Project Title: Women for Women International - Rwanda

Location: Rwanda

Additional Information

WOW – Program Fact Sheet -2007

WOW- Making Connections -2007

WOW- Food for Thought – 2008

WOW- Program Fact Sheet – 2008

Grant Amount: $6,023

Grantee Website: www.womenforwomen.org/

Areas of Impact: Education & Literacy, Health

Mission of Women for Women International
To provides women survivors of war, civil strife and other conflicts with the tools and resources to move from crisis and poverty to stability and self-sufficiency, therby promoting viable civil societies.

Summary
Women for Women International (WFWI) mobilizes women to change their lives by bringing a holistic approach to addressing the unique needs of women in conflict and post-conflict environments. They support socially excluded women emerging from war and community violence through a multi-layered core program of direct aid and sponsorship, rights-based education, and economic development. Women with WFWI participate in a one-year program that launches them on a journey from victim to survivor to active citizen. WFWI serves women in Afghanistan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Columbia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Iraq, Kosovo, Nigeria, Rwanda and Sudan. WFWI will direct DFW’s donations to Rwanda where 35 Rwandan staff members have served 11,116 women since 1997. Aside from providing malaria prevention training, the Rwanda program provides job skills training in basket making, tie-dye, tailoring, beadwork, card making, hairdressing, mushroom growing, knitting, catering, bag making, and soap and candle making.

Why We Love This
WFWI is a special program for DFW. Although WFWI is a larger organization than DFW normally supports, WFWI was our very first program in January 2003 and continues to be a frequent recipient. Marsha Wallace, founder, learned of them while watching Oprah and was inspired by the organization to make a difference in the lives of women living in less fortunate circumstances than our own. Since 1993, WFWI has expanded its operations to serve 120,000 women survivors of war and distributed $33 million in direct and micro credit loans. In 2006, WFWI received the Conrad N. Hilton Humanitarian Prize, an award presented annually to an organization that significantly alleviates human suffering.