Project Update: Field Report from December 2009

Santa Monica, CA

In Meheba Refugee Settlement, challenging dynamics have placed refugee women at risk of being abused by men who feel helpless and emasculated. Accustom to a patriarchal culture where men dominate inside and outside the home, women in Meheba often lack the means to protect or provide for themselves. Despite such issues, these women continue to work tirelessly to remain pillars of strength for their families and community. In 2005, an Angolan refugee established the Meheba Women's Center with FORGE's support to encourage and educate the community's women. This project will fund the 2010 operations of the center and ensure Meheba's women have access to vocational training, workshops on gender-specific rights, and informal counseling services to address rape and domestic violence. In addition, the project will continue the center's efforts to make refugee women their own financial resources. Funding will support the center's saving circles that allow women to save and borrow money from each other. It will also ensure the purchase of three new sewing machines that will be used in knitting and sewing classes to develop women's income-earning skills.

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