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CONGO-GOMA - LIVES OF WOMEN IN POVERTY, WAR, VOLCANO ERUPTION

+ GOMA HANDICAPPED WOMEN'S CRAFT COOPERATIVE

http://www.shonacongo.com/goma.htm

Mama Kavira's house

What is life like for women in Goma? Here is an example. For the past 12 years Fabiola and Mama Kavira (the first women to work with Shona) have lived with at least ten family members in a small shack on an abandoned lot, with no running water or electricity. They had no regular source of income and often had to beg for food from neighbors. Occassionally they were able to find work carrying rocks used for construction. This work required everyone, including the children, to carry bags of rocks on their head for several hours. By carrying these rocks for a week their family earned at most 10 dollars. On many days, even this work was unavailable.

The lives of Fabiola and Mama Kavira are not very different from the lives of most people in Goma. Employment is scarce. War, poverty, and corruption have ravaged the country. After more than three decades of a corrupt dictatorship, Congo fell into a civil war that lasted nearly 10 years and took the lives of over 3.5 million people. A nationwide peace accord was eventually reached, followed by landmark presidential elections in late 2006, bringing some measure of peace to the majority of the county. However in Eastern Congo the conflict has continued to escalate. In October 2008 a rebel group which operated in the hills surrounding Goma, went on the offensive, claiming a vast amount of rural territory, taking control of the major supply road to Goma, and arriving on the outskirts of the city. The advance of the rebel group caused government soldiers to flee, looting the town of Goma in the process and leaving the town in a state of extreme instability. It is estimated that over 700,000 people became refugees during this time period in North Kivu alone, and this is in addition to the 500,000 refugees who were already living in camps on the outskirts of Goma when the advance started. In January an agreement was reached between the Rwandan government, the Congolese government,and the rebel group (CNDP). The agreement involves the integration of CNDP rebel troops with government forces as well as an influx of Rwandan troops into Congo. As of February it is unclear what effect this agreement will have upon stability of Goma and the surrounding rural areas.For updated information about the current situation in the area please visit our blog. In addition to facing war, the town of Goma is also recovering from a natural disaster. Goma is at the base of a volcano which erupted in 2002, covering large portions of the town with lava. Yet despite all of this instability, the people of Goma continue to hope. They are always looking for the next opportunity.

Fabiola carrying a bag of rocks on her head and a child on her back

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http://www.shonacongo.com/index.htm

SHONA HANDICAPPED WOMEN'S CRAFTS FROM CONGO

Designed, sewn and sold by handicapped women in Eastern Congo.

A gift of hope

Each Shona item is a testament to the faith, determination and dignity of an incredible group of people. These women live in Eastern Congo, an area of the world that faces ongoing war, poverty and natural disaster. They work in a culture that teaches handicapped people to beg on the streets. Each item bought supports their search for a better way of life.

This is fair trade in its truest sense.
100% of the profit from each sale goes directly to the craftswomen themselves

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