women for women benefit: crisis in the congo

I'm going to take a minute to stop talking about my time at the Salone del Gusto to write about a charity benefit I attended yesterday. I am happy to support various causes, but rarely make it to the parties associated with them. However I made the effort yesterday since I was invited to support Women for Women by good friends Vicki and Joie, who run the extremely useful website In Rome Now. I knew if they were behind it, I was going to support it.

Vicki gave a wonderful and moving speech about what Women for Women does. To summarize, from their website: Women for Women International believes that when women are well, sustain an income, are decision-makers, and have strong social networks and safety-nets, they are in a much stronger position to advocate for their rights. This philosophy and our commitment to local leadership builds change and capacity at the grassroots level.

Makes sense to me.

Women for Women are currently focussing their efforts in the DR Congo, where women are being used as weapons in the tragic war that is going on there. Millions of women and children are the victims of torture, mutilation and sexual violence. By supporting Women for Women, you can help them regain some semblance of the kind of life you and I take for granted. You can donate here.

After Vicki spoke, she invited two Congolese women to speak to us. Instead, they sang three songs , in their native language. They are Catholic and explained that the words to all of their songs were expressing the same basic message: they are asking God to help them, since no one else can or will.