April 2010 Newsletter

Network for Africa has already had a busy and productive new year working with inspirational men, women and children in Rwanda, Chad and northern Uganda who are rebuilding their lives in the wake of conflict and genocide. Here is a round up of our news:

Aspire, Rwanda. So far Aspire has helped 350 vulnerable women become literate, acquire a commercially useful skills, and learn how to manage money. An enlightened and classy clothing company in North Carolina (www.Doncaster.com) has bought $20,000 / £14,000 worth of the recycled paper beads made by the Aspire women. This means the women can feed and educate their children, breaking the cycle of poverty that blights Africa.

Aspire also gives training in literacy, nutrition, hygiene, AIDS mitigation, and women's rights. We have just had a generous donation enabling Aspire to buy enough chairs, tables and tents so the women can study in all weather. Our aim is to formalise Aspire's training, so we can take on another 50 women each year.

Also in Rwanda our English Learning Centre teaches 110 mature genocide widows and orphans each year. Recently a new cell phone firm opened and employed 12 of our graduates. Many of the rest go on to university, something they thought impossible after the genocide. The orphans support younger dependents, so getting a good job means they can feed and educate the next generation. We also teach IT and life skills such as how to write a resume and sit a job interview.

In Patongo, northern Uganda we are helping survivors of the vicious Lord's Resistance Army who have killed and maimed locals for twenty two years. A survey found 89% of civilians were either wounded or abducted during the war and those affected are only just beginning to leave the displacement camps and return to their original homes.

Our volunteer counsellors have completed their third visit, training our team of local lay counsellors. Our aim is to give the lay counsellors bikes so they can reach people who have lived in isolation for decades because it has been too dangerous to travel.

The staff at Liberty Wine in London have raised the money to buy two oxen for a women's farming group that we support. These vulnerable women also rent the oxen out to others to generate more income. We hope to expand this initiative, so if you've always wanted to buy an ox, now is the moment. Please contact Sophie.

Network For Africa has been using the same psychotherapy training model in the Darfuri refugee camps across the Sudanese border in Chad. In the first trip in March 2009 we focused on helping survivors understand trauma, and how it impacts on people’s lives, mentally and physically. It is often thought that having a headache or stomach ache is caused by an illness rather than a symptom of stress. Darfuri women have told us how concerned they are about the impact of the violence on their children, so during their most recent visit our team of volunteer therapists focused on training teachers and teacher-parent association members in Gaga refugee camp to identify trauma, and to intervene effectively. The teachers are extremely enthusiastic we should return to the camps again.  We are now fundraising for our third trip.

Thank you for your support. If you feel able to help us please donate. Thanks for visiting our new and improved website www.network4africa.org

Best wishes, Rebecca Tinsley