Human Rights Day 2011: Faces of Action Kivu

This year, for Human Rights Day, we're celebrating the great work Amani Matabaro and his Action Kivu/ABFEK team does for the communities of Bukavu and Mumosho. We honor the awareness he is raising and the daily actions made for expanding women's rights through the sewing collectives and the Peace Market, amd his fight for education for the most vulnerable children. 

After a week of contested elections in the Congo, here's a look at the people affected by the play of politics, the women and children Action Kivu works with, living daily in hope for peace and freedom.

Take action this Human Rights Day.  Visit Amnesty International to find out how to use the power of the pen (or computer) to Write for Rights. For a soundtrack to spreading the word about human rights, stream Amnesty International's Bob Dylan tribute album on Facebook. And make a donation to Action Kivu! Every dollar makes a difference in the lives of the women and children you see here.

Robin Wright Helps Kick Cholera in the Congo

After months of trying to raise the money for a latrine for the Peace Market in Mumosho, writing "poop" in more emails than I ever imagined necessary, I got a call from JD Stier at The Enough Project, informing me that a lovely and amazing woman would fund the full amount needed to build the latrine.  Robin Wright donated the funds to save lives now, knowing it will be the first step toward building the biogas latrine to provide sustainable energy to the women at the market.  Wright met Amani when she visited eastern Congo with The Enough Project this year.  "Mama Robin" as Amani had written about her after her visit, is making a huge impact on the lives and well-being for so many in eastern Congo, and we can't thank her enough.

(Robin Wright, photo courtesy of The Enough Project)

It was like I'd drunk three cups of coffee, I was so excited. I tried to dial Amani immediately to share the news, but didn't get through (thankfully, since eastern Congo is nine hours ahead of us, and I would have awoke his entire family).  His e-mailed response was filled with great gratitude and relief. He has been so worried about the risk of a cholera outbreak from open defecation, a horrifying threat to the lives of children, where 1 in 4 children who die before their fifth birthday in Eastern Congo die of something entirely preventable – cholera and acute diarrhea. With the rainy season upon them, the women started using the market as a safe, dry place to buy and sell their goods, despite the lack of latrines.

We're wiring the money, Amani will hire the construction crew, and the latrine will be in working order in just two weeks.  The biogas component that will green the latrines and provide a renewable energy source for the women at the market is in the works. Amani is scheduling a site visit with an expert from Rwanda who will oversee that project, and when we get the details and budget from the visit, I will write grants to foundations for the full funding for the construction and upkeep of the biogas latrine.

We are thrilled with all the good things that are happening because of your support and thankful to generous donors like Robin, who see and meet the critical needs in the Congo.  We're excited to visit the DRC in December to see the market and the new latrine.  We'll take plenty of photos and report back here soon!

Read more about the Peace Market here, and if you can stomach it, watch an oddly entertaining and very informative short documentary about the world's toilet crisis here.

World Toilet Day: Peace Market Latrines Under Construction!

The Peace Market latrine, prior to construction.

What?  You didn't know that November 19th is World Toilet Day?  I didn't either, until I read Amnesty International's post about "giving a crap for human rights," and immediately thought of Robin Wright and Amani Matabaro.  Neither one who approved my using his/her name in conjunction with "crap," but both have given time and money toward making sure the women, men and children who use the Peace Market have a safe and sanitary place to ... well, poop.It's an unsavory subject, but one that is critical to health and human rights.  I never thought I'd be so passionate about the toilet, but lately I can't forget the fact that 2.6 billion people don't have access to basic sanitation.  Next time you flush, consider that open defecation leads to outbreaks of cholera, which is a horrifying threat to the lives of children, especially in eastern Congo, where 1 in 4 children who die before their fifth birthday lose their lives to something entirely preventable – cholera and acute diarrhea.

Immediately after Robin Wright heard of the need and generously donated the money, the latrine started started construction at the peace market!  Amani, who met Robin during her visit to eastern Congo with the Enough Project, sent us the photos of the construction and another thank you to Robin, saying "that she has saved lives with the donation!!!" 

Asked about the importance of these latrines, the leadership of the Market committee happily replied:''These latrines are so important that they are going to prevent people from getting very dangerous diseases such as cholera. And we will be selling our goods, especially food, with no fear of contamination of any disease -- these latrines are going to save lives! They will prevent us from getting problems with people living nearby the Market since they were already complaining about merchants. A crowd of upwards of 300 people gather at this market every day.''And Amani's thoughts about the importance of these latrines:''A market is a place with large populations and when it has no latrines, it simply becomes a public danger. Building these latrines ... is a great sustainable solution to the health threat which was already there since community members started using the Market with no latrines.  Many community members come to buy food, buyers and sellers both had no rest rooms and they were coming to use the Health Centre rest rooms, and the danger here is there are many communicable diseases in the area.  Patients admitted to the Health Centre sharing latrines with sellers and buyers puts everyone at risk--these latrines will minimize and stop once and for all the risk of communicable disease contamination among sellers, buyers, patients, children at school and those who come to attend the church nearby since all these facilities are very close.''Cate and I are excited to visit the Peace Market in person later this month to see the completed project, and share more stories with you.In the meantime, you can support human rights on World Toilet Day by supporting the Water for the World Act.  Take ACTION and sign Amnesty International's petition today!

Everyone Poops: Take Action to Kick Cholera & Solve the World's Toilet Crisis

The john, the loo, the WC, the great white throne — for as many loving nicknames with which we've labeled the toilet, we likely take ours for granted.  Yet, in this day and age of technology and TOTO toilets with heated seats, built-in bidets and push-button sounds to drown out the noise of nature, more than 2.6 billion people, approximately 40% of the world's population, don't have access to the most basic toilet. 

This isn't just a problem for tourist boards trying to turn travelers' gaze from locals pooping in ponds, streams and rivers, this is life and death.  "As a result (of open defecation), more than 2 million people — including 1.5 million children — die from complications of chronic diarrhea." (World's Toilet Crisis, Vanguard)

It isn't a sexy subject or one for the dinner table, but as the children's book teaches us, "Everyone Poops." But not everyone has access to or the education to understand the dire importance of a clean latrine.  That's why it's crucial that we raise funds to build a latrine in the DRC this month. 

This isn't just any latrine.  This would fill a gaping, 30 foot hole that was dug in eastern Congo, dug to build the Peace Market, a dream of Amani Mataboro's to provide a place of commerce and community near the border, where Congolese and Rwandans could come together and work alongside each other towards peace and  a stronger, healthier economy. 

The latrine will serve this area of 26 villages and up to 42,000 people. It also benefits villages from the Walungu territory, as well as some communities on the Rwandan side of the Ruzizi river. With $4,500 USD, the latrine can be up and running, and, if we raise $9,000, it can be built as an environmentally sustainable resource of renewable energy - methane biogas. 

"The market is the best site for a sanitary latrine, since it is a focal point for the local economy. Without action, it could become the breeding ground for a cholera epidemic, but now it will be a success case for demonstrating healthy practices," says Amani Mataboro, Executive Director of Action Kivu's partner, Action pour le Bien- être de la Femme et de l'Enfant au Kivu (ABFEK).

"There is an urgency to this action. Because of climate change, we are seeing signs of the rainy season starting sooner than ever before. If we do not act now, people will die, starting with children and the elderly. If we work together, we can prevent these deaths and build a healthier community."

1 in 4 children who die before their fifth birthday in Eastern Congo die of something entirely preventable: cholera and acute diarrhea.  Help us change that with a donation to a clean latrine and health education today.  Learn more here.

To learn more about the World's Toilet Crisis, watch the Vanguard video.  Absolutely disgusting at times (I made the mistake of watching right before breakfast), it's also informative and inspirational, as you watch communities take control of their health and well-being.

(Photos: Everyone Poops, Amazon.com, latrine being dug at the Peace Market, newly built Peace Market, Opening Day Celebration)

Back to School (and to the garden)

I remember the palpable current of a new year that ran through our house on the first day of school; my backpack at the ready with sharpened pencils, fresh notepads of lined paper, and a box of color crayons that hadn't been smashed or eaten by the odd kid two desks over. 

The kids in the Congo are heading back to school this week too, 100 of them because of YOUR support.  Via Amani's vision through ABFEK, not only will they study languages, letters and numbers, they're also learning agriculture, and the art of growing gorgeous food for better nutrition. 

Amani writes about two children in particular, Manu and Namegabe, who over the summer break used their hands to study gardening, digging in the dirt of the shared ABFEK farm, in order to pass along their experience to their schoolmates.  They're very interested in agriculture, and excited to teach other kids.
  The rainy season normally starts early in September, but this year has been special with rains off and on since mid-July. When it starts raining on a more regular basis, the garden will grow well. In the dry season people need to water the crops on a daily basis but as rainy season starts, there are no more water problems.

This shot of the shared garden shows cabbages, carrots and onions growing, where the women and children supported by ABFEK learn about agriculture. Most of the vegetables are native to Eastern Congo but not everywhere. In the Mumosho district, Amani writes, "people are not used to growing carrots, eggplant, peppers...we want to do it on a larger scale to fight malnutrition through the schools."  Amani plans to use this as a pilot program to expand the experience in other communities based on lessons learned. 

As the kids head back to school, we'll be sharing their stories of a new year.   What are your favorite stories of going back to school?

Action Kivu Quilting Fundraiser with Giveaways (pssst... Flea Market Fancy)

Alissa Haight-Carlton, the modern quilt guru who writes Handmade by Alissa, is hosting a 2nd Annual Fundraiser for the women and children of eastern Congo, via Action Kivu.  For each donation, there's a chance to receive a giveaway of fantastic fabric. 

Three words for you:  Flea. Market. Fancy.  Last year, those three little words that I'd never heard before, caused quite the frenzy.  There are so many beautiful fabrics donated for this important work, I'm almost tempted to learn to quilt.  Almost.  If you are a quilter or seamstress, or know someone who is, please visit Alissa's blog to help us reach our goal of $15,000.

Because we're all volunteers, every dollar you donate, apart from nominal banking fees, goes directly to the women and children of the Congo.  Through your help, they're rebuilding their lives after years of conflict, loss and rape, finding strength and hope for the future through education, learning a skill and a trade, and being in community with each other.

 Visit Alissa's blog now, and tell your friends! 

(Photo courtesy Abby Ross, for Falling Whistles.)

Isn't This Progress? A Thank You, Straight from Bukavu

From Nabirugu*, one of the women in the sewing collective that is supported by your donations.

"My name is Nabirugu*. I am 21 years old. I have no father. I joined the ABFEK centre 10 months ago and today I am ready to go and start my own sewing workshop based on the skills I have [learned]. Today I am able to measure, cut fabrics and join them. I can now make dresses, skirts, a pair of shorts, pants, and blouses. Isn’t this progress? I learned to use sewing equipments in this centre, before that time I had never used a pair of scissors to cut fabrics or a tape measure. I am very proud of my training in this centre. Now I have hope and confidence. I hope for success in my life. If I succeed to get my own sewing machine, I can start a small business such as making school pupils uniforms,make [outfits] from fabrics when there is a wedding ceremony, make my own clothes without paying as I was doing before. We need to start learning embroidery and then people will not be taking their fabrics to Bukavu if they need embroidery. I am very happy and I thank everyone who has donated his money to provide us with the sewing equipment we are using in this centre."

(*Names are changed to protect the identity of women in the workshops.)

Pass the buck. Action Kivu on Philanthroper.com - log on to donate a dollar!

Do you philanthrop?  (Philanthropize?  I'm always attempting to coin new verbs.)  Philanthroper.com is sort of like those daily deal sites, but instead, they give you the option to do good, one dollar a day, if you choose.  And today, Friday, July 22nd, they're featuring Action Kivu!

"Passing the buck" is generally not a flattering phrase, so we're re-defining it, and asking you to pass along a buck to the women and children of eastern Congo. $1.  100 pennies.  You've got that to give, right?  Log in at Philanthroper.com, give a buck and tell your friends.  (If you missed our day and, naturally, you want to philanthropize for Action Kivu, you can always donate here.  In fact, you can make it a recurring donation  — 4$ / month, the cost of a latte, will send one child to school.)

Since we're volunteers here in the U.S., every bit of your donation goes to the work on the ground in the Congo. (PayPal takes a tiny percentage, as does the bank fee for wiring funds.) Here's a glimpse at where your money goes: to teach women who are victims of the ongoing conflict and violence how to sew, and embroider! Last year, with your generous donations, Amani bought an embroidery machine for the students at the Bukavu sewing collective. And just this week, Amani informed us that with the partnership and grant from the Rotary club, ABFEK bought another embroidery machine for the Mumosho sewing center. Amani's wife Amini is training the advanced students in this art; as the demand for embroidered fabric and clothing is higher, the women will be able to earn more money with this skill.

So go on.  Log on to Philanthroper.com (if it's Friday, July 22nd, 2011) or anytime at Action Kivu, and pass the buck.  This time it's good for your soul.

Photos from the Bukavu Center

Peace Market Prayers: Time for Hope

"I cannot wait to see this market construction complete. I have been selling clothes for about 4 years here. Every time when it rains, we have no place for shelter. During the dry season, the sun causes a serious problem. When it rains my goods are wet and nobody buys. My friend lost a basin of palm oil because of rain 3 months ago. She no longer comes here because that was the only money she had. I am very excited about this market. We have a place to shelter. Now I believe there’s time for suffering and time for Hope. We thank ABFEK and their supporters. We’ll be selling calmly [in peace]."

The words of just one of the many women whose lives will change because of the creation of the Mumosho Peace Market.

The women (and a few men) of the Mumosho Peace Market at the opening ceremony.

Opening ceremony - Mumosho Peace Market, July 2011

Tangible Dreams: Mumosho Peace Market is Open for Business!

The first thing we discovered when we met Amani was that he's a man of many dreams with one overarching vision, to give hope and a future to the women and children of his community in eastern Congo.  Then, he told us of a place that he envisioned as a "Peace Market," a safe, communal space along the border, where the Congolese and Rwandans could come together and work alongside each other towards peace and  a stronger, healthier economy.

Through ABFEK's partnership with Empower Congo Women, Falling Whistles, and a generous donation from the Rotary Club of Montecito*, Amani's dream of a Peace Market in Mumosho has become a reality. Last weekend, he witnessed his vision become literally solidified, as the community that supports the project traced their names into wet concrete, to mark the spot and space where hope can grow. 

We're so excited to witness the changes that are growing out of Amani's visions.  From the following email and the abundance of exclamation marks, he's pretty excited as well:

"The Market project is gradually being completed!!! We opened it last Saturday but we still need to do latrines and stalls inside. So many people came to attend!!! Children are also very happy,they told us a market was a real need in the community. After the opening ceremony,we asked people and the organizations who donated and who want to donate to sign in the concrete, and the reason why you'll see AK (Action Kivu) on the banners and in the concrete is because you have been supporting ABFEK and they implemented the project!!!! This project is so important that it will help the women in our sewing centres to sell the fabrics they make. The plans are: while school children are on vacation, the women in the sewing centres have to make school uniforms for the kids and will sell some in this market!!!"

To all of you who support Amani, the women and children in eastern Congo via Action Kivu in spirit and generous funds, thank you.  YOU ARE making a difference.

Peace Market under construction - supervised by Mark of the Montecito Rotary Club, an engineer who oversaw the project.

(*Read more about the Peace Market and the other generous Rotary Club donors including Santa Maria Rotary, D.5240, Korea D.3270, and Rotary Club of Wakefield RI, as well as private donors at Empower Congo Women.)