Action Kivu

My friend Alissa Haight Carlton sent a note to remind me that it is time for the sixth annual Action Kivu fundraiser again. I have supported this initiative from the time I heard about it.

Here are Alissa's words:

"Action Kivu helps women and children who are victims of the conflict in Eastern Congo. The conflict in Congo has taken the lives of over 5.4 million people since 1998. Rape is used as a weapon of war, with estimates putting the number of rapes in the hundreds of thousands.  These are horrible statistics but together, year after year now, we have made a real difference for specific women and children. Here are the stories of just a few. Every year there are more women entering Action Kivu’s programs and more children going to school.  We are having a lasting impact on these women and children, so let’s keep helping!

One of the wonderful things that Action Kivu helps finance is a sewing workshop that teaches women to sew. When these women graduate from the workshop, they are given a sewing machine and therefore the means to support themselves and their families.You can see a short video of the most recent graduates of the sewing program here. This workshop changes their lives in amazing ways and it is your generosity that makes that possible!

These women’s lives and families have been transformed by this workshop and it is these dollars, that we raise here, that have helped make that happen.  Our online sewing community is linked to these women, and we can help more of them. Please give today!

The American staff of Action Kivu is 100% volunteer, so all of your donations, minus nominal banking fees, go directly to the work on the ground, empowering and educating the women and children of eastern Congo.

This year we’re also going to focus on spreading the word about the fundraiser via social media more! Let’s get these hashtags busy: #akfundraiser #sewing #congo #actionkivu "

Giving is very personal. If you have a space in your budget for international support, I think this is a great initiative and I have already donated. 

Alissa has sweetened the deal with some great randomly drawn prizes (Jacquie Gehring has donated her Featherweight as a prize!!! for exmaple) so head over to Alissa's blog - Alissa Haight Carlton Modern Quilts - to check them out and to donate to this important cause.

Best,

Leanne