The team (Bisi Adeleye-Fayemi - Executive Director, Sarah Mukasa – Director of Programmes, Rose Buabeng – Anglophone Programme Officer) arrived in Addis Ababa on the 19th of November 2007. Challenges with accommodation bookings and registration processes did not enable us to participate in the opening ceremony which had the Ethiopian President as the guest of honour. Despite this inconvenience, the rest of the conference went very well and enabled organizations who could not participate in the recent Association of Women in Development forum the chance to lend their voices to the discourses on action on Gender Equality, Women’s Empowerment and ending violence against Women.
The African Development Forum VI was a major gathering which discussed critical development issues, mobilized consensus and built partnerships among stakeholders in gender issues on the continent. A broad spectrum of stakeholders participated in the 3-day forum. The stakeholders included: government officials, civil society organizations, media networks, special groups such as nomads, indigenous people, persons with disability, persons living with HIV/AIDS, women and girls affected by violence, religious organizations, traditional leaders, international civil society organizations, UN partners, Bilateral organizations, international and regional financial institutions.
AWDF currently has a grantee profile of over 500 women’s organisations throughout sub-Saharan African and support from the African Capacity Building Foundation has enabled us to expand our Capacity Building Programme to include the development of a resource base of African Women Experts who are able to provide technical expertise at international conferences, forums and convenings. For this forum, AWDF provided technical assistance for the development of the programme which included providing resource persons and financial support to enable the participation of AWDF grantees.
The forum was centred on twelve thematic areas which were:
• Violence against women
• HIV/AIDS
• Health and reproductive rights
• Education, training and skills development
• Migration
• Governance, conflict, peace and security
• Employment, markets and trade
• Food security
• Land and property rights
• Climate change, water, sanitation and energy
• Financing for gender equality
• Gender and ICT
The overall programme was structured to ensure maximum discussion and feedback.
There were various presentations on all the thematic areas as well as break-out sessions to discuss pertinent issues from earlier presentations and recommendations made to support the drafting of the final plan of action.
The utmost concern of most participants as well as gender activists who participated in the forum was the fact that resolutions from the forum will not be mere rhetoric just like other forums that have happened in the past but that concrete actions will be taken to accelerate the attainment of MDG 3.
Another critical issue that emerged was the availability of resources to support the implementation of proposed gender equality objectives stipulated in the developed plan of action especially, with the emergence of the current global financial crisis.
It is therefore incumbent on feminist funding organizations like AWDF to embark on strategic resource mobilization activities in order to increase support to women’s rights organizations on the African Continent if gender equality and women’s empowerment is to be attained for the achievement of MDG 3.
Generally, the forum went very well with fruitful deliberations on the selected thematic areas; it culminated with a plan of action which gave clear recommendations for member States and development partners to accelerate the achievement of gender equality and women’s empowerment and ending violence against women.
LAUNCHING OF AWDF’s “POPULAR CULTURE PROJECT”
AWDF had the opportunity to launch its 3-year project entitled: “Reclaiming Popular Culture to Promote Women’s Rights” on the eve of the second day (20th November 2008) of the ADF VI conference. The programme was witnessed by about hundred participants from various women’s rights organization on the African Continent. The Executive Director of AWDF, Bisi Adeleye-Fayemi on introducing the project lamented the negative impact of most local movies on women rights promotion as well as the coverage and audience such movies attract. She therefore called on women’s rights organizations on the Continent to join forces with various movie icons in the promotion of women’s rights through the development of movies with positive women’s rights messages, since most youth of today prefer movies and music.
One of the project movies ‘The White Handkerchief’ was shown to participants. There was a lengthy discussion after the movie. Participants saw the need and bought into the idea of using movies and music to propagate the women’s human rights message. The project was officially launched by the Liberian Minister for Women and Children. Two movies ‘The White Handkerchief’ and ‘The Narrow Path’) were distributed to participants after the programme. AWDF gave assurances that initiatives by women-led organization on the continent to utilise popular culture to promote women’s rights will gain AWDF’s support.
Rose Buabeng
Anglophone Programme Officer
AWDF
Friday, November 28, 2008
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Letter from Zambia
Hello Sisters,
I miss you all but trust you are holding up. This week I find myself in the landlocked country of Zambia. The place is hot and one wonders if ever the time will come when Africa is going to harness this God given resource that is so abundant everywhere on the continent. Zambia actually feels and looks like Ghana in some sense. The country side looks so much like Ghana, the way they build their mud houses is so similar to the architecture we have in Northern Ghana. In fact some suburbs in Lusaka are very similar to some suburbs in Accra.
My colleague Grace and I took a few trips to cities outside Lusaka. Some of these trips can be heart wrenching you know, setting off very early in the morning to be able to accomplish all the goals you have set for yourself and returning late at night. But the sisters in the communities make it all worth it.
There is nothing so picturesque about the Zambian country particularly on those roads we used. However those trips outside the capital, Lusaka, gave me a nostalgic feeling. There are so many similarities with some scenes in our beloved Ghana. The bags of charcoal lined up for sale on major highways and the way they are bagged is so similar to the Ghanaian scenery. In fact the new vogue of bagging small quantities of charcoal for sale in polythene bags in also in vogue here in Zambia. Charcoal burning I am sure is a major challenge for the authorities in Zambia as they are in Ghana, it appears to be a dominant business for communities along the highways. (I did not see sachet water in Southern Africa, I am sure they are not allowed or something to that effect, it is so strange).
There are so many similarities in the way women ply their trading activities along the various highways in Zambia. The selling techniques, display of their products, pitching of their products etc are so similar to what pertains in Ghana. Their tomatoes looks so much like those tomatoes we grow in the North of Ghana, popularly called “Bolga Tomatoes”
The consequences of structural adjustment programmes are very evident in the town of Ndola where we visited one of our partners. All these big industries including copper mines closed down with its consequent loss of jobs which has lead to increased poverty and high rates of HIV&AIDS. The town of Ndola has an HIV&AIDS prevalence rate of 24%, the national prevalence rate is 16%. A combination of poverty and HIV&AIDS has left the women and children of Ndola very vulnerable that is why the nutrition centre of Ndola Nutrition group, an AWDF grantee, is extremely critical. The women in the community are provided with counseling and nutritional supplements. Support groups of women were at their best again, resilient as ever, with income generation activities and the spirit of sisterhood binding them together.
You think the drivers in Ghana are innovative? Well they cannot beat their Zambian counter parts. Leaves are very much in use as warning triangles to warn oncoming vehicles of broken down vehicles on the highways. And why do they always have to conveniently forget to remove them from the roads after they have finish whatever business they had to attend to? I think Zambia beats Ghana again in the number of road blocks one encounters on the highway. On a four hour journey we met at least six road blocks and they are so ingenious. The road blocks are mounted with barrels (filled with cement I guess) painted black with a red band at the top and police inscribed on the red paint. That is ingenious, one needs to be creative to stand out and survive you know.
Another notable feature is the number of haulage trucks that ply the highways. The Zambian highways are full of haulage trucks and trailers, in fact for every ten cars we met on the high way six were likely to be these heavy duty trucks, some of them heading towards DRC hauling badly needed food items especially fish from South Africa.
I am sure you heard that Zambia recently lost its president and just at the beginning of the month of November held a by election so the country streets are still covered with billboard of the various candidates and parties and it makes me wonder what is happening with our own elections? I hope we are on course. All the best and
See you soon
Beatrice
HIV/AIDS Programme Officer/Acting Grants Manager
I miss you all but trust you are holding up. This week I find myself in the landlocked country of Zambia. The place is hot and one wonders if ever the time will come when Africa is going to harness this God given resource that is so abundant everywhere on the continent. Zambia actually feels and looks like Ghana in some sense. The country side looks so much like Ghana, the way they build their mud houses is so similar to the architecture we have in Northern Ghana. In fact some suburbs in Lusaka are very similar to some suburbs in Accra.
My colleague Grace and I took a few trips to cities outside Lusaka. Some of these trips can be heart wrenching you know, setting off very early in the morning to be able to accomplish all the goals you have set for yourself and returning late at night. But the sisters in the communities make it all worth it.
There is nothing so picturesque about the Zambian country particularly on those roads we used. However those trips outside the capital, Lusaka, gave me a nostalgic feeling. There are so many similarities with some scenes in our beloved Ghana. The bags of charcoal lined up for sale on major highways and the way they are bagged is so similar to the Ghanaian scenery. In fact the new vogue of bagging small quantities of charcoal for sale in polythene bags in also in vogue here in Zambia. Charcoal burning I am sure is a major challenge for the authorities in Zambia as they are in Ghana, it appears to be a dominant business for communities along the highways. (I did not see sachet water in Southern Africa, I am sure they are not allowed or something to that effect, it is so strange).
There are so many similarities in the way women ply their trading activities along the various highways in Zambia. The selling techniques, display of their products, pitching of their products etc are so similar to what pertains in Ghana. Their tomatoes looks so much like those tomatoes we grow in the North of Ghana, popularly called “Bolga Tomatoes”
The consequences of structural adjustment programmes are very evident in the town of Ndola where we visited one of our partners. All these big industries including copper mines closed down with its consequent loss of jobs which has lead to increased poverty and high rates of HIV&AIDS. The town of Ndola has an HIV&AIDS prevalence rate of 24%, the national prevalence rate is 16%. A combination of poverty and HIV&AIDS has left the women and children of Ndola very vulnerable that is why the nutrition centre of Ndola Nutrition group, an AWDF grantee, is extremely critical. The women in the community are provided with counseling and nutritional supplements. Support groups of women were at their best again, resilient as ever, with income generation activities and the spirit of sisterhood binding them together.
You think the drivers in Ghana are innovative? Well they cannot beat their Zambian counter parts. Leaves are very much in use as warning triangles to warn oncoming vehicles of broken down vehicles on the highways. And why do they always have to conveniently forget to remove them from the roads after they have finish whatever business they had to attend to? I think Zambia beats Ghana again in the number of road blocks one encounters on the highway. On a four hour journey we met at least six road blocks and they are so ingenious. The road blocks are mounted with barrels (filled with cement I guess) painted black with a red band at the top and police inscribed on the red paint. That is ingenious, one needs to be creative to stand out and survive you know.
Another notable feature is the number of haulage trucks that ply the highways. The Zambian highways are full of haulage trucks and trailers, in fact for every ten cars we met on the high way six were likely to be these heavy duty trucks, some of them heading towards DRC hauling badly needed food items especially fish from South Africa.
I am sure you heard that Zambia recently lost its president and just at the beginning of the month of November held a by election so the country streets are still covered with billboard of the various candidates and parties and it makes me wonder what is happening with our own elections? I hope we are on course. All the best and
See you soon
Beatrice
HIV/AIDS Programme Officer/Acting Grants Manager
AWDF’S NEW OFFICE AND THE ‘ONAMDAADE’ WAHALA
‘Onamdaade’ is an Akan word used in Ghana which literally means (a person without a vehicle). It has similar meaning in this short text.
It is a hilarious moment at AWDF since we now have our own office building which is spacious and magnificent. We are still settling down and this coming Thursday (27th November 2008) is the official commissioning of the building (every body is invited anyway).
The area is serene and well laid out. In terms of categorization of urban settlement, I will place it in the first class category. I must be honest; it very well befits the status of a feminist grant making organization, such as AWDF, which has immensely supported the empowerment of women and women’s rights promotion through provision of grants to support several women-led initiatives on the African Continent since its establishment seven years ago.
Although acquiring our own property is a boost to the organization, it has also brought untold hardship to the ‘onamdaade’ staff because no commercial vehicle plies the vicinity, making life for such category of staff unbearable.
One has to either take a dropping ( a chartered Taxi) from Tetteh Quarshie roundabout which is approximately $4.00 a day (for a return journey) or wait at Tetteh Quarshie roundabout and make numerous calls to colleagues with vehicles to find out who is passing by at that particular moment for a lift. It is indeed a daunting task.
‘Onamdaade’ comrades, better think of how to get your own vehicles before colleagues decide not to pick up your calls in the morning. Thank you.
Rose Buabeng (‘Onamdaade’ team leader)
Anglophone Programme Officer
It is a hilarious moment at AWDF since we now have our own office building which is spacious and magnificent. We are still settling down and this coming Thursday (27th November 2008) is the official commissioning of the building (every body is invited anyway).
The area is serene and well laid out. In terms of categorization of urban settlement, I will place it in the first class category. I must be honest; it very well befits the status of a feminist grant making organization, such as AWDF, which has immensely supported the empowerment of women and women’s rights promotion through provision of grants to support several women-led initiatives on the African Continent since its establishment seven years ago.
Although acquiring our own property is a boost to the organization, it has also brought untold hardship to the ‘onamdaade’ staff because no commercial vehicle plies the vicinity, making life for such category of staff unbearable.
One has to either take a dropping ( a chartered Taxi) from Tetteh Quarshie roundabout which is approximately $4.00 a day (for a return journey) or wait at Tetteh Quarshie roundabout and make numerous calls to colleagues with vehicles to find out who is passing by at that particular moment for a lift. It is indeed a daunting task.
‘Onamdaade’ comrades, better think of how to get your own vehicles before colleagues decide not to pick up your calls in the morning. Thank you.
Rose Buabeng (‘Onamdaade’ team leader)
Anglophone Programme Officer
Friday, November 14, 2008
Postcard from South Africa: Feminist Tech Exchange and AWID
I have just spent several busy, fun and intense couple of days in South Africa. I arrived here last Saturday and headed to the Monkey Valley Resort for the Feminist Tech Exchange and Wow! what an experience that has been. The Tech Exchange comprised of several tracks including digital stories, video, audio, mobile and social networking tools. I was on the digital story track and after 15 hours of intense training (and some late nights) produced my very first digital story.
I am very excited that I was able to take part in this track because digital story telling is another useful tool that feminists can use to tell their own stories - in ways that are compelling, attention grabbing and 'impactful'. All you need is a recorder, images and a basic Movie Maker that can be found on most computer software.
My person digital story was about 'My feminist journey so far...'. Watch out for the premiere on this blog!
Nana Sekyiamah
Programme Officer (Fundraising & Communications)
AWDF
I am very excited that I was able to take part in this track because digital story telling is another useful tool that feminists can use to tell their own stories - in ways that are compelling, attention grabbing and 'impactful'. All you need is a recorder, images and a basic Movie Maker that can be found on most computer software.
My person digital story was about 'My feminist journey so far...'. Watch out for the premiere on this blog!
Nana Sekyiamah
Programme Officer (Fundraising & Communications)
AWDF
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Letter from Mozambique
Oi, (As we say in Mozambique).
I get the singular privilege of changing my identity every week for the next few weeks so this week I am Mozambican. Remember Samora Machel? Yes this is the beloved land of Samora Machel. Maputo is the capital of Mozambique and as Ghana is to the cedi and pesewa so is Mozambique to the meticais and centavos . I arrived in Maputo on the night of October 30th, 2008, expecting to have some communication difficulties but I was pleasantly surprised to find out that just about everybody speaks some amount of English. Do you know that Mozambicans are Portuguese speaking? Anyway, I go through immigration and customs with no incidence and was met on arrival by a host I had met over the net (He happens to be a man who speaks English better than the partner who I had asked to kindly coordinate the visit). Pedro my host is a very cordial and meticulous person and has done a good job of arranging all logistics, including translators, convenings, meetings with local authority officials and grantees.
My first point of call the next morning as early as 8.15am was the office of the Provincial Directorate of Women and Social Affairs, Angelina P. Lubrino, a very affable lady who warmly welcomes us and holds a long chat with us (I mean myself and my translator) on the situation of women organizing in Maputo. I then rush off to the convening, I had unfortunately kept the very busy women of Mozambique waiting for 15 minutes, because I spent too much time at the Provincial directorate for women’s office, well you can’t cut a “big” woman off you know. The meeting went very well and I was very fascinated about these three young articulate activists for sexual minority rights. Their message was simple, in their own words “we have come to the meeting to inform our mothers and grandmothers that we are” and had to be listened to.
After a one on one chat with a few organizations after the meeting (Remember organizations are always looking for exclusive scoops or contacts after such convenings), I rushed off again to visit the first grantee on my itinerary. The project had gone well and everything was in place. I was happy with myself, my only regret was my inability to visit some of the beneficiaries because the project was implemented up North about 8 hours ride away. I then proceeded to visit LAMBDA, an LGBT group, one of the groups I had volunteered to visit and had such an eye opening chat with these two young ladies who gladly gave me a tour of their offices and shared with me the plans they had for the place. I finally get to retire to my hotel room around 6.30pm. I did a lot of stairs climbing that day, I have noticed that most offices are in high rise buildings, and the pain in my tendons the day after made me resolve to stop being elusive with John our wellbeing consultant. Wearing slit (a traditional long Ghanaian skirt) and climbing stairs is not a past time for an ‘old school’ member you know. Anyway, thank God I had a good night sleep, I wished I could have slept the whole day but that was not to be. I had already agreed to visit a women’s HIV&AIDS network. I set off the next day thinking it was going to be a quick one, being a weekend. Apparently this group had something else in mind. After a lengthy chat in their offices with the aid of an interpreter (It prolongs the chat you know) they led the way to the field to visit some beneficiaries of their home based care project.
This project actually kept me thinking? Why are networks entangling themselves in direct service? I though networks were suppose to be coordinating and providing institutional and programmatic support to its members? As well as focusing on critical advocacy issues? Anyway, here we were after about 30 minutes drive to this community in Maputo with a very small driveway that we quickly navigated in order to park the car. Well we really did not have a choice, there was no way we could have driven around all the points of call. It was such a long winding walk through the sandy community. We entered the first house and my first shock, there were about 7 elderly women sitting on mats in the compound of the house eating their lunch. Wondering what is cooking for lunch? Salad and bread, very healthy, no wonder at their age they look so strong. We enter the common room, I guess, and I and the interpreter were offered a chair, all others had to sit on a mat on the floor of the room. So now I got the catch, it is their culture, they sit on mats with one or both legs of women bent to the side, and with the legs of men bent in a kind of squatting position in front of them. Unfortunately, the beneficiary had passed away the week before leaving behind 4 children in the care of their grand auntie who pleaded passionately with us to help her support the children through school, meanwhile all the children are boys. This sets me thinking again, can the AWDF funds be used to support the care giver to support the children who are all boys? I need some clarifications from my Director of Programmes. Well, the network will not let me be, till we had visited three families, it can be emotionally tiring and the expectations of those visitors are raised so that one wonders how one can personally be of help. Well it was another eye opener. At about 3.30pm I get a view of the city of Maputo, It is a very nice city with good road networks and some good cars, a beautiful coast line and they use platoons as well to get to other parts of the city. A few noticeable issues are the number of cars that have detachable trailers (you can easily hire them for use) which carry their goods and the way they carry their babies in the man made traditional kangaroo pooches. The way the women tie their wrappers is also worth noting.
The next day saw me (and my translator of course) on a long ride (About 4 hours) to the city of Xai Xai (it is pronounce Shaishai). The ride to the district of Xai Xai in the Gaza Province was a smooth and awesome one. The scenery was simply breathtaking especially on entering the district of Xai Xai which has an amazing well developed beach, very good road networks, a lot of greeneries and fascinating developments. One cannot miss the presence of beach goers every where in the town and I had the privilege of staying in one of the lodges by the beach. The coast line is incredibly well developed with camp houses on stilts, cabins they are called l think, guest houses, hotels, restaurants, etc. Despite all these developments it is so obvious that great care had been taken to preserve the flora and fauna in the area. Later upon enquiry I was told that it was one of the conditions that go with being granted a license for development in the area. Maybe some of our cities and towns should learn a lesson or two from the city of Xai Xai. Another noticeable scene was the presence of families. A good number of the beach patrons were there with their families, another lesson to be learnt there. After a tour of the coast line which had considerable motor able roads I managed to have my dinner after some miss-communications had cost me some serious hard earned cash.
Monday is another day, an 8.30 am meeting with the Xai Xai Provincial Director of Women Affairs. Can you imagine? The provincial Director for Women’s Affairs was a man, (Well we have a similar case in our back door). A very pleasant man though who offered us the use of the District’s social centre for the convening without charge. The meeting with him went well and I proceed to the convening afterwards. Meeting community women can be so invigorating, clearly articulating their views, needs and solutions. Another great convening there raising issues of violence against women, HIV&AIDS and neglect by partners coupled with the perennial drought in that part of the country. Afterwards I visit a new grantee that has just been awarded a grant. ACTIVA is implementing a huge home based care project but appeared unprepared for our visit despite the fact that they were our key contacts to Mozambique. Come to think of it, this could have been as a result of communication problems.
Anyway we return to Maputo that night only for me to learn that my booking for my last night in Maputo has mysteriously disappeared on their system even though I had left my luggage in their storage and categorically asked for a reservation, but I had no papers to confirm this so had no case. The staff were however concerned enough to get me another hotel which was just excellent. I collected my luggage and headed for my new place of abode. The icing on the cake was, it was a very good hotel with very fast internet service in the rooms free of charge, just plug and surf. So here I sit at 12.00 midnight just hitting away at my lap top, I really do not want to sleep, such luxuries in the field is very rare you know. But as nature will have it I have to obey so this is to say bye and hope to link up again.
Ciao
Beatrice from Mozambique
(Acting Grants Manager)
I get the singular privilege of changing my identity every week for the next few weeks so this week I am Mozambican. Remember Samora Machel? Yes this is the beloved land of Samora Machel. Maputo is the capital of Mozambique and as Ghana is to the cedi and pesewa so is Mozambique to the meticais and centavos . I arrived in Maputo on the night of October 30th, 2008, expecting to have some communication difficulties but I was pleasantly surprised to find out that just about everybody speaks some amount of English. Do you know that Mozambicans are Portuguese speaking? Anyway, I go through immigration and customs with no incidence and was met on arrival by a host I had met over the net (He happens to be a man who speaks English better than the partner who I had asked to kindly coordinate the visit). Pedro my host is a very cordial and meticulous person and has done a good job of arranging all logistics, including translators, convenings, meetings with local authority officials and grantees.
My first point of call the next morning as early as 8.15am was the office of the Provincial Directorate of Women and Social Affairs, Angelina P. Lubrino, a very affable lady who warmly welcomes us and holds a long chat with us (I mean myself and my translator) on the situation of women organizing in Maputo. I then rush off to the convening, I had unfortunately kept the very busy women of Mozambique waiting for 15 minutes, because I spent too much time at the Provincial directorate for women’s office, well you can’t cut a “big” woman off you know. The meeting went very well and I was very fascinated about these three young articulate activists for sexual minority rights. Their message was simple, in their own words “we have come to the meeting to inform our mothers and grandmothers that we are” and had to be listened to.
After a one on one chat with a few organizations after the meeting (Remember organizations are always looking for exclusive scoops or contacts after such convenings), I rushed off again to visit the first grantee on my itinerary. The project had gone well and everything was in place. I was happy with myself, my only regret was my inability to visit some of the beneficiaries because the project was implemented up North about 8 hours ride away. I then proceeded to visit LAMBDA, an LGBT group, one of the groups I had volunteered to visit and had such an eye opening chat with these two young ladies who gladly gave me a tour of their offices and shared with me the plans they had for the place. I finally get to retire to my hotel room around 6.30pm. I did a lot of stairs climbing that day, I have noticed that most offices are in high rise buildings, and the pain in my tendons the day after made me resolve to stop being elusive with John our wellbeing consultant. Wearing slit (a traditional long Ghanaian skirt) and climbing stairs is not a past time for an ‘old school’ member you know. Anyway, thank God I had a good night sleep, I wished I could have slept the whole day but that was not to be. I had already agreed to visit a women’s HIV&AIDS network. I set off the next day thinking it was going to be a quick one, being a weekend. Apparently this group had something else in mind. After a lengthy chat in their offices with the aid of an interpreter (It prolongs the chat you know) they led the way to the field to visit some beneficiaries of their home based care project.
This project actually kept me thinking? Why are networks entangling themselves in direct service? I though networks were suppose to be coordinating and providing institutional and programmatic support to its members? As well as focusing on critical advocacy issues? Anyway, here we were after about 30 minutes drive to this community in Maputo with a very small driveway that we quickly navigated in order to park the car. Well we really did not have a choice, there was no way we could have driven around all the points of call. It was such a long winding walk through the sandy community. We entered the first house and my first shock, there were about 7 elderly women sitting on mats in the compound of the house eating their lunch. Wondering what is cooking for lunch? Salad and bread, very healthy, no wonder at their age they look so strong. We enter the common room, I guess, and I and the interpreter were offered a chair, all others had to sit on a mat on the floor of the room. So now I got the catch, it is their culture, they sit on mats with one or both legs of women bent to the side, and with the legs of men bent in a kind of squatting position in front of them. Unfortunately, the beneficiary had passed away the week before leaving behind 4 children in the care of their grand auntie who pleaded passionately with us to help her support the children through school, meanwhile all the children are boys. This sets me thinking again, can the AWDF funds be used to support the care giver to support the children who are all boys? I need some clarifications from my Director of Programmes. Well, the network will not let me be, till we had visited three families, it can be emotionally tiring and the expectations of those visitors are raised so that one wonders how one can personally be of help. Well it was another eye opener. At about 3.30pm I get a view of the city of Maputo, It is a very nice city with good road networks and some good cars, a beautiful coast line and they use platoons as well to get to other parts of the city. A few noticeable issues are the number of cars that have detachable trailers (you can easily hire them for use) which carry their goods and the way they carry their babies in the man made traditional kangaroo pooches. The way the women tie their wrappers is also worth noting.
The next day saw me (and my translator of course) on a long ride (About 4 hours) to the city of Xai Xai (it is pronounce Shaishai). The ride to the district of Xai Xai in the Gaza Province was a smooth and awesome one. The scenery was simply breathtaking especially on entering the district of Xai Xai which has an amazing well developed beach, very good road networks, a lot of greeneries and fascinating developments. One cannot miss the presence of beach goers every where in the town and I had the privilege of staying in one of the lodges by the beach. The coast line is incredibly well developed with camp houses on stilts, cabins they are called l think, guest houses, hotels, restaurants, etc. Despite all these developments it is so obvious that great care had been taken to preserve the flora and fauna in the area. Later upon enquiry I was told that it was one of the conditions that go with being granted a license for development in the area. Maybe some of our cities and towns should learn a lesson or two from the city of Xai Xai. Another noticeable scene was the presence of families. A good number of the beach patrons were there with their families, another lesson to be learnt there. After a tour of the coast line which had considerable motor able roads I managed to have my dinner after some miss-communications had cost me some serious hard earned cash.
Monday is another day, an 8.30 am meeting with the Xai Xai Provincial Director of Women Affairs. Can you imagine? The provincial Director for Women’s Affairs was a man, (Well we have a similar case in our back door). A very pleasant man though who offered us the use of the District’s social centre for the convening without charge. The meeting with him went well and I proceed to the convening afterwards. Meeting community women can be so invigorating, clearly articulating their views, needs and solutions. Another great convening there raising issues of violence against women, HIV&AIDS and neglect by partners coupled with the perennial drought in that part of the country. Afterwards I visit a new grantee that has just been awarded a grant. ACTIVA is implementing a huge home based care project but appeared unprepared for our visit despite the fact that they were our key contacts to Mozambique. Come to think of it, this could have been as a result of communication problems.
Anyway we return to Maputo that night only for me to learn that my booking for my last night in Maputo has mysteriously disappeared on their system even though I had left my luggage in their storage and categorically asked for a reservation, but I had no papers to confirm this so had no case. The staff were however concerned enough to get me another hotel which was just excellent. I collected my luggage and headed for my new place of abode. The icing on the cake was, it was a very good hotel with very fast internet service in the rooms free of charge, just plug and surf. So here I sit at 12.00 midnight just hitting away at my lap top, I really do not want to sleep, such luxuries in the field is very rare you know. But as nature will have it I have to obey so this is to say bye and hope to link up again.
Ciao
Beatrice from Mozambique
(Acting Grants Manager)
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
The Obama Victory: Lessons for Feminists
Wow, today is truly an exciting day. So many of us thought that we will never in our lifetime see a Black person in the ‘White House’ and that day has arrived. The question for me is ‘if we thought that was impossible’ then what else is possible? Is it possible to have a Black woman in the White House? Is it possible to have a Feminist President? Is it possible to live in a world where all women live in peace, security and equity? I think the answer has to be ‘Yes it is!’
Personally the importance of an Obama victory in the US elections is significant because of the powerful symbolism he represents. I have to confess at the start of his campaign for the Democratic Party ticket I thought ‘he doesn’t have a chance!’ I thought even if he succeeds in winning the Democratic Party ticket he is highly unlikely to win the US elections. I thought Hilary Clinton was a safer bet for the Democrats and she was a strong woman candidate (a positive attribute in my opinion). Well, I been proved so wrong and I am thrilled about that. It is a great thing to be wrong when you have lost hope in humankind. It is a great thing to be wrong when you fail to anticipate that record numbers of young people, women and people of diverse ethnicities will turn out to vote for a mixed race male whom they perceive to symbolise hope, diversity and a new world.
The Obama victory reminds me that the feminist battle may not take as long as we think it might. The Obama victory reminds me of Malcolm Gladwell’s Tipping Point, which emphasises that the right context, a few key individuals and creativity can result in change occurring within a very short period of time.
Nana Sekyiamah
Programme Officer (Fundraising & Communications)
Personally the importance of an Obama victory in the US elections is significant because of the powerful symbolism he represents. I have to confess at the start of his campaign for the Democratic Party ticket I thought ‘he doesn’t have a chance!’ I thought even if he succeeds in winning the Democratic Party ticket he is highly unlikely to win the US elections. I thought Hilary Clinton was a safer bet for the Democrats and she was a strong woman candidate (a positive attribute in my opinion). Well, I been proved so wrong and I am thrilled about that. It is a great thing to be wrong when you have lost hope in humankind. It is a great thing to be wrong when you fail to anticipate that record numbers of young people, women and people of diverse ethnicities will turn out to vote for a mixed race male whom they perceive to symbolise hope, diversity and a new world.
The Obama victory reminds me that the feminist battle may not take as long as we think it might. The Obama victory reminds me of Malcolm Gladwell’s Tipping Point, which emphasises that the right context, a few key individuals and creativity can result in change occurring within a very short period of time.
Nana Sekyiamah
Programme Officer (Fundraising & Communications)
End Impunity on Women’s Rights Violations in Eastern DRC
We represent women’s human rights organisations and their NGO partners in Africa. Our work on a daily basis confronts gender inequality and seeks to ensure the protection of women’s rights and bodily integrity. Nowhere are these rights more violated today than in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). From 21 September to 1 October 2008, our organisations were in fact in the DRC as part of a delegation of women from the African continent, and witnessed first- hand some of these challenges, and received testimonies from women survivors of these violations.
We condemn the renewed outbreak of violence in the East of the country, and we are particularly concerned with the human rights and situation of women and girls who have been the targets of a concerted campaign to use rape and sexual violence as a weapon of war over the past decade.
We issue this letter to the SADC, the African Union secretariats and the United Nations, demanding that they take urgent action to broker a political solution to the long-standing crisis in the DRC, in order to protect the lives of all Congolese.
To this end, we call upon:
• The African Union to condemn the use of rape and sexual violence as weapons of war, and immediately call for a cease-fire. Articles 14 of the AU Peace and Security Protocol (PSC) recognises the need to assist vulnerable persons including children and women in states that have been adversely affected by conflict;
• The African Union to actively monitor the immediate implementation of the Great Lakes Pact, beginning with condemning military support to the CNDP;
• The DRC government and Parliament to fully comply with their constitutional duty to protect their people, especially women and girls, without any discrimination;
• The CNDP to cease using civilians as pawns in their military objectives;
• Countries surrounding the DRC to refrain from fuelling conflict by providing weapons, and not to target women and girls’ bodies as sites of war;
• Women’s organisations across the continent and in the SADC region to amplify the voices of women and girls in the Congo, and support their struggles, especially in this fresh and renewed crisis;
• The UN to move quickly to protect women from rape sexual violence in line with its own Guidelines on Gender-Based Violence Interventions in Humanitarian Settings (2005) that calls upon communities, governments and humanitarian organizations, including UN agencies, NGOs, and CBOs, to establish and coordinate a set of minimum multi-sectoral interventions to prevent and respond to sexual violence during the early phase of an emergency. We specifically call upon the UNHCR to ensure that the UNHCR Sexual and Gender-Based Violence against Refugees, Returnees and Displaced Persons: Guidelines for Prevention and Response (2003), which details the various responses that, in the event of abuse or violence against women, are required to help victims, including the need for legal redress and access to medical and psycho-social support are fully implemented in DRC.
• The UN to push for the implementation of resolution 1325 (Articles 9 & 10) that calls on all parties of armed conflict to apply international law, recognize the conventions and protect the rights of women and girls in armed conflict.
• All actors; national and international, to take into account and document cases of sexual violence to enable implementation of Resolution 1820 that recognises rape and sexual violence can constitute war crimes and should be dealt with as such. This will facilitate access to justice and ending impunity on SGBV in situations of armed conflicts.
• Humanitarian agencies to provide immediate relief, including medical aid, to survivors of violence to address women’s immediate needs.
The Situation of Women and Girls in the Country
Women in the DRC currently face a myriad of challenges, ranging from sexual and other forms of violence, poor social service, a lack of social security, poor health and high levels of poverty. Human rights advocacy has always been a risky domain in Congo for most of its modern history. Women live under the dual cloak of politically-imposed silence, as well as silence due to their gender. Eastern Congo, a region twice the size of Uganda, has borne the brunt of brutal military campaigns since 1998. Tens of thousands of women have been raped by multiple armies from Congo and neighboring countries, often as part of a strategy to humiliate communities and destroy social structures and norms. Many of these women are still in Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps, still recovering from this trauma and particularly struggling with their sexual and reproductive health. In IDP camps their protection is still not fully guaranteed and some continue to suffer further violence by those who are supposed to protect them. The region has seen massive population displacement, disruption of agricultural activities, and acute poverty. As a result, the standard of living has drastically lowered, with food security becoming a daily struggle, primarily for women and girls whose rights to land and livelihoods have always been tenuous. Overall, across the country, women face social marginalisation and reap very few benefits from their labor. The summary below is indicative:
• International Alert, Human Rights Watch, UNICEF and the United Nations have documented the systematic use of rape as a strategy of war in Eastern DRC since 1996. A 2004 WHO report gave a modest estimate that over 40,000 women were raped: NGOs in the DRC estimate more.
• 61 percent of HIV positive persons are women; and 30 percent of rape survivors in Eastern DRC are HIV+;
• DRC ranks among the top 6 countries worldwide with the highest maternal mortality rates;
• DRC has 85 percent unemployment, the majority being women;
• 45 percent of women in the DRC are illiterate;
• In Dec. 2005, 60 percent of voters in a national referendum on a new Constitution were women; an indicator of their hopes for democracy;
• In July 2006, 13.5 percent of candidates for legislative seats were women.
Since the violence flared up again two months ago, an estimated 200 000 people have been on the move – many of them women and girls. There are now over 1 million IDPs in the Eastern DRC, as estimated by the UN;
Despite the signing of numerous peace accords, including the Great Lakes Pact, the Nairobi communiqué and the Amani process, the tensions in the East have continued to simmer since 1994, with outbreaks of war in 1996, 1998, 2003, 2006 and again in 2008, this time led by General Laurent Nkunda’s CNDP;
At risk are human rights defenders – especially women’s rights defenders who speak against the massive rape and sexual violence in the region – members of civil society organisations who provide humanitarian and legal assistance to the local population, and tens of thousands of ordinary civilians, including women and children, many of whom are victims of sexual violence which continues to be used as a weapon of war.
.
SIGNED:
Action AID International
Contact person: Mary Wandia
Tel: 254 733860036
African Women’s Development Fund
Contact person: Bisi Adeleye-Fayemi
Tel: +23321 521257
Global Fund for Women
Contact person: Muadi Mukenge
Tel: Tel: +1 415 248-4817
Open Society Initiative for Southern Africa
Contact person: Sisonke Msimang
Tel: +27 11 403 3414
We condemn the renewed outbreak of violence in the East of the country, and we are particularly concerned with the human rights and situation of women and girls who have been the targets of a concerted campaign to use rape and sexual violence as a weapon of war over the past decade.
We issue this letter to the SADC, the African Union secretariats and the United Nations, demanding that they take urgent action to broker a political solution to the long-standing crisis in the DRC, in order to protect the lives of all Congolese.
To this end, we call upon:
• The African Union to condemn the use of rape and sexual violence as weapons of war, and immediately call for a cease-fire. Articles 14 of the AU Peace and Security Protocol (PSC) recognises the need to assist vulnerable persons including children and women in states that have been adversely affected by conflict;
• The African Union to actively monitor the immediate implementation of the Great Lakes Pact, beginning with condemning military support to the CNDP;
• The DRC government and Parliament to fully comply with their constitutional duty to protect their people, especially women and girls, without any discrimination;
• The CNDP to cease using civilians as pawns in their military objectives;
• Countries surrounding the DRC to refrain from fuelling conflict by providing weapons, and not to target women and girls’ bodies as sites of war;
• Women’s organisations across the continent and in the SADC region to amplify the voices of women and girls in the Congo, and support their struggles, especially in this fresh and renewed crisis;
• The UN to move quickly to protect women from rape sexual violence in line with its own Guidelines on Gender-Based Violence Interventions in Humanitarian Settings (2005) that calls upon communities, governments and humanitarian organizations, including UN agencies, NGOs, and CBOs, to establish and coordinate a set of minimum multi-sectoral interventions to prevent and respond to sexual violence during the early phase of an emergency. We specifically call upon the UNHCR to ensure that the UNHCR Sexual and Gender-Based Violence against Refugees, Returnees and Displaced Persons: Guidelines for Prevention and Response (2003), which details the various responses that, in the event of abuse or violence against women, are required to help victims, including the need for legal redress and access to medical and psycho-social support are fully implemented in DRC.
• The UN to push for the implementation of resolution 1325 (Articles 9 & 10) that calls on all parties of armed conflict to apply international law, recognize the conventions and protect the rights of women and girls in armed conflict.
• All actors; national and international, to take into account and document cases of sexual violence to enable implementation of Resolution 1820 that recognises rape and sexual violence can constitute war crimes and should be dealt with as such. This will facilitate access to justice and ending impunity on SGBV in situations of armed conflicts.
• Humanitarian agencies to provide immediate relief, including medical aid, to survivors of violence to address women’s immediate needs.
The Situation of Women and Girls in the Country
Women in the DRC currently face a myriad of challenges, ranging from sexual and other forms of violence, poor social service, a lack of social security, poor health and high levels of poverty. Human rights advocacy has always been a risky domain in Congo for most of its modern history. Women live under the dual cloak of politically-imposed silence, as well as silence due to their gender. Eastern Congo, a region twice the size of Uganda, has borne the brunt of brutal military campaigns since 1998. Tens of thousands of women have been raped by multiple armies from Congo and neighboring countries, often as part of a strategy to humiliate communities and destroy social structures and norms. Many of these women are still in Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps, still recovering from this trauma and particularly struggling with their sexual and reproductive health. In IDP camps their protection is still not fully guaranteed and some continue to suffer further violence by those who are supposed to protect them. The region has seen massive population displacement, disruption of agricultural activities, and acute poverty. As a result, the standard of living has drastically lowered, with food security becoming a daily struggle, primarily for women and girls whose rights to land and livelihoods have always been tenuous. Overall, across the country, women face social marginalisation and reap very few benefits from their labor. The summary below is indicative:
• International Alert, Human Rights Watch, UNICEF and the United Nations have documented the systematic use of rape as a strategy of war in Eastern DRC since 1996. A 2004 WHO report gave a modest estimate that over 40,000 women were raped: NGOs in the DRC estimate more.
• 61 percent of HIV positive persons are women; and 30 percent of rape survivors in Eastern DRC are HIV+;
• DRC ranks among the top 6 countries worldwide with the highest maternal mortality rates;
• DRC has 85 percent unemployment, the majority being women;
• 45 percent of women in the DRC are illiterate;
• In Dec. 2005, 60 percent of voters in a national referendum on a new Constitution were women; an indicator of their hopes for democracy;
• In July 2006, 13.5 percent of candidates for legislative seats were women.
Since the violence flared up again two months ago, an estimated 200 000 people have been on the move – many of them women and girls. There are now over 1 million IDPs in the Eastern DRC, as estimated by the UN;
Despite the signing of numerous peace accords, including the Great Lakes Pact, the Nairobi communiqué and the Amani process, the tensions in the East have continued to simmer since 1994, with outbreaks of war in 1996, 1998, 2003, 2006 and again in 2008, this time led by General Laurent Nkunda’s CNDP;
At risk are human rights defenders – especially women’s rights defenders who speak against the massive rape and sexual violence in the region – members of civil society organisations who provide humanitarian and legal assistance to the local population, and tens of thousands of ordinary civilians, including women and children, many of whom are victims of sexual violence which continues to be used as a weapon of war.
.
SIGNED:
Action AID International
Contact person: Mary Wandia
Tel: 254 733860036
African Women’s Development Fund
Contact person: Bisi Adeleye-Fayemi
Tel: +23321 521257
Global Fund for Women
Contact person: Muadi Mukenge
Tel: Tel: +1 415 248-4817
Open Society Initiative for Southern Africa
Contact person: Sisonke Msimang
Tel: +27 11 403 3414
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
AFRICAN WOMEN’S DEVELOPMENT FUND (AWDF) AT 11TH AWID INTERNATIONAL FORUM, CAPE TOWN, 14TH-17TH NOVEMBER 2008
The African Women’s Development Fund (AWDF) will be attending the 11th AWID International Forum in Cape Town, 14th-17th November, 2008. AWDF will be convening a number of activities before and during the AWID Forum, as well as supporting grantee partners from around the continent to attend the Forum. AWDF convenes the African Feminist Forum (AFF) and during the AWID Forum there will be a number of AFF related activities to showcase the work of feminist activists and thinkers in Africa.
Highlights of AWDF’s activities at AWID are:
11th & 12th November 2008
Women’s Political Participation and Transformational Leadership
Whilst much has been done to increase women’s entry points into politics, it is clear that much more needs to be done. Further measures need to be taken to safeguard women’s participation and further reflection is required on what kind of leadership will enable effective participation on an agenda that advances women’s rights.
This workshop will assess women’s participation in political processes at local, national and regional levels with a view of developing strategies to deal with challenges and barriers facing women in politics and strengthening qualitative and quantitative participation of women at all levels.
14th November 2008
‘Celebrating African Feminists and our Feminist Ancestors’
19.30
This is an evening reception hosted by AWDF and representatives from the African Feminist Forum, in celebration of African women's movements and
feminist activism. The event will feature African women's music and the launch of the African Feminist Ancestors Project, documenting the rich herstory of African women's struggles for autonomy and change. There will also be information about the grant making and movement-building activities of the African Women's Development Fund.
15th November 2008
Feminists, No 'Ifs' not 'Buts': Mobilising feminist activism in Africa
14.30-16:00
Talk show host: Hope Chigudu (Zimbabwe/Uganda)
Talk show guests: Muthoni Wanyeki (Kenya), Coumba Toure (Senegal), Bene
Madunagu (Nigeria), Sarah Mukasa (Uganda/Ghana)
This lively talk show explores the regional African Feminist Forums and
national feminist forums as new platforms for re-energising and focusing
Feminist activism in the region. Talk show guests include sexuality
trainers, story tellers, human rights advocates and community mobilisers
from across generations. They will reflect on the urgency and relevance of
feminist activism in Africa, the ways that African feminists are responding
to backlash and asserting African feminist politics in different spheres.
16th November 2008
The Great Debate
We have wasted our time pushing for more women in decision making positions, they have not made a difference
11:30-13:00
The debate about whether change can be made from within political structures or advocated for from without is a longstanding one, and feminists around the world continue to exchange views on this. There is also the issue of not only dealing with access to decision making, but also the need to strengthen women’s leadership within hostile, patriarchal structures. There have been several notable gains in the Africa region over the past ten years. There are more women in parliament (Rwanda has a world-breaking record of over 50%), more women holding non-traditional portfolios, a female President for the Pan-African Parliament and there is the first democratically elected female President.
In this lively, fun, yet serious Great Debate, we will be addressing the following questions:
• What difference has having women in decision making made in our countries?
• Is having more women in political office the answer to the need for accountability?
• Can we count on women in decision-making to stand up for women’s rights?
• What is our responsibility as a women’s movement towards our colleagues in positions of decision-making?
16th November 2008
Frontline Feminisms: African experiences of activism in times of conflict
11.30-13:00
Moderator: Ndeye Sow (Senegal/UK)
Speakers: Mary Wandia (Kenya), Shereen Essof (Zimbabwe), Jessica Nkuuhe (Uganda)
While armed conflicts in Africa often make international media headlines,
few reports cover the strategic, brave and critical work of African women's
rights activists who expose and respond to violations, negotiate for peace
and fight for democratic change during and after conflict. This session will
feature African feminists who have joined and mobilised others in
confronting recent conflicts and political crises in their countries. They
will share strategies and challenges, and engage participants around
effective activism on conflict, peace and security.
ENDS
The African Women’s Development Fund (AWDF) is a grant-making foundation which supports local, national and regional organisations in Africa working towards women’s empowerment. AWDF through institutional capacity building and programme development seeks to build a culture of learning and partnerships within the African women’s movement.
Enquiries
Nana Sekyiamah – Programme Officer (Fundraising & Communications)
Email: nana@awdf.org
Website: www.awdf.org
Blog: www.awdf.org/blog
Highlights of AWDF’s activities at AWID are:
11th & 12th November 2008
Women’s Political Participation and Transformational Leadership
Whilst much has been done to increase women’s entry points into politics, it is clear that much more needs to be done. Further measures need to be taken to safeguard women’s participation and further reflection is required on what kind of leadership will enable effective participation on an agenda that advances women’s rights.
This workshop will assess women’s participation in political processes at local, national and regional levels with a view of developing strategies to deal with challenges and barriers facing women in politics and strengthening qualitative and quantitative participation of women at all levels.
14th November 2008
‘Celebrating African Feminists and our Feminist Ancestors’
19.30
This is an evening reception hosted by AWDF and representatives from the African Feminist Forum, in celebration of African women's movements and
feminist activism. The event will feature African women's music and the launch of the African Feminist Ancestors Project, documenting the rich herstory of African women's struggles for autonomy and change. There will also be information about the grant making and movement-building activities of the African Women's Development Fund.
15th November 2008
Feminists, No 'Ifs' not 'Buts': Mobilising feminist activism in Africa
14.30-16:00
Talk show host: Hope Chigudu (Zimbabwe/Uganda)
Talk show guests: Muthoni Wanyeki (Kenya), Coumba Toure (Senegal), Bene
Madunagu (Nigeria), Sarah Mukasa (Uganda/Ghana)
This lively talk show explores the regional African Feminist Forums and
national feminist forums as new platforms for re-energising and focusing
Feminist activism in the region. Talk show guests include sexuality
trainers, story tellers, human rights advocates and community mobilisers
from across generations. They will reflect on the urgency and relevance of
feminist activism in Africa, the ways that African feminists are responding
to backlash and asserting African feminist politics in different spheres.
16th November 2008
The Great Debate
We have wasted our time pushing for more women in decision making positions, they have not made a difference
11:30-13:00
The debate about whether change can be made from within political structures or advocated for from without is a longstanding one, and feminists around the world continue to exchange views on this. There is also the issue of not only dealing with access to decision making, but also the need to strengthen women’s leadership within hostile, patriarchal structures. There have been several notable gains in the Africa region over the past ten years. There are more women in parliament (Rwanda has a world-breaking record of over 50%), more women holding non-traditional portfolios, a female President for the Pan-African Parliament and there is the first democratically elected female President.
In this lively, fun, yet serious Great Debate, we will be addressing the following questions:
• What difference has having women in decision making made in our countries?
• Is having more women in political office the answer to the need for accountability?
• Can we count on women in decision-making to stand up for women’s rights?
• What is our responsibility as a women’s movement towards our colleagues in positions of decision-making?
16th November 2008
Frontline Feminisms: African experiences of activism in times of conflict
11.30-13:00
Moderator: Ndeye Sow (Senegal/UK)
Speakers: Mary Wandia (Kenya), Shereen Essof (Zimbabwe), Jessica Nkuuhe (Uganda)
While armed conflicts in Africa often make international media headlines,
few reports cover the strategic, brave and critical work of African women's
rights activists who expose and respond to violations, negotiate for peace
and fight for democratic change during and after conflict. This session will
feature African feminists who have joined and mobilised others in
confronting recent conflicts and political crises in their countries. They
will share strategies and challenges, and engage participants around
effective activism on conflict, peace and security.
ENDS
The African Women’s Development Fund (AWDF) is a grant-making foundation which supports local, national and regional organisations in Africa working towards women’s empowerment. AWDF through institutional capacity building and programme development seeks to build a culture of learning and partnerships within the African women’s movement.
Enquiries
Nana Sekyiamah – Programme Officer (Fundraising & Communications)
Email: nana@awdf.org
Website: www.awdf.org
Blog: www.awdf.org/blog
Monday, November 3, 2008
A letter from Malawi
Hello Sisters,
For the next few weeks you will be reading from me from Southern Africa. I give you a peep into my diary for the week ending October 31st, 2008. I write from the city of Lilongwe (Are you wondering where the hell that city is?) Wonder no more, it is the capital of Malawi in Southern Africa. A city that appears to be lightly populated with virtually no traffic, if you compare it to the city of Accra not to mention the city of Lagos, you are virtually in heaven. I arrived in the afternoon of the 27th of October, after about 6.5 hours flight to the city of Jo’burg and a wait of about 4 hours in transit. I could not help but soak in my first impression of Malawi, a dry and low densely populated land (At least from my impression on the long stretch of the highway leading from the airport to the city centre). I was also caught off guard with the left hand drive system in the country. I can never get over the fact that some countries drive on the left, I always get the impression that the vehicle in which I am riding will be involved in a headon collision with oncoming cars. And how do they manage to change gears with their left hand especially for right handed people? Anyway it all has to do with diversities of culture and systems.
I go straight into a meeting with one of the partners after I have managed a quick shower and eventually get to enjoy my hotel room at about 7.00pm dead tired, not before I have had a brush with a young Indian guy with an attitude, whose vehicle I was hiring for the next day’s trip to another city, Blantyre. It was one of the times I regret not taking lessons from Bisi on how to do the “dance”. Questioning me as if I was highly out of his league of customers or that I had the trait of somebody who was going to escape without settling the bill. It was only after I had retorted sharply to him that I was paying in cash that he changed his attitude. Malawi has a large Indian population and they appear to dominate the business landscape in Lilongwe. I had earlier tried to fly to Blantyre only to be told by Air Malawi that they had unilaterally decided that there was not going to be a flight to Blantyre the next day. I guess they are not really different from our very own dear erratic Ghana Airways or Virgin Nigeria; it must be a kind of virus on the continent.
Malawi really stands up to its slogan “Warm heart of Africa” the place is warm in all senses of the word. The weather is actually hot and the people friendly. The city of Lilongwe is very well set out into sectors with clearly demarcated areas and well numbered and named streets, there is no way a visitor will miss her way around the city (Remember it is a comparatively new city built after independence).
The next day is another marathon for me rushing to the Mozambican embassy to put in an application for an urgent visa (There is no Mozambican consulate in Ghana) through to attending a convening with some very dynamic women which was quite refreshing, to meeting with another grantee in her office immediately after. I finally picked up the Mozambican visa and headed for the city of Blantyre which used to house the capital of Malawi during the colonial era. By the time I arrived in Blantyre after 6.00pm I was ready to collapse. The trip to Blantyre was however eventful for me. Just outside the city of Lilongwe in the Dedza district are these awe inspiring, very nicely arranged and cultured range of mountains as if a gardener has the task of keeping them prim and proper with clusters of huts beneath their base. As usual, traveling along country roads you do not miss the quest of man to be seen and heard. I saw the ingenuity of (wo) man with product adverts carved into the hill sides and huge boulders, as well as all kind of billboards. Some interesting ones that caught my attention include “herbalist of the century” and “Beerman cave” you can imagine what happens in those two places with its resultant effect on women.
I also saw some of the effects of colonialism when in the town of Nhyehox, my self- imposed tour guide points out to me that the right side of the road is Mozambican while the left side belongs to the people of Malawi. But wait a minute, if you want to fly from Malawi to Mozambique, you will have to fly for two hours first to Johannesburg before connecting to a flight to Mozambique which is likely to take about one hour and ten minutes, that is Africa for you.
The city of Blantyre appears more densely populated and bursting with activity than Lilongwe. After a radio interview and a convening with women’s groups the next day, I go to visit one grantee and I noticed that the elevators in Malawi appear to work better than those in Accra, perhaps they do not have the power problems Ghana perennially experiences. After, I endure the long drive back to Lilongwe (About 4 hours) that afternoon and for the first time after arriving in Malawi I appear to have some respite, your guess is very right this is about 7pm. I recheck into the hotel Cresta Cross Roads, collect my luggage from storage and decide to take a stroll around the vicinity of the hotel which is within a huge complex of other businesses (Malawi is a comparatively safe city). The next morning I get an anti climax when I visit a grantee in Lilongwe who has over under performed, I just could not keep myself in check, well God was good as usual, He helped me to control my disappointment and after a lengthy discussion in their office I request to see the shop AWDF is suppose to be supporting. The shop has been so abandoned, infact it has never been put to use, and after wasting time and fuel to go to the place they could not open the doors to the shop so mission unaccomplished, remember this is a live grant. After this anti climax I had to rush to the airport enroute to my next destination.
The next time you read from me I am probably going to have another identity, till then hold the fort tightly.
With all the warmth I can gather in Malawi,
Beatrice
For the next few weeks you will be reading from me from Southern Africa. I give you a peep into my diary for the week ending October 31st, 2008. I write from the city of Lilongwe (Are you wondering where the hell that city is?) Wonder no more, it is the capital of Malawi in Southern Africa. A city that appears to be lightly populated with virtually no traffic, if you compare it to the city of Accra not to mention the city of Lagos, you are virtually in heaven. I arrived in the afternoon of the 27th of October, after about 6.5 hours flight to the city of Jo’burg and a wait of about 4 hours in transit. I could not help but soak in my first impression of Malawi, a dry and low densely populated land (At least from my impression on the long stretch of the highway leading from the airport to the city centre). I was also caught off guard with the left hand drive system in the country. I can never get over the fact that some countries drive on the left, I always get the impression that the vehicle in which I am riding will be involved in a headon collision with oncoming cars. And how do they manage to change gears with their left hand especially for right handed people? Anyway it all has to do with diversities of culture and systems.
I go straight into a meeting with one of the partners after I have managed a quick shower and eventually get to enjoy my hotel room at about 7.00pm dead tired, not before I have had a brush with a young Indian guy with an attitude, whose vehicle I was hiring for the next day’s trip to another city, Blantyre. It was one of the times I regret not taking lessons from Bisi on how to do the “dance”. Questioning me as if I was highly out of his league of customers or that I had the trait of somebody who was going to escape without settling the bill. It was only after I had retorted sharply to him that I was paying in cash that he changed his attitude. Malawi has a large Indian population and they appear to dominate the business landscape in Lilongwe. I had earlier tried to fly to Blantyre only to be told by Air Malawi that they had unilaterally decided that there was not going to be a flight to Blantyre the next day. I guess they are not really different from our very own dear erratic Ghana Airways or Virgin Nigeria; it must be a kind of virus on the continent.
Malawi really stands up to its slogan “Warm heart of Africa” the place is warm in all senses of the word. The weather is actually hot and the people friendly. The city of Lilongwe is very well set out into sectors with clearly demarcated areas and well numbered and named streets, there is no way a visitor will miss her way around the city (Remember it is a comparatively new city built after independence).
The next day is another marathon for me rushing to the Mozambican embassy to put in an application for an urgent visa (There is no Mozambican consulate in Ghana) through to attending a convening with some very dynamic women which was quite refreshing, to meeting with another grantee in her office immediately after. I finally picked up the Mozambican visa and headed for the city of Blantyre which used to house the capital of Malawi during the colonial era. By the time I arrived in Blantyre after 6.00pm I was ready to collapse. The trip to Blantyre was however eventful for me. Just outside the city of Lilongwe in the Dedza district are these awe inspiring, very nicely arranged and cultured range of mountains as if a gardener has the task of keeping them prim and proper with clusters of huts beneath their base. As usual, traveling along country roads you do not miss the quest of man to be seen and heard. I saw the ingenuity of (wo) man with product adverts carved into the hill sides and huge boulders, as well as all kind of billboards. Some interesting ones that caught my attention include “herbalist of the century” and “Beerman cave” you can imagine what happens in those two places with its resultant effect on women.
I also saw some of the effects of colonialism when in the town of Nhyehox, my self- imposed tour guide points out to me that the right side of the road is Mozambican while the left side belongs to the people of Malawi. But wait a minute, if you want to fly from Malawi to Mozambique, you will have to fly for two hours first to Johannesburg before connecting to a flight to Mozambique which is likely to take about one hour and ten minutes, that is Africa for you.
The city of Blantyre appears more densely populated and bursting with activity than Lilongwe. After a radio interview and a convening with women’s groups the next day, I go to visit one grantee and I noticed that the elevators in Malawi appear to work better than those in Accra, perhaps they do not have the power problems Ghana perennially experiences. After, I endure the long drive back to Lilongwe (About 4 hours) that afternoon and for the first time after arriving in Malawi I appear to have some respite, your guess is very right this is about 7pm. I recheck into the hotel Cresta Cross Roads, collect my luggage from storage and decide to take a stroll around the vicinity of the hotel which is within a huge complex of other businesses (Malawi is a comparatively safe city). The next morning I get an anti climax when I visit a grantee in Lilongwe who has over under performed, I just could not keep myself in check, well God was good as usual, He helped me to control my disappointment and after a lengthy discussion in their office I request to see the shop AWDF is suppose to be supporting. The shop has been so abandoned, infact it has never been put to use, and after wasting time and fuel to go to the place they could not open the doors to the shop so mission unaccomplished, remember this is a live grant. After this anti climax I had to rush to the airport enroute to my next destination.
The next time you read from me I am probably going to have another identity, till then hold the fort tightly.
With all the warmth I can gather in Malawi,
Beatrice
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