The goal of Project Independence is to raise awareness about the plight of women in war, and to raise funds to help women rebuild their lives in Bosnia, Rwanda and Afghanistan. While each local Soroptimist club will be the expert in how to reach the goals of Project Independence in their communities, some ideas are listed below. For any fundraising event, participants should be informed about Project Independence, Soroptimist International and Women for Women International.

Throughout the four-year project, successful events and new fundraising ideas will be highlighted on the Project Independence web site.

Project Independence Dinners · Project Independence Book Club/Movie Night

Local Business Challenge Donation · Gift Cards and Holiday Appeals · Other Ideas

The Project Independence Dinners

Even in the best circumstances, women have the major responsibility in caring for the home and children and for feeding the family. In wartime, women and female children suffer from food scarcity and food distribution policies that favor men. Foods like meat, salt, butter, and sugar are often rationed. Women in war-torn societies are forced to become extremely resourceful when preparing foods to meet the nutritional needs of their families. Below are three recipes that women in Women for Women International's programs prepare during times of hardship:

In war-torn Bosnia, women have resorted to making this recipe for Meatless Meatballs due to the scarcity and expense of meat.

-6 tablespoons yeast
-6 tablespoons breadcrumbs
-Salt

First, mix the yeast and breadcrumbs then add water to pack together. Form balls with spoon then fry in oil.

The women of Nigeria rely on a cereal called Tom Brown to meet the nutritional needs of their families when more traditional foods are scarce. The recipe contains a lot of protein and is good for children older than six months, and adults.

-4 cups dried corn
-2 cups soybeans
-1 cup fried groundnuts

Fry or roast the above ingredients until brown, without oil, separately.
Mix and grind ingredients. Store in a container with a tight lid. Add the groundnuts and grind the mixture into a fine powder. Add three tablespoons of Tom Brown mixture to a pot of water. Add a pinch of salt and stir until it is as thick as desired. Add sugar, honey, or milk if available.

The women of Rwanda typically prepare this recipe for Porridge to feed children during times of food scarcity. This recipe makes enough to feed one child for one day.

-125 grams of Sosoma (sorghum, Soya, and maize flour mixed in equal proportions)
-4 cups of boiling water equivalent to 2 liters
-1 cup or ¼ liter of cold water
-12 teaspoons of sugar or a small amount of salt

Mix Sosoma with 1 cup of cold water. Add this mixture to the boiling water and stir gently for 5 to 10 minutes. Allow it to cool for several minutes and then add sugar or salt if it is available.

These recipes provide the starting blocks for a Project Independence dinner to raise awareness about the resourcefulness of women during wartime and to raise funds for Project Independence. A dinner allows Soroptimists and their guests to honor women in post-conflict situations by participating in one of the most common rituals-coming together for a meal. Participants can experience a small bit of the lives of women in Afghanistan, Rwanda and Bosnia.

Consider planning a meal combining recipes from women in post-conflict with local favorites. Or, instead of local favorites, also consider preparing traditional dishes from Rwanda, Bosnia or Afghanistan. More recipes are available on the web site.

Local clubs can use the idea of combining a simple meal with local favorites for a variety of events: a large luncheon or dinner in a community center or school lunchroom; an intimate dinner in an individual's home; or a progressive dinner where several individuals host a dinner, traveling to each person's home for a different course of the dinner. For a larger event, tickets can be sold, while a small event could be by invitation.

Large Luncheon or Dinner

Clubs can take advantage of local resources in planning a large luncheon or dinner. For a larger scale event (30 to 50 people), there are several options for generating an invitation list for the event. If resources are available and local interest is high, tickets can be sold to the general public; if not, each member can be asked to secure attendance from two to four people who are not club members. The tickets can cover the expenses of the dinner and a pre-determined amount to donate to Project Independence. In order to raise awareness, information should be presented on the effect of war on women. Consider inviting a speaker to discuss the effects of women in war to help educate the audience. Check local NGOs or universities to find a knowledgeable speaker. Also consider inviting a local woman who survived a war or conflict to lend a more personal story. In addition, present a short program on Project Independence and how it helps women survivors of war.

Other Dinner Ideas:

Intimate Dinner/Brunch: If individual club members are interested in hosting a more personal event in their own neighborhood, an intimate dinner/brunch may be more appropriate; this allows for a smaller event where guests have a better opportunity to mingle, while still benefiting the program. A more intimate dinner (10-12 people) can be held in one club member's home to also help raise awareness and funds for Project Independence. The basic preparation for the dinner should remain the same-it should include simple food based on recipes from the country, and there should be a short presentation on Project Independence. If possible, have someone involved in international women's issues-perhaps a local NGO leader-attend the event to help increase attendance and interest. Attendees should be asked to make a more substantial donation to attend a smaller dinner than the large dinner or luncheon. A brunch is another variation that may be more casual but allow for guests to mingle more with each other during the event.

Progressive Dinner: To involve more club members, a progressive dinner can be held, where several club members host the dinner: hors d'oeuvres and cocktails are served at one home; dinner at a second; and dessert at a third. Guests travel to each home for each course. Each home could serve food from a different country - Rwanda, Bosnia, or Afghanistan - or have a different theme. As with the intimate dinner, if possible ask a local expert on women's issues or a survivor to attend, and each guest should be asked to make a donation to Project Independence.

Click here for recipe ideas!

At the end of any event, have the club president or the member responsible for the event make an additional plea for donations. Explain how additional money donated will go to help more women rebuild their lives. Ask for immediate donations and also give attendees pre-addressed envelopes to send donations to the club.

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Project Independence Book Club/Movie Night

In order to improve the status of women throughout the world, it is critical to raise awareness about the plight of women in post-conflict situations. Local Soroptimist clubs can raise awareness and funds by forming a book club or hosting a movie night to focus on books and movies that examine women in war and post-conflict situations. Club-led discussions at the meeting or viewing can help educate the public about the situation of women in Afghanistan, Bosnia, and Rwanda.

For a book club, members should select a book on women and conflict that is readily available in the area, or ask a local bookstore to order copies. Recruit family, friends and co-workers to purchase the book and a ticket to attend a meeting to discuss the book and learn more about women and war. Consider inviting a local expert to lead the discussion. Once the book discussion has ended, present information about Project Independence and appeal to the audience for additional donations. If the event is a success, pick another book and plan another meeting while trying to expand the number of participants. Advertise the book group in local newspapers and by hanging flyers in local bookstores. Make it clear that the cost of the ticket will go to support Project Independence.

Using the same invitation list, hold a movie screening at a local library or community center. Sell tickets to the viewing. Also plan to hold a discussion following the movie and educate the audience about what Soroptimist and Women for Women International are doing to help women survivors of war.

Below is a list of suggested movies and videos. Many of the books are available in languages other than English. If these suggestions are not available, feel free to use works by or about local women in an appropriate language. Any book or movie that addresses women's rights throughout the world would be appropriate and help to raise awareness.

Books

Benard, Cheryl. Veiled Courage: Inside the Afghan Women's Resistance. A book about the Afghan women associated with Revolutionary Association of the Women of Afghanistan, which discusses women's attempts to oppose the fundamentalism of the Taliban.

Des Forges, Alison. Leave None to Tell the Story: Genocide in Rwanda. A comprehensive history of the conflict in Rwanda.

Gourevitch, Philip. We Wish to Inform You That Tomorrow We Will be Killed With Our Families - Stories from Rwanda. Gourevitch is a staff writer for the New Yorker and writes about his encounters with many different Rwandese to try and learn more about the causes and effects of the 1994 genocide.

Halsey Carr, Rosamond. Land of a Thousand Hills: My Life in Rwanda. A memoir spanning 50 years of a woman who lived in Rwanda, before and after the genocide.

Hanner, Eloise. Letters from Afghanistan. Letters from a Peace Corps member in Afghanistan to her mother in the United States.

Hemon, Aleksander. Nowhere Man. A coming-of-age novel set against the backdrop of the Yugoslavian conflict.

Kaplan, Robert D. Balkan Ghosts: A Journey Through History. A political travelogue about the history of the Balkans, written in a narrative form.

Movies

"Calling the Ghosts." Distributed by "Women Make Movies" at (212) 925-0606, or at www.wmm.com. A first-person account of two women who survived a concentration camp during the war in Bosnia.

"Forsaken Cries." Available from Amnesty USA, www.amnestyusa.org. A documentary examining the genocide in Rwanda as a case study of the human rights challenges of the 21st century.

"Welcome to Sarajevo." Directed by Micahel Winterbottom. Based on the experience of a British journalist in Sarajevo during the war.

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Local Business Challenge Donation

Challenge local businesses to support Project Independence in two ways. First, enlist local businesses to match club donations. In other words, the business agrees to make a donation to Project Independence if the club raises the same amount through individual donations or by hosting an event. This allows the club to double the amount of funds it raises. Second, ask businesses to donate a percentage of their profits for a day to Project Independence. This is most successful if a number of businesses can be persuaded to participate the same day.

Target local businesses that cater to women or ones that have been sympathetic to club fundraising efforts in the past. Start with any businesses owned by club members. Encourage businesses to participate by offering them free positive publicity. Take out advertisements in newspapers, hand out flyers and design a poster to put in the window of the business that designates them a woman-friendly business. Schedule interviews on local TV and radio stations to discuss the ways that Soroptimist and local businesses are helping women survivors of war rebuild their lives.

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Gift Cards and Holiday Appeals

Soroptimist clubs can use their local networks and contacts to "sell" gifts to Project Independence during holiday seasons. Soroptimists and their friends, family, and other contacts can make a donation to Project Independence as a gift to someone. Design a card that has information about the program and your club. The message in the card should read: "A donation was made in your name to help women survivors of war through Project Independence: Women Survivors of War, a joint project of Soroptimist International and Women for Women International." The club will be responsible for sending the card to the gift recipient. This appeal would be most effective during the holiday season and around significant dates for women such as International Women's Day and Mother's Day. What better way to honor a woman than by helping other, less fortunate women? Click Here to See Sample Cards

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Other Fundraising Ideas

Project Independence Educational Lunches

Local Soroptimist clubs can also raise awareness about Project Independence and women in post-conflict situations by hosting educational lunches at their offices or businesses. The lunch discussion can focus on the effects of conflict, how post-conflict situations affect women, and how Project Independence is working to improve the lives of women in Afghanistan, Bosnia, and Rwanda. A video discussing women in post-conflict could also be screened. (As Project Independence progresses, a project-focused video will be provided with specific information on how the program has improved the lives of women.) Attendees can be encouraged through materials and follow-up to make a contribution to Project Independence.

Project Independence Lunch Series

Local Soroptimist clubs can expand on the idea of a lunch by hosting an educational lunch series-lunch events where individuals are asked to pay a fee to hear a local expert discuss a variety of women's issues. Instead of being held at a business, these can be held in a library or community center. Local experts-such as a university professor or local nonprofit executive-can provide information on a variety of topics. Topics can focus on the specific conflicts in Afghanistan, Bosnia, and Rwanda, or can be more general, such as "Rape as a Tool of War," or "Sex Trafficking."

Project Independence Concerts/Poetry Readings

Soroptimist clubs can also tap into their local networks and arrange a concert, poetry reading, or other event to benefit Project Independence. Although any artist can perform at a benefit, a unique performance could include one in which the music or poetry was written specifically by or about women. Artists should be encouraged to donate their time or talents so proceeds from ticket sales can go directly to Project Independence.

A Long Road to Independence Walk/Run

Women in post-conflict areas travel a long road from being a victim to a survivor to an active citizen participating in her society. Project Independence provides the tools and resources women need in Afghanistan, Bosnia, and Rwanda to make that journey.

Local Soroptimist clubs can represent this journey by organizing a planned run/walk for club members. Each member can recruit "sponsors" that will donate funds for each mile/kilometer the member runs/walks. Popular distances include three miles, five kilometers, five miles, and ten kilometers. To increase awareness, local clubs can reach out to local newspapers, radio stations, or other businesses to sponsor the event and provide a large initial donation. Another option is to recruit a local school to host the event; with kids getting sponsors for a shorter distance-perhaps .5 miles-that will also raise community awareness and bring in individuals from outside the Soroptimist club.

E-mail List

A relatively simple awareness and fundraising project for a local Soroptimist club would be to develop an e-mail list to send an informational e-mail regarding Project Independence. The e-mail should describe the project, the goals, and how individuals can get involved. The e-mail can be used as a tool to recruit interested individuals for another project (such as a book club or movie night). Consider an e-mail to women asking them to forgo a luxury purchase-a lipstick, handbag, massage-and donate to Project Independence instead. Challenge each member to come up with a list of 20 women. Click here for a sample e-mail.

Website Links

Another way to raise awareness regarding Project Independence is to provide a link from individual websites to the Project Independence website. If individual Soroptimist clubs or members have a website, they should be encouraged to provide a link to the Project Independence site. Another option would be to ask their employers if they can provide a link on their website to the Project Independence site. In this case, the Soroptimist member will need to make a brief presentation about the project. Click here for a sample letter requesting a web site link.

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