IWTC Women's GlobalNet #293

Activities and Initiatives of Women Worldwide 

February 7, 2006

SIRLEAF LIBERIAN MARKET WOMEN'S FUND

You are invited to join friends and colleagues in support of a worldwide women's fund to assist Liberian market women who, after 16 years of war, mobilized to elect a woman president - a first for Liberia and for Africa - and to honour President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf!

Please contribute, and let your friends and colleagues know about this very special fund for Liberian market women. We welcome you! (signed) Bisi Adeleye-Fayemi, Executive Director, African Womens Development Fund, Thelma Awori, former Head, Africa Division, UNDP, Peg Snyder, Founding Director, UNIFEM, Hilda Tadria, Co-founder, AWDF.

BACKGROUND TO THIS APPEAL
The landslide vote that made Ellen Johnson Sirleaf President of Liberia -and Africa's first elected woman president- was the result of the strong support of Liberia's women, an action unique in Africa and the world! Through 16 years of civil war, these women sustained their families, saved lives and kept food supplies flowing while they marched and negotiated for peace. In 2005 they turned their hard-won organizational skills to the election of Ellen Johnson Sirleaf. Today, as Liberians engage in reconstruction and reconciliation, a special concern of women is renewal of the rundown and battered markets for food and basic goods that are community centres -places where women buy and sell from mats on the ground or temporary shelters.

The Sirleaf Market Women's Fund is established as a sub-fund of the African Women's Development Fund (AWFD), an Africa-wide fundraising and grant-making organization created in the belief that African women's rights are inalienable, indivisible and an integral part of universal women's rights.

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) will assist with a preliminary survey of markets to determine priority needs with the market women themselves and design a programme to meet those needs.
Included may be the improvement of health and sanitation as well as marketing infrastructure, offering periodic prenatal and well-baby clinics, and setting up revolving loan mechanisms for the purchase of supplies.

MORE ABOUT THE SIRLEAF MARKET WOMEN'S FUND The Fund was proposed by members of the African Women and Peace Group:
Thelma Awori, Comfort Lamptey, Jane Martin, Corann Okorodudu, Peg Snyder and Margaret Vogt. (Their book “Liberian Women Peacemakers” is available from IWTC's women and development publications service, Women, Ink. See below for details on how to contact Women, Ink. It is also available at Amazon.com.)

Initial supporters include Winifred Armstrong, Libby Bassett and Bob Richter, Herta Kaschitz, Elizabeth Lwanga, Jane Martin, Wanjira Mathai, Rose Odera, Claudia Sossah, Irene Tinker, Aster Zaoude and Angela King.

TO CONTRIBUTE

WORLDWIDE:
Donations may be in any currency, by cheque, money order, direct debit, credit card or any other convenient means. Receipts are provided on request. Write your contribution to AWDF Sirleaf Market Women's Fund at:

Sirleaf Market Women's Fund,
c/o African Women's Development Fund,
25 Yiyiwa Street, Abelenkpe,
Achimota Forest, Accra, Ghana.
PMB CT89 Cantonments
Accra, Ghana
Tel: (233-21) 780-477. Fax: (233-21) 782-502.
Email: bisi@awdf.org. Website: http://www.awdf.org

In the USA:
Write your checks to Sirleaf Market Women's Fund AWDF-USA and send to:

AWDF-USA
c/o Rosen Seymour Shapss Martin and Company
757 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10017-2049
Tel: (1-212) 303-1046. Fax: (1-212) 303-1804
Email: Peggy McCann pmccann@rssmcpa.com

AWDF-USA is a 501(c)3 organization, thus contributions may receive US tax deductions.

THANK YOU FOR JOINING THIS TRIBUTE TO ELLEN JOHNSON SIRLEAF AND TO THE LIBERIAN MARKET WOMEN WHO SUPPORTED HER CANDIDACY

Contact Bisi Adeleye-Fayemi at <bisi@awdf.org> or Peggy McCann at <pmccann@rssmcpa.com> if you would like to be listed amongst the contributors to this fund.

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