December 2012
Cross Cultural Journey 2013
I See You With My Heart  
Thank You Tea
  Teapots Dec. 2 2012

On December 2, 2012 VoiceFlame hosted it's first
I See You With My Heart  Thank You Tea
 
Three talented and amazing women, Karen Mireau, Cynthia Leslie-Bole and Lita Mikrut, who were instrumental in the creation of VoiceFlame's first Anthology, were recognized in a special way during the afternoon event.

Others in attendance have assisted VoiceFlame through their financial generosity or
by offering their business expertise in aiding and supporting the organization's growth in its pursuit of improving the lives of girls and women through VoiceFlame's six key programs.

Ladies tea 12.2.12
Reaching Out To Hearts
 

Sue's workshop2 Nov.'12
  Writing Workshop Participants

This I See You With My Heart event was hosted by VoiceFlame's COO, Sue McCollum

Pilirani Semu-Banda was a special guest at this event held in Virginia. 


Sue wrkshp Nov 2012


Wishing and Dreaming
 
VoiceFlame has a wish and a dream -  to change the lives of women and girls, one voice at a time.
 
We know that many small steps together can create dramatic change. And we know that VoiceFlame can ultimately change the world by being present in the life of women and girls who have a dream.
 
As the year comes to a close, please consider a donation to VoiceFlame on behalf of yourself, or give VoiceFlame donations as holiday gifts to friends and family.  No amount is too small because every dollar makes a big difference; since we operate with an all-volunteer staff, all your money goes directly toward serving Malawian women and girls.
 
Thank you for helping dreams come true!
 
Donations should be made out to Genesis International, VoiceFlame's fiscal sponsor, with 'VoiceFlame' written on the memo line of your check and send to:
 
VoiceFlame
P. O. Box 373
Lafayette, CA. 94549

2012 
A Word from VoiceFlame's CEO 
Mary Tuchscherer
 
On behalf of everyone at VoiceFlame I wish to express my heartfelt gratitude for your generous gifts of time, money and love throughout 2012. Your belief in our vision and our capacity to implement that vision is the life force that keeps us energized and moves us forward with ever-increasing enthusiasm and conviction. Thank you for being a part of the VoiceFlame community, and may your holidays be blessed with an abundance of presence!
 
 
2013 GRATITUDE AWARD
For More Information


Gratitude Award
 

 

The Gratitude Award "honors social entrepreneurs with high potential to move the needle on global social issues through ground-breaking innovations." 

 

Stay tuned for more information!

 

www.voiceflame.org

 




Cross-Cultural Journey 2013
 
April 22 - May 12 **
 

Planning is underway for VoiceFlame's next Cross Cultural Journey to Malawi. 
 
VoiceFlame invites you to join I See You With My Heart, a women's cross-cultural learning journey to Malawi, Africa linking women through writing, education, publication and quilting. You can expect to connect with and experience first-hand the issues facing women in the developing world.
 
This journey promises to be a transformative, heart opening and inspiring experience as we write, share and witness personal stories with girls and women from the capitol city of Lilongwe to the remote villages of the Nkhata Bay District.
 
For more information, including a travel packet, visit our website:  www.voiceflame.org 
 
 
** Dates subject to airline flight availability.


 
In-Country Director of
Educational Programs for
VoiceFlame
 
Pilirani Semu-Banda 
 
          Pilirani
 

 

When VoiceFlame has questions about women's issues in Malawi, we turn to Pilirani Semu Banda, friend and award-winning journalist who was twice voted Malawi's best female journalist. Pilirani is currently working in New York on a short-term assignment with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) headquarters, but she works full time with the UN agency in the Malawi country office.

 

Pilirani believes "the greatest challenge Malawian women face is poverty." She explains, "The Malawian woman lives on less than $1 per day in a country where most livelihoods depend on the land." Traditionally, the men are the landowners and hold the power in the family. Even though women work in the fields alongside their husbands, they do not receive any financial gain from their hard work. After harvest, the men take the crop, often tobacco, to the auction floors. Rather than bringing the money home from the sale, the men live away for 3-4 months and return to their wives only when the money runs out. Since the women have no power, they feel trapped in loveless and often abusive marriages with no means of support. To survive, they may do piece-work in someone else's garden or grow kitchen gardens behind their houses."

 

To address poverty, Pilirani believes women need to be empowered through education, as well as vocational and financial training. She has visited vocational programs where women are trained as bakers, or are given instructions on how to grow cash crops like soya. "I've seen women change their lives because of programs like these," Pilirani adds. She also believes in formal education for women. Most girls drop out of school after their primary years when free education ends. "When you educate a woman, you educate a whole village," Pilirani says. Women share their knowledge with other women in the village, and when they earn money, they spend it on their families.

 

"VoiceFlame's work in Malawi is going in the right direction," Pilirani says. "Malawi is a country where women keep their stories to themselves, but once the stories are shared, women realize they are not alone." They identify with other women, share advice on common problems and become a supportive community. Pilirani added, "VoiceFlame's new quilting project promises to be an exciting program. It will train women in a craft and empower them to earn their own money."

 

"The women of Malawi are like women living in any other country," Pilirani explains. "We share similar desires to provide food and shelter for our children, to improve ourselves and our living conditions, and to contribute to our community. We should be pillars and rocks for each other if we are to change the lives of women for the better in our quest for a better world."

Please visit our website often to read the latest VoiceFlame news and to find I See You With My Heart events and workshops in your area.


Sincerely,

Susen Hickman
CFO

VoiceFlame, Inc | | [email protected] | http://www.voiceflame.org
P. O. Box 373
Lafayette, CA 94549

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