Wednesday, March 11, 2009

Empowering Women in dire need


Humanity Unites Brilliance (HUB) Global Marketplace is dedicated to cultural awareness, preservation, and global outreach through the selling of fair-trade products. We believe that each and every one of us has the opportunity to make a positive impact in the world and through recognizing the power of our purchases we are helping to eradicate global poverty and create a more just and sustainable planet. The purchasing of products on this site impacts the lives of farmers, small cooperative groups, and recipients of HUB sponsored microloans.


The sales of the DO Ubuntu Orphan Bracelet over the last few months went directly to help women in South Africa living with HIV/AIDS, and orphanages throughout Africa who would otherwise have little or no funding. Just recently we received an email from HUB member Louise Hogarth, the founder of the DO Ubuntu project, who is now visiting her craft groups in South Africa. She was so excited to report that this project now supports around 80 women in the Eastern Cape with each woman supporting between 5-7 children. Due to the continual support of HUB, Louise will be making direct donations to orphanages in the Durban region this month, and creating jobs for women in an area where there is 90% unemployment.

Here is an eyewitness account of the inhumane conditions millions of women and children live in everyday and how we can help them move from poverty to self sustainment and abundance.
“Walking into her home I feel as though I am entering a dark cave, a cave harboring emotions of fear, grief, and longing for a better life. The only light comes from the cracks in the mud walls, and I can barely make out her face in the darkness; but I can feel her sadness. Angela is 55 years old and a mother of 6. She is HIV positive along with her mother, daughter, and grandson. Her face is like stone having no expression, but her eyes tell us all. Her eyes speak of the suffering she has endured throughout her life; her eyes speak of the murder of her 15-year-old daughter, and the pain of raising her children in the slums of Korogocho. She tells us that she is unable to sleep because worry fills her mind, and her inability to care for her children haunts her at night. Her HIV medication is no longer working because she has no food and her body cannot absorb the medicine. This was the Angela I met on my first trip to Kenya; on return only 6 weeks later I met someone new. I could hardly recognize her, her face was no longer stone it had softened and now wore the most beautiful smile. Within those six weeks Angela had now become a part of a HUB sponsored microloan group called the Self Empowered Women of Korogocho. This group sponsors 10 women, providing them financial literary, product development training, a means of creating an income, and in January HUB impact partner Feed The Children started providing food for all the women and their children. Angela and I begin to talk and she tells me that she dances for God each day now, and has a reason to wake up each morning. No longer does she contemplate suicide for she now has confidence in her ability, and no longer fears death for she knows her children will be taken care of. Know that Angela smiles now because she feels part of something greater, and because you said yes to being a part of something greater; remember this story when you ever doubt that you can change this world.”


Please support Angela and the women of Korogocho through the purchase of a Korogocho beaded bracelet. Wear a bracelet and know that you are changing the lives of these women, bringing back dignity, and creating a voice for these courageous spirits.

Zachery Robert Davis


Humanity Unites Brilliance



1 comment:

Anonymous said...

OLA. FICO FELIZ POR VOCE EXISTI. CAUSAS NOBRES...PESSOAS NOBRES...FAZER A DIFERENÇA É UM BEM MAIOR, PRINCIPALMENTE QUANDO COMEÇAMOS POR NOS MESMOS. PARABENS E SEJA BEM VINDO...