In December of 2007 Mary traveled
to Malawi, Africa. After meeting the powerful and graceful, yet primarily
silenced women of this impoverished country, her passion to give voice
to the voiceless, visibility to the unseen and make global connections
between women quickly expanded.
She met many women of diverse circumstances
who inspired her to expand her work to a global level. Brandy, a 32
year old divorced mother of three small children lives in one room
in a remote village, raises a garden for food and sells soap to pay
the rent. She makes great sacrifices in order to pursue her high school
education. Brandy says, “There is something in me that makes
me want to support women. When women meet at the water well I tell
them, “You must have dreams. Be independent.”
Timwa, a 32 year Malawian woman, studying for
her PhD in Literature at the University of Aberdeen in Scotland said
this, “We need the will and encouragement to tell our stories
and allow our gifts to be seen. It is important for the future. Tell
me what to do to be involved and I will do it.”
In August of 2009 Mary will return to Malawi
with women from the U.S. who will work voluntarily with Malawian women
on service projects and participate in Legacy/story writing groups.
A group of Malawian women will be trained to facilitate Legacy/story
writing groups who, in turn, will offer opportunities for more women
to tell their stories.
As Maya Angelou has said, “There is no
agony like bearing the untold story inside of you.”
If you are interested in learning more about
the trip or how you can support this project, please contact
Mary.
