International Women's Day - “Why Are You Here Instead of Her?”

"So why are you here instead of her?" the interviewer asked me pointedly. I didn't have an answer. That was a very good question. It was 2011. I had returned to Sierra Leone to meet with Esther in person before the founding of Esther's Echo. While in country, Esther thought it may be helpful to do an interview on the Freetown news station to talk about the work we were doing to support Esther's school; the Women in Action Development Project.

The interview didn't go quite as I had planned. The interviewer put me to task while I sat there on 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?" She was right. This wasn't my story to tell. Not while in Sierra Leone. Not while in Esther's community. The experience on the air reminded me of the conflict I felt when I first arrived in Sierra Leone as an undergraduate student in 2004. I was in my early twenties, still a student, but was understood to be an "authority" on other people's communities as a foreign aid worker. Why? I was a white male. And I held the checkbook to an international organization.

The Women in Action Development Project, wasn't founded by international aid workers. And her project certainly wasn't founded by me. Esther began this work on her own in the midst of a war; a passionate woman passionate about the women and children in her own community. So while we echo Esther's story, we will not become the face of her work. On International Women's Day, we will remind our own community of the incredible work of women like Esther around the world who far too often go unrecognized.

Last February 14th was Women in Action Day marking the 21st anniversary of the founding of Women in Action. Esther sent me photos of the celebration at the NEW LOCATION which all of you helped us secure! I cannot thank you all enough again. You helped relocate an entire school in Sierra Leone! Esther's next project is to purchase a plot of farm land that she's had an eye on for a few years now. They are about 2,000 dollars short and so we are making this a priority for our current fundraising. The plot of land is the next step to helping Women in Action become more self-sustaining as they will be able to sell crops from the land as a source of funding for the school. Below are the images from Founding Day and Esther giving a speech as the school celebrates its anniversary for the first time in their new building!

Sincerely,

Matthew 

Esther and Students Celebrate Founding Day and Valentines Day 

Esther speaking at Founding Day

Donate Today!

Happy Valentine's and Women in Action Day!

Hello Echoers!

It's Valentine's day! It's ALSO Women in Action Day! February 14th marks the anniversary of the founding of Women in Action by Esther Kanu in 1996. I often think about the environment in which Esther began her project; the middle of a civil war. Sierra Leone's "Blood Diamond" war lasted from 1991 to 2002 ending just two years before I arrived in the country for the first time. When I came to Sierra Leone, the streets were still filled with UNAMSIL soldiers (United Nations Mission in Sierra Leone) working to disarm and demobilize the nation. Many believed Westerners were simply looking for diamonds themselves. I was often offered diamonds when walking about the streets of Freetown. Many of these "diamonds" were bits of broken glass sold by desperate people.

Outside of previous Women in Action building with Feb 14th Founding Date

I think of all the resources available to those with vision here in North America; entrepreneurs interested in bringing an idea to life. Esther started her school with none of those same resources and with none of the same social/political stability. This was a war. But she saw need and went to work. I am not certain I have that kind of mettle and I am thankful that, within Canada, it is likely my character and strength will never be tested like that. Esther's was and she persevered.

Last year marked Women in Action's 20th anniversary. At the time, we weren't certain if Women in Action would continue due to the sale of the building Esther was renting. Last year on February 14th, we were hoping to move the school into their new building. My hope was, by this time a year later, that Esther would be established in the new location. With all the support that came in this last year, especially toward the Holiday Season, Women in Action has successfully relocated. 20 years in their previous building and on 21 they have their new building thanks to all of you. Esther's last report from the end of January indicated that the rent was paid for 2016. Esther is looking forward to April 1st where the school will graduate 50 students. In late April, Esther said that Women in Action will also conduct the catering services for an Alumnus' wedding!

One piece of less great news to share: In a past blog, I had mentioned that Esther's Echo had submitted an entry for the Roddenberry Foundation Prize. Unfortunately, we heard back that out of the 600 applicants, Esther's Echo was not selected. I was discouraged by the outcome. However, I am still proud of our application and the foundation announced the grant will continue on to be an annual event. They can expect more applications from us in the future.

Back to more positive news, Mulgrave Secondary School hosted their “Action For Esther” fundraiser on January 27th which I attended as a speaker. Action for Esther was originally scheduled for December 2016 but was delayed due to all the snow we've had in Vancouver. The event is not only a fundraiser, but a weekend simulation for participating students ranging from Grade 7 to 9. Students in the program experience a weekend in the life of a refugee. The scenario is organized and performed by senior students and staff in the school as a form of experiential learning. The presentation I gave this year at Action for Esther was inspired by our video for the Roddenberry Foundation; seeing the world from an orbital perspective free of border lines and where global issues are not confined to one nation or another. Big thanks to Antony Wilson and Mulgrave Secondary for bringing me in again to speak and for the continuing support of Esther's Echo. Tony snapped this photo which is a great summary of the presentation showing Africa taken during the Apollo missions.

Matt Speaking at Action for Esther...Africa from Space in the background

As it is now 2017, we're starting work toward covering the rent on Esther's new building for this year. Please consider making us your Valentine today during Women in Action Day and help spread the love by sharing us with your networks/peeps!

Happy Valentine's!

Sincerely,

Matthew

Happy New Year! It Was Our Best Giving Season Ever!

Dear Echoers

Happy New Year!!

Between Giving Tuesday on November 29th and Christmas, you helped us fundraise $1,507 US. This funding marked the most successful giving season we’ve had to date. More importantly, the donations put us 7 dollars over the target we needed to clear the deficit in Esther’s rent on her new building in Freetown. We have already wired the donations and are now waiting on confirmation that they were received at the bank in Freetown. 

We have an exciting start to 2017. First, Mulgrave Secondary moved its Action for Esther fundraiser to early this year on a result of a snow storm in December. I haven’t seen this much snow on the West Coast in the six years I’ve lived here. The snow was beautiful but also caused a number of school closures. However, the delay means that we can get 2017 off to a great fundraising start thanks to the efforts of students and staff at Mulgrave. Secondly, I am eager to hear the results of the Roddenberry Foundation Prize which I’ve been told by the foundation should be made available in February. Esther’s Echo was one of over 600 applications submitted so there is certainly competition. I am proud of our application and have hope! If successful, we could receive between 150K to 400K US in funding. If you didn’t catch the video entry we made for the Roddenberry Prize, you can find it here.

Thank you all for your generosity in 2016! You have my sincerest gratitude. Here's to an even grander 2017 as we continue to help Esther and the staff and students of the Women in Action Development Project.

Sincerely,

Matthew

GivingTuesday, Action for Esther, and The Roddenberry Foundation

Dear Echoers,

Lots of exciting updates since our last message!

First off, today is GivingTuesday! GivingTuesday was created as a "Canadian movement for giving and volunteering, taking place each year after Cyber Monday. The "Opening day of the giving season," it is a day where charities, companies, and individuals join together to share commitments, rally for favourite causes and think about others." Esther's Echo has its own partner page on the GivingTuesday website. You can find a link to the page here: If you are thinking of giving today, please consider us!

A big thank you to those of you who already donated following our Thanksgiving e-mail. We raised just over 600USD for Esther's relocation fund. That brings the total outstanding balance needed to fully move the Women in Action Development Project to approximately 1400USD. My hope is that we can close this gap before the end of the year. Thankfully, we also have the support of Mulgrave Secondary School in West Vancouver again this coming December. I was contacted by Antony Wilson, Mulgrave's Global Education and Outreach Coordinator, letting me know that "Action for Esther" is on again this year. For the last 3 years, Mulgrave has hosted Action for Esther which not only brings in support for Esther's School but engages students about issues abroad. I have been fortunate enough to speak at the event in the past to share Esther's work in Freetown. Mulgrave's support will go a long way to helping us clear the remainder of Esther's payment to the new landlord. You can check out more about Action for Esther here:

Action4Esther Promo Graphic

Finally, I have one more item to share that I'm very excited about. In my other life, I am currently producing a film called Chasing Atlantis. The film began as a journey to see the last space shuttle launch in 2011 and grew into an exploration of why space has always captured my imagination and the imagination of those we've interviewed. Along the way, we met and interviewed Rod Roddenberry. Rod is the son of Gene Roddenberry who created the science fiction television show Star Trek. Rod is now the lead on the Roddenberry Foundation which endeavours to fund projects that further the values and ideals depicted in Star Trek like education, technology, and social justice. Recently, the Roddenberry Foundation ran a competition for the "Roddenberry Prize" which is seeking bold new initiatives to change the world. The prizes range from 150,000USD to 400,000USD. I've submitted an application for the prize on behalf of Esther's Echo. I've always loved blending my love of the stars with my love of the planet and its people. The more we study the stars, I believe we find that many more reasons to cherish our planet and the life that it cradles. My goal with the prize is twofold: First, build an entirely new facility for Esther so that we never have to worry about rent and landlords again. And secondly, to engage an entirely new potential donor community through the people we've met while working on Chasing Atlantis - space and science fiction fans. The video submission below, which was part of a larger written application, explains my vision for how this community could help support our work overseas. We will hear the results of our application in February! Also a big thanks to Cam Sylvester, founder of Capilano University's Global Stewardship program which sponsored Esther's visit to Canada in 2012, for his willingness to serve as a reference for our Roddenberry Prize application.

My sincerest thanks to you all again for your continued support as we help to tell a different story of Africa!

-Matthew 

On Thanksgiving Help Women in Action Move into Their New Home

Happy Thanksgiving Echoers!

We've recently received some good news that I wanted to share with all of you. 

When I last wrote, we were looking for funding to help Esther and The Women in Action Development Project move into a new building to continue running their school. The building that the the school had been in since 1994 was being sold and subsequently torn down.

With little warning, the landlord moved on the sale and evicted Esther and the Girls of the Women in Action Development Program. Esther called me very upset. I haven't heard her sound that defeated before. Here is a woman who operated her own school for vulnerable women and girls in the middle of a civil war. Hearing her in tears absolutely broke my heart. She also sent me images of the old building being demolished. 

he Old Building is Torn Down

We started thinking of ways that we could get her into a new space as soon as possible. We knew this was an eventuality, but the timeline was much shorter than we had anticipated. With the funds you donated, Esther was able to secure one floor of the eight story building that we showed in the last updates and reopened albeit in a limited capacity. Esther was proud of her efforts. She said that in addition to offering the landlord all that you had contributed, her and her students donned their uniforms and stood outside the building during school days to encourage the new landlord to give them at least one floor. Seems they were persuasive!

Students in a "protest" outside the new building

Esther is continuing to operate on the single floor of the new building. She doesn't have as much space as they had before, but because of your help, and Esther's tenacity, you have kept a school in Sierra Leone open despite all the challenges we've had these past years from the Ebola scare, to threats of eviction, to the demolition of the previous building. I cannot thank you all enough. You are a small community of donors. Each of you is a vital part of ensuring that Esther's work continues. 

Esther wants to move into the rest of the new building that she's in. The building is eight stories. She plans to use some for the school and to sublet the others as an income generating project to sustain and grow Women in Action.. Secondly, Esther has begun evening classes for adults. As a new initiative, Esther has been speaking to me more about the need to provide education to entire families in the community surrounding Women in Action. 

How we can best serve Esther right now is to raise the outstanding rent on the new building so that the landlord will release the other floors. Of the $7000US Esther needed, we're down to only $2000 left to go. I know we can easily make that happen. All of your donation goes abroad. The only overhead expenses covered by the Esther's Echo account that your donations go into is the $30CDN fee for the wire transfer abroad to the Women in Action account which we do about 3 to 4 times a year. Any of our other costs, such as the website's fees, we cover out of pocket. Also, a big shout out to the Teaching Support Staff Union at Simon Fraser University for their recent contributions and for asking us to come in and speak to their solidarity and social justice committee. 

On Thanksgiving, please stop to consider Esther and her students who work tirelessly in one of the most difficult places in the world to strengthen their community.

Help Women in Action move into their new home