#13 Promoting Peace in Sierra Leone: Peter Bangura and the Trauma Healing Centre

SAWA is highlighting some of the 180 journalists or storytellers around the world that help locate and report on the local heroes in the 50 poorest countries. After surviving the bloody civil war in Sierra Leone, which lasted from 1991 to 2002 leaving 50,000 people dead, and escaping, on 5 separate occasions, from the clutches of rebel army groups recruiting child soldiers, twenty two year old Peter A. Bangura formed The Trauma Healing Centre for youth in 2003, a local NGO providing a sense of community and support for children and adolescents traumatized by war.

Through various community building and peace promoting projects (involving workshops, drama, singing, dancing, and sports), The Trauma Healing Centre advocates for the rights of the youths meanwhile instilling within them a set of values, attitudes and behaviors that promote peace, solidarity, tolerance, and respect for life. Youth are educated about HIV/AIDS to end the stigmatization of those living with the disease, trained in non-violent conflict resolution, and given the opportunity to engage in self-esteem developing workshops and activities (like recording an album of music promoting peace). At The Trauma Centre in Sierra Leone, youth are given the opportunity to heal and develop their own integrity to refuse the use of violence in all its forms and stand by the principles of democracy, freedom, justice and co-operation

Peter A. Bangura is currently working on a documentary about the eleven year civil war, which he witnessed first-hand. His courage, perseverance and hope are here to inspire and lead us into a future of peace. The Trauma Healing Centre needs your help in providing resources and fund raising strategies for their various projects. To help, or learn more, please e-mail Peter Bangura at: bangurapetera@yahoo.com

#12 Find Your Courage and Let It Live!

“Ummera, ummera-sha”
‘Courage, courage, my friend–find your courage and let it live.’

I was recently inspired by Doctor James Orbinski, who helped establish, and became president of the Canadian chapter of Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders/MSF), which was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1999. Orbinski was the head doctor of MSF in Rwanda at the height of the genocide where he treated thousands of casualties. The people on the frontlines of the world’s crises have a kind of courage the world should breathe more of; an intoxicating kind of courage that forces us to consider how we too might be brave enough to make a difference in our own way.

The following passage from his book An Imperfect Offering is very moving.

“Ummera, ummera–sha” is a Rwandan saying that loosely translated means ‘Courage, courage, my friend–find your courage and let it live.’ It was said to me by a patient at our hospital in Kigali. She was slightly older than middle aged and had been attacked with machetes, her entire body rationally and systematically mutilated … I could do little more for her at that moment than stop the bleeding with a few sutures. We were completely overwhelmed. She knew and I knew that there were so many others. She said to me in the clearest voice I have ever heard,— “Allez, allez. Ummera, ummera-sha”–‘Go, go. Courage, courage, my friend–find your courage and let it live.’
—From An Imperfect Offering

What I found striking in this story is both his own courage to stay and help, when those who could were leaving, as well as the courage of the woman he was treating, who despite her own suffering offered him words of strength so that he could persevere. In times of strain and suffering we depend on each other for strength to go on. We depend on each other to reinforce our hope, our belief in the positive, and our belief in our own ability to make a difference. To believe that this world can be good, we must believe in the good of people.

We must find the courage to believe in ourselves, and each other – believe in our visions of hope for the future and our own and each others’ strength to instill it. Creating a vision of hope for the future can create positive energy – the kind that can invigorate as it spreads and grows. But to be positive about the future and have hope in this world takes strength; it takes courage. Ummera, ummera-sha. Courage, courage, my friend–find your courage and let it live.

Written By: Claudia Goodine

#11 Hope for AIDS Orphans in Rwanada

No one can dispute the seriousness of the global HIV/AIDS epidemic that affects over 40 million people worldwide. The seriousness and magnitude of the problem can be overwhelming. But today, SAWA Global wants to inspire you with the story of an organization in Rwanda (AMAHORO Association) that is making a positive impact on the lives of children orphaned by HIV/AIDS. In Rwanda, about 1 in seven people are living with HIV/AIDS, and in a country where the population is so young, (about half of the population is under 17), that means many living with HIV/AIDS are children or youth– most of whom have been orphaned by the legacy of the disease.

The AMAHORO Association was founded in April of 2000 by fourteen passionate and creative individuals who were orphaned by HIV/AIDS, determined to empower others orphaned by the disease through providing education, vocational training, proper health care, counseling and even food and shelter to the most vulnerable families. They used the Arts (music, dance, and poetry) to raise money and rally their community around their cause, to speak out against society's discrimination and stigmatization of those orphaned by AIDS, and to bring together children with HIV/AIDS facing similar problems. Today, the organization, with significant financial support from their partnering NGO CHABHA (Children Affected by HIV/AIDS), has been able to provide 2,000 children with health insurance, 600 children with primary education and school supplies, 120 children with secondary school education, and 200 children with vocational training.

SAWA is excited to share the story of this inspiring local project uncovered by one of our SAWA Storytellers, Ruhalla. With Ruhalla's helps SAWA hopes to soon share with you a short video clip on the beautiful people behind The AMAHORO Association, who are working hard to keep the future bright and promising for the children and youth of Rwanda.

To donate or learn more please visit their website: http://www.amahoro.nl/a1/_a/amahoro.asp

Founder of the Organization:

NDAYAMBAJE Eugène Emile

Written by : Claudia

#10 SAWA speaks at the Projecting Change: Vancouver Green Film Festival happening at The Ridge Theatre May 8-11th

SAWA is extremely excited to be participating in the upcoming Projecting Change: Vancouver Green Film Festival happening at The Ridge Theatre May 8-11^th.

The four day film festival will showcase at least 20 inspiring and provocative films on sustainable living and will bring together local community leaders, environmentalists, engaging speakers, and film lovers to discuss key issues highlighted by the films. The profits from this event will be invested back into local initiatives, SAWA Global gratefully being one of them.

Because of SAWA’s focus on showcasing sustainable solutions to global problems, including environmental issues, SAWA has been asked to be a speaker at the festival on Saturday May 10^th following the film Taking Root. This film tells the story of Kenyan Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Wangari Maathai, who became an inspiring leader of an environmental movement that began with the simple act of planting trees. Her vision of protecting the environment, her people’s human rights, and her country’s democracy became infectious and this film shows how this charismatic woman helped eventually bring down Kenya’s twenty-four year dictatorship.

Her story reveals what SAWA showcases every day – that small changes, small acts of defiant hope can have great impacts – that sometimes all it takes is a vision, and the will to install it. This will be an educational and engaging event promoting an awareness of environmental problems and sustainable solutions. See you all there!

#9 Doing the Future a Favour: The Rehabilitation of Arid Environments Trust in Kenya

SAWA Theme: Ending Environmental Degradation and Extreme Poverty

"We're looking at a situation where about 82 percent of the area of Kenya is semiarid, and very much of that area has become overgrazed and denuded. Now, using the techniques that we have developed here, a lot of that area can be rehabilitated and become useful again." – Murray Roberts, founder of Rehabilitation of Arid Environments Trust

In sub-Saharan Africa, and in Kenya in particular, land degradation and desertification due to overgrazing and overpopulation pressures, are having serious environmental and social consequences - as erosion, drought and diminishing resources exacerbate the problem of poverty. Today, about 30 million people are dependent on resources from Africa's Lake Victoria, a body of water large enough to share its waters with Tanzania, Uganda and Kenya, and yet, not large enough to sustainabley support so many people.

Much of the surrounding grasslands around the lake have become overgrazed, leading to severely eroded savannas and destroyed ecosystems. To the north of Lake Victoria lies Lake Baringo, another beautiful fresh water oasis amid the surrounding arid plains. But as the lake receives about 4 million cubic meters of silt every year it is predicted to turn into a swamp.

Murray Roberts, born and raised in Baringo, Kenya, has seen with his own eyes, the lake’s waters begin to disappear. In 1982, he formed the Rehabilitation of Arid Environments Trust with the goal of rehabilitating local grasslands and so far, by working closely with local pastoralist communities of Baringo, the RAE Trust and its programs have managed to reclaim almost 5,000 acres of once-devastated landscape! There are incredible before and after pictures on their website.

By using knowledge from practical research, development experience and local expertise, the RAE Trust has created a program that benefits both people and the environment of the Baringo lowlands. The RAE Trust not only works to restore the savanna, it also aims to alleviate poverty by providing sustainable income generating opportunities for local agriculturists.

By addressing the challenge of environmental degradation today, the RAE Trust are doing the future a favour.

To Learn More:

The Rehabilitation of Arid Environments Trust: http://michna.com/rae/

PBS article: http://www.pbs.org/journeytoplanetearth/hope/baringo.html

#8 UN World Urban Forum 2008 in Nanjing, China

SAWA Global, together with the Huairou Commission, have applied to participate in the upcoming UN World Urban Forum happening in March 2008 in Nanjing, China. Together, and in partnership with two other organizations, they have sent a proposal to do a training workshop on video production for organizations of the economically poorest countries. The goal of the workshop is to empower these organizations to be able to make and submit short effective videos promoting their projects. The ability to create effective short videos and submit them to media outlets like SAWA is an empowering way for organizations to raise awareness and gather resources to support their causes. SAWA is excited by the prospect of connecting with the many organizations that will be at the conference and being able to offer them the opportunity to promote their causes through SAWA.

The UN World Urban Forum - hosted by the UN every two years, bringing together NGOs from all over the world to discuss the environmental, social and economic impacts of rapid urbanization - is a wonderful opportunity for organizations to network, share ideas and solutions and work together to figure out how to make our cities environmentally, socially, politically, economically sustainable. This is an extremely important and valuable conference and SAWA Global is hoping to participate.

The 100 years from 1950 to 2050 will be remembered for the greatest
social, cultural, economic and environmental transformation in history
– the urbanization of humanity. With half of us now occupying urban
space, the future of the human species is tied to the city.
– Anna Tibaijuka, Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations, Executive Director
UN-HABITAT in remarks at the third session of the Forum in Vancouver, Canada, in 2006.

#7 SAWA partners with The Huairou Commission

SAWA Theme: Global Partnerships

SAWA is pleased to announce its new partnership with the NGO Huairou Commission – a global coalition of networks, institutions and individual professionals supporting and promoting the creative and grounded perspectives of grassroots women’s organizations involved in development. Grassroots women’s organizations have emerged as innovative leaders offering creative and tested solutions to many challenges facing their communities. They also play a vital role in promoting gender equality and women’s empowerment as a priority in development work

SAWA is excited to partner with the Commission and help support and empower the different grassroots organizations it is involved with by sharing their stories and spreading their ideas. Through this new partnership these grassroots organizations are given the opportunity to submit videos of their inspiring stories, strengthening their influence and impact on the global community.

The Huairou Commission provides a platform where grassroots women’s organizations share creative solutions to problems facing their communities; a goal SAWA Global is happy to support. Together, SAWA and the Commission will help improve the overall practice of development by sharing the stories of grassroots organizations using local solutions that work.


To Learn More: http://www.huairou.org/