Hello friends! Its my birthday, and I couldn't have asked for a better gift: This morning I found this news in my inbox and it only reiterated to me how important the work I will be doing with FORGE really is. I wanted to pass along this amazing news to you!
"Dear Friends of FORGE,
As news of crisis and loss rapidly fills our information flows, FORGE is delighted to share one refugee's story of triumph over adversity. Just last week, Anthony Sibomena (pictured below), a 21-year-old Rwandan refugee who lost his whole family while in exile, was awarded the highly prestigious Ashoka Changemakers Award through the Staples Youth Venture Competition. With this award, Anthony became the first ever Changemaker recipient to come from a community living in extreme poverty without any access to modern communications or organizing tools.
Anthony received this esteemed award for his past and future work on health care access for refugee populations. In 2008, Anthony and fellow community leaders conceptualized and designed the project through FORGE's flagship Collaborative Project Planning Process, a framework with which FORGE supports emerging local leaders as they develop solutions to the most pressing problems in their communities. With the generosity of a group of donors called The Experiments in Hope, the Refugee Health Services project was launched in early 2009 and now provides one of the most isolated areas of the settlement with basic health services, maternal health care and clinical referrals that were previously nonexistent. You may read more about this project, including monthly blogs from the project staff, here.
Anthony's story about the important role Africans refugees can play in rebuilding their communities is just one among hundreds that FORGE has witnessed and supported over the past 5 years. We are so proud of Anthony's vision and commitment, and yet we know that he is just one of many deserving individuals that typically lack access to the resources necessary to pursue their dreams. Anthony's work exemplifies the community leadership that runs across all of FORGE's 26 projects and well beyond."
FORGE is dedicated to continuing our success at empowering leaders like Anthony to successfully rebuild their lives. Thank you for joining with me and allowing me the opportunity to work with leaders like Anthony on the ground in Zambia.
While times are tough for everyone, your generosity toward those less fortunate has never meant more. Your gift right now will make a tremendous difference toward creating a world that works for everyone. If you would like to contribute to my trip to Zambia to work with FORGE you can make a gift to FORGE in my name, or you can mail checks to 1904 Franklin Street, Suite 701, Oakland, CA 94612 with "Jessica Zetzman" in the memo line to ensure this goes towards my fudnraising efforts.
Thank you for being part of this growing movement of community-driven development. I am proud to work with you to support refugee-led opportunities across Africa.
FORGE Project Leader Wins Prestigious Changemaker Award
Preparing for FORGE
Over the past two weeks my life has changed dramatically. On May 1st I got a call from FORGE offering me the position of Project Manager in the Meheba Refugee Settlement for 6 months. In the 3 days following I wrestled with the decision, accepted their offer, turned in my resignation to my current boss, informed my roommate I would be moving out, started my fundraising efforts, and began preparing for the experience of a lifetime.
I am excited to be joining such an amazing organization as FORGE. There is a lot to be done before I leave, but I can't wait to get to Zambia and be a part of the work being done on the ground.
As I prepare to leave and while I am in Zambia, I will be chronicling my adventures on this blog. Please feel free to share the blog with your friends and family that might be interested in following my journey as well.
A Little bit about FORGE:
FORGE (Facilitating Opportunities for Refugee Growth and Empowerment) is a non-profit organization which works to end the cycle of war and poverty in Africa. FORGE builds upon the capacity of African refugees to cultivate empowered communities and to create the conditions for peace and prosperity in their countries. FORGE believes in the power of individuals to transform communities, and thus invests in the education, economic self-sufficiency, and community development goals of the refugees themselves. To get an idea of the type of self sustaining projects FORGE is engaged with, check out this blog post on Saving Circles from a former FORGE Project Manager http://nickandaudrey.blogspot.
What I will be doing:
For the next six months, I will be working for FORGE on-the-ground in Zambia. As a Project Manager in Meheba Refugee camp, I will be responsible for managing previously-implemented FORGE projects and working with the refugee communities to develop new projects. Some projects include FORGE Microlending, Refugee Health Center, Meheba Women’s Center, Peace Education and Computer Training Center. For a complete list of projects visit http://www.forgenow.org/locations/1/projects. I am confident that through this work, FORGE and I can make a marked difference in the lives of thousands of refugees.
Why fundraise?
FORGE believes that every person involved should contribute to the achievement of the organization’s goals, and thus every international staff member is asked to raise at least $3,500. These funds go toward allowing FORGE to continue its work and pursue its mission of investing in individuals affected by conflict. If you are interested in contributing to FORGE's mission, I'd love your help in reaching my fundraising goals. FORGE is a registered 501(c)3 non-profit organization and your donation is 100% tax-deductible. FORGE offers a tax receipt for all donations over $20. You can log onto http://www.forgenow.org/content/donate-now and click "Donate Now" in the middle of the page. Please be sure to write my name, Jessica Zetzman, in the "purpose" field to ensure your donation goes towards my fundraising goals!
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