Mrs. Goundo's Daughter: A Must-See Documentary

Mrs. Goundo, a young immigrant to the United States from Mali in West Africa, is faced with a heart-wrenching dilemma: she is terribly homesick for her family and country, but if she brings her little daughter to visit, her family - against Mrs. Gounda's wishes - will snatch her and take her to a female genital exciser. Ritual cutting is illegal in many countries, but far from eradicated, since it is deeply ingrained in local social systems and religious beliefs. Beliefs and myths aside, it causes profound health problems for girls and women, including infections, urine leaking, bleeding to death, pain, and major complications (including higher death rates) in childbirth.
Mrs. Goundo, having lived in the United States for a few years, has learned how dangerous and traumatic this practice is; she also sees that "uncut" women are not evil or loose, as she was taught in her tribal culture. Determined to protect her daughter from it, she must apply for asylum to stay in the United States. The movie makers document this long, tense process, contrasting it with scenes from Mali. The footage includes conversations both with Malian health activists working to eradicate this practice and those who perform it and consider it essential. The Exciser, who brags about cutting 62 little girls in one session, is not a lady you'll quickly forget....
The contrast of the Philadelphia scenes - dreary winter streets, antiseptic offices, nearly empty playgrounds and restaurants - with the lively, colorful Malian street scenes is marked. Mrs. Goundo herself dresses in a black full-body robe while the ladies in Mali dress in a wild, bold, dizzying array of colored patterns. Likewise the kids are playing on the streets and having a great time. Mali is one of the poorest countries on the planet, so probably the kids all being out on the mud streets is related to substandard housing and the absence of schools, but it does evoke the warmth and comfort of life lived in extended, traditional families in a warm climate. The filmakers have captured great beauty in their scenes of Mali, a good balance for a movie which critiques this specific cultural practice.
My two take-aways:

1. It will be very important to retrain the excisers. Income generation opps are few in Mali, so until these women have alternatives that afford them respect and livelihood, we'll not see the end of female genital cutting any time soon.
2. People love rituals, especially ones which end with big tribal dances and village celebrations. There needs to be something else in girls' lives to celebrate. I'm sure villages that have eradicated this practice have figured out substitues; I hope they celebrate the girls starting school. If anyone knows how this is handled, please leave a comment.

Do see this movie. It will be on NPR, and also part of the Human Rights Watch Traveling International Film Festival.
Hats off to Janet Goldwater and Barbara Attie, the filmakers. For more information on the work being done to eliminate female genital cutting, check out their site.

Lily's Wool Project - Helping Women in Africa Support Themselves!

I love to highlight inspiring projects, especially those sparklers among us privileged Americans - people who just see a huge need and decide to do something to make a difference. Like LIlly Glarion, of Boulder, Colorado, who is building on her extraordinary Bat Mitzvah project. Here, in her own words, as reported in Reform Judaism Magazine:

Becoming a bat mitzvah meant I was going to become an adult in my community. Like everyone else, I would practice my Hebrew prayers, prepare a d’var torah, and do a mitzvah project. At first I thought I’d collect canned food for a homeless shelter or do volunteer work—something simple. But when my mom told me about a small group of women in Kenya who wanted to learn how to spin wool and weave cloth to support their families, I decided that a project in Africa was as good as any.

In my mind I said, “Whatever.” I didn’t have clue about what I was getting myself into.

Lilly raised money and in time, the idea that was hatched when her mom sent next to a Kenyan woman on an airplane, became a reality. Spinning adds value to the wool produced near their village, providing employment and greater incomes. When women's earnings increase, they invest it in improved nutrition and schooling for their children, the best bang for your charity buck around. She doesn't describe this as microfinance, because they're giving rather than loaning the machinery, but the ends - self-sufficient livelihood - is identical. Lilly's funds paid for a loom, spinning wheel, and spinning training sessions, setting the women up with a small enterprise to launch their entrepreneurial spirits. I love that they trained a few of the women who in turn teach the others. I also love that this project is a collaboration between Lilly and her mom Susan. What better mother-daughter project can you imagine than making the world a better place by helping third world mothers improve their lives and their children's as well?

Read the whole story here, and learn more about their project at their website, Lilly's Wool Project: Helping Kenyan Women Become Self-Sufficient.

Click here for information on how to donate to this really special project. Their fiscal sponsor, International Peace Initiatives, accepts Paypal or credit cards, if you prefer donating electronically. Susan Dexter of IPI says to just earmark your PayPal donation for Lilly's Wool Project in Kenya. To confirm by email, her address is nomadsusie@frontiernet.net.

Agahoza Shalom is Up and Running!

This letter from Anne Heyman, the founder of an orphanage/youth village in Rwanda which she founded after hearing of the plight of African orphans, especially post-genocide in Rwanda. She is a philanthropist with vision, and set about bringing it to reality. I blogged about her when the village was still on the drawing board - how thrilling that the kids have no moved in and it's up and running! She is truly one of my heroes!

From Anne Heyman:
I am writing to you from the Agahozo-Shalom Youth Village in Rwanda, where last week we celebrated our official opening. As I sit outside watching the sun rise and listening to the cacophony of bird songs that fill the air I think about something one of our children said to me: At Agahozo-Shalom I have found peace for the first time in my life. I feel it here; the gift of life.

What is it about this place that is so extraordinary? It is a beautiful – stunning really – setting, that is for sure. Our “campus” – the farm, the colorful houses, the school and community center – are unlike anything ever seen in this part of the world. But they are not the miracle or the magic of this place. Children who arrived here 6 months ago quiet and shy, who couldn’t look you in the eye and spoke very little English, not only performed skits, gave speeches, sang songs and danced at our opening ceremony, but they planned it all themselves. Songs to their parents, urging them to rest in peace now; to take comfort in the fact that their children are well taken care of. They assure their parents that they have found a new family and home and will be fine. They tell their parents they will do well and live a good life, and look forward to seeing them at some point in heaven. The children performed a skit about a child who comes to Agahozo-Shalom next year desolate and desperate about the miserable state of her orphan life. In the play they tell her that it is different hear at Agahozo-Shalom and introduce her to her new mother and sisters and brothers. When she is not immediately comforted by their words and embraces they take action: they invite her to join them in games, they draw her out and bring her in through leading by example. They had a debate about which subjects they were going to take in school next year and why – what they can achieve, how they can help their community and their country with their education. And the play and debate were all in English!

When you arrive at Agahozo-Shalom you drive through gates that are painted with the words, in English and Kinyarwanda: “If you see far, you will go far” – one of the many constant themes that are part of our children’s daily lives. The huge, colorful mural outside the community center is the next thing that catches your eye – scenes from traditional Rwanda, from life at Agahozo-Shalom, of the path to the future. The philosophy of the Village, which is all about repair, community, taking responsibility for oneself and doing for others is reflected in everything that is done here: the way the children are spoken to, the programs that are offered and they way they are run, even the way the site is physically laid out. And the results, even in such a short time, are tangible. When you sit in the dining hall at lunch you hear conversations amongst our children taking place in English. Knowing that all higher education in Rwanda now has to take place in English they understand that this is key to their future. Kids who had never seen a computer before they arrived here proudly show you the power point presentations they have learned to do. They tell you about what they want to be when they grow up. They are ambitious and determined. And while many still struggle with the trauma of their past they are getting help and moving forward. And they are so eager to share – and in many cases have already started sharing – what they are learning here with others outside our walls.

This week our children are studying for and taking end of term examinations. As their thoughts turn to vacation, ours turn to next year. What are we going to need to be able to provide this gift to another 125 children whose amazing potential will only be realized if they come to live at Agahozo-Shalom? There are additional staff to be hired – house mothers, counselors, teachers, therapists, kitchen staff. We could use another nurse. And of course all new staff need to be trained in our philosophy and methodologies: Everyone at Agahozo-Shalom is expected to be an educator. The physical needs – beds, closets, desks, sheets, towels, personal supplies, dining hall furniture, school supplies and furnishings - are significant too. Our science labs (physics, biology and chemistry) need to be fully equipped; we are certainly going to need many more computers. In the doom and gloom of world news today Agahozo-Shalom is truly a shining light; a beacon of hope for so many. More than that, we are establishing a replicable model, one that soon will become a teaching and training center for others. There is no doubt in my mind that many of our students will be instrumental in bringing this model to many others, who, without a place like ours, would have no future. You can play an important part in making this happen. Whether your gift is large or small, in cash or in-kind, it will make a significant difference in the lives of so many. Please visit us on-line at agahozo-shalom to make your contribution.

As I close this letter I would like to let you know that our visitor houses are nearing completion – and they have hot water! We are putting together a program for short term volunteer groups. If your college, synagogue, church or other organization would be interested in an educational/volunteer experience in Rwanda, please contact tina@agahozo-shalom.org.

From the hills of Agahozo-Shalom I wish you Amahoro – Peace – and I thank you for standing up and being counted amongst those who are truly changing the world.

Anne Heyman

Founder, Agahozo-Shalom Youth Village