2009: A Look Back on a Transformational Year

One Woman At a Time, We Are Bringing Hope to the Hearts of Women Survivors of War.

Women for Women International has been a beacon of hope for hundreds of thousands of women in war torn countries for the last 16 years. And 2009 was no different. Not only were we able to help thousands of women in the field, we were able to realize more than a few of our goals – including the launch of the first Women's Opportunity Center in Kosovo this last Fall and the introduction of CIFI in Rwanda- neither of which we could have done without your support!

A few of our other accomplishments, made possible because of supporters like you include:

Graduated over 25,500 women from our programs in all countries in 2009
Have trained over 880 women in organic farming and techniques in Sudan
Broke ground for the first ever Women's Opportunity center in Kosovo
Have distributed over $79 million in direct aid to women in our programs since 1993
Have served over 250,000 women since opening our doors 16 years ago

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A Message From Our Country Directors:

Berra Kabarungi – Rwanda

I would like to express my gratitude to the supporters. We are so happy with the support they have shown this year. I always tell my team that sponsorship and donations we receive is the fuel to the car that we are driving. Without the fuel, a car cannot move. I am always humbled by the way our sponsors are really grateful for the work we are doing in the field. A good number I have met are always telling me, "Oh Berra, you are doing great, you are doing a lot of work!" I'm humbled by that, but then to the women I always tell them, "Without the fuel the car would not move."

Karak Mayik – Sudan

This year I was glad to see the mothers sending their girls to the schools, equally both boys and girls, and promoting the rights of the girls within the families. I also like to see the women participating in politics, in decision making, and participating in peace building and uniting their village. Now the women are one group and we are using our name just as "women" we don't call ourselves by tribes or our husband's tribe we are calling ourselves in our farm or in our centers "Women" "Sudan Women" or "Southern Sudan Women" only. We want to reduce this conflict between the tribes."

Ngozi Eze – Nigeria

"We are very grateful for their [Women for Women International supporters] wonderful support because without them we would not be able to do the work we are doing so we pray that they may be blessed."

Thank you from everyone at Women for Women International for making 2009 such an amazing year for thousands of women in the field! And don't forgot, its not too late to make an impact this year!

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Faces of Women for Women International

Rwanda

Rwandan women were celebrated at the 98th annual International Women's Day through a unique art exhibition put on by Women for Women International. The exhibition sought to raise awareness for the work of Women for International while paying tribute to the true heroines of conflict: the women who are struggling to rebuild their families and their nations.

Kosovo

The women of Kosovo are proud that theirs will be the first country to have a Women's Opportunity Center. Hamide Latifi, Kosovo Country Director, says that, when complete, the WOC will "be a place where women can build their nets of friendship and businesses, nets of the solidarity that crosses boundaries and have no limits"

Nigeria

In Nigeria, where a woman's health and personal freedom is often threatened by traditional customs and religious law, Women for Women International conducted a Men's Leadership Program to work with the men who are community leaders. Through the training the 30 men worked on abandoning long-entrenched gender discrimination and promoting equal rights for their wives and daughters.

Democratic Republic of the Congo

In August, 2009, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton visited the Congo and spoke out against sexual and gender-based violence, and helped give voice to the thousands of rape victims here. In our program, we continue to reach out to empower women to fight back against the rape epidemic and help bring positive change to their country.

Bosnia & Herzegovina

On a recent trip to Bosnia & Herzegovina, Zainab Salbi saw the pain beneath the surface of this recovering country. "Despite the beauty," she says, "the haunting memory of war surfaces constantly, as those who were victimized by the war are still feeling the emotional and financial aftershocks." We remain deeply committed to helping women of this war-torn nation to rebuild their lives.

Afghanistan

Lack of health care and education makes Afghanistan one of the most dangerous places in the world to be a mother with one in eight women dying from pregnancy related causes. Women for Women International has been working on these issues since 2002 and has helped more than 20,000 Afghan women to transform their lives.

Sudan

Currently, 880 women are being trained in land use, irrigation, crop types, farming techniques, and marketing of their products. The women are learning from a farming specialist how to plant and harvest a variety of trail crops that cover about 37 acres. Eventually, the program will include 3,000 women who will run a cooperative agribusiness on over 148 acres of farmland.

Iraq

The security situation in Iraq has improved to the degree that we can now publish photos of the women who participate in our program! However, though small strides are being made, we have a long way to go before women in Iraq have the rights and freedom they deserve.