Action Development Project, and in recognition of International Women's Day in March, we are extending our donor matching campaign until the end of the month. In February, I promised to personally match any donations that came in as February marked the 20th anniversary of Women in Action's founding. 

This month is particularly important for us. Since December, Esther has been working diligently to relocate Women in Action. The new building has been found and Esther is hoping to secure the space by the start of April. The down payment for year's rent on the loation is $5000USD. With your support and with Esther's own fundraising efforts, we are now up to $3000! We're almost there!

I'm calling on you all to help us secure Esther into her new space. The new building will help us provide her project with new stability as Esther continues to radically change the lives of vulnerable women and girls living in one of the most challenging places in the world to be. 

For more on International Women's Day see this great article by the Telegraph that also talks about today's Google Doodle. 

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