#ENDChildMarriage

International Women's Day

On International Women's Day I have decided to celebrate the incredible women I have had the honour of meeting, knowing and working with.

Teacher Ruth, Uganda

Here is Teacher Ruth, an incredible woman who has built a school for underprivileged children from the ground. Who was defiant against those that laughed at her when she began with 4 children and who continues to show the same motherly love and encouragement for each of the 80+ children who now attend her school. She also makes the best lunches.

 Teopista, Uganda

Every time I saw Teopista she greeted me with this wonderful smile. She radiates joy. Teopista is a widow and runs this fruit and veg stall to support herself and her family. She recently took in her nephew who had AIDS and was very sick, she cared for him in his final months with incredible strength. And she always gave us a free banana when we walked past her stall. Her generosity and joyfulness continue to inspire me.

"I am more than conqueror"

 Lucy, Tanzania

Lucy, a trailblazer for the empowerment of women in her community. Learning English, going to college, setting up a business, and teaching girls and women about menstruation. Her enthusiasm was inspiring and she helped teach the women in her community to sew their own sanitary towels to keep them and their daughters healthy and hygienic during their periods.

'The Gang'

These fantastic women who I am so grateful to have grown up with. Ministers, teachers, managers, nurses, community workers, students, youth workers; celebrating our differences in the knowledge that we are part of a wider 'family'. Supporting each other through tough times but also knowing how to throw a really good party.   

Captain Sal

The captain of our Girls' Brigade company. Over the last 20 years she has nurtured, encouraged, supported and loved hundreds of girls, no matter whether they were part of the group for 2 weeks or 10 years. She is always providing the girls with opportunities to get involved in national events, go on weekends away, go on missions abroad, take part in competitions, share their stories and make fantastic memories of laughter and friendship.

And of course she is my best friend and mum.

Our Girls' Brigade Leaders

The team that help Captain Sal! Making sure every girl feels welcome and included. Preparing crafts, playing games, making squash, washing up, putting chairs out, hoovering the carpet, telling stories, singing songs, learning names. Creating a safe space for girls to discover who they are, a space for them to be themselves and learn invaluable life lessons. And a space for them to laugh.

Hannah

My best friend. She always knows exactly what to say. She went to Thailand for 6 months and did incredible work at a Bible College, and spent time living in rural villages (even on Christmas Day). She always goes out of her way to help other people and you can always count on her to make you laugh. It's good to have someone in your life that knows you better than you know yourself. Not sure how I would have coped without her wisdom and daily phone calls.

Grandma 

My Grandma. Does she ever go a day without helping someone else? She volunteers, she cleans, she visits, she takes out for lunch, she welcomes, she listens, she loves. I have learnt so much from her, and have always admired her determination. I saw how she tirelessly cared for our Grandpa in his final months and was in awe of her as she spoke so beautifully at his funeral. The matriarch of our family, she is a pillar of strength and love.

Evie 

My beautiful cousin, who has already taught a class of 40 Tanzanian girls about the menstrual cycle before she hits her teenage years. I am so excited about what life has to bring for Evie, she is super talented in so many different things and the world is truly her oyster. While we were in Tanzania I could see her heart for the children and her natural ability to lead and care for them.

Aunty Helen

My Aunty who has such a heart for social justice. Living and working in Tanzania for several years, speaking up about the refugee crisis, writing to MPs, attending demonstrations and being the first woman in our family to go to university.

Martha

My brilliant Goddaughter. Who loves running and karate and dinosaurs and absolutely does not care that "those are for boys" (damn right). Who already knows the words "misogynist" and "feminist" and made sure everyone at our family barbecue identified themselves as the latter. Keep being yourself and keep doing what you love. Bring on our family's first paleontologist. 

Juliet

Juliet is currently involved in projects in The Jungle, Calais. The photo above is her welcoming refugees into the UK. She advocates and campaigns and stands in solidarity with the thousands of refugees and migrants who have made the treacherous journey to France. She has incredible wisdom.

Anna

Anna, or "Mumma Feminist". Her heart for women and girls in East Africa is so clear to see, and I just know that great things are in store. Her ability to lead a group of 100 children in song still amazes me! She taught me so much about feminism and what the Bible has to say about it all. I have no doubt that our paths will cross again in the future and I can't wait.

Claire

Claire is an incredible advocate for girls and women worldwide. She is always at an airport somewhere! She works tirelessly to equip, empower and encourage women through the Girls Brigade and Esther Generation project. Claire taught me so much about self worth and the idea of beauty. She has also been campaigning for the Nigerian girls kidnapped by Boko Haram (#BringBackOurGirls).

As I wrote this I began to think of more and more women in my life who are amazing and inspirational and I could genuinely go on for hours! I am so grateful to be surrounded by women who are breaking boundaries and fulfilling their potential as strong, intelligent, courageous women. 

Alex who is studying medicine.

Anna who is a kick ass sailing coach.

Lydia who is a manager at Chanel.

Jess who is training to be a youth worker and has so much wisdom already.

Steph who does DEV and is going to be CEO of somewhere someday.

Emma who is making fabulous documentaries and films.

Daisy who is studying engineering.

Amy who is passionate about animal rights.

Rebecca who slayed at LFW and will take men's fashion by storm.

Aimee who is bossing her degree in language and linguistics.

Susie who can bake and sew and sing and holds a group for young mums.

Alice who will make a wonderful teacher.

Keeley who makes the most incredible cakes.

Kathryn who does criminology and forensics.

Aaminah who is a dependable accountant and who I would probably trust with my life.

Shelby who has her own radio show.

Abi who studies maths.

Jazz who writes her own songs and is gonna make it big one day.

Claire who studies in France and introduced me to the blogging world.

Kate who is going to be a West End star.

Chengetai who writes a blog on issues facing women of colour.

Sara who does dentistry.

Zoe who is a veterinary nurse and mum of a beautiful son.

I could go on and on and on....

Netflix Must-See List

We all know that Netflix provides us with all sorts of TV shows and films that we love to binge watch... but they also have an amazing collection of documentaries and films that I'm slowly making my way through. They are definitely worth the watch and below I'll keep an updated list of films I recommend you see. 

Girl Rising

Girl Rising is one of my favourite films. It tells the stories of nine girls from developing countries around the world and their struggles to overcome the barriers to getting an education. Each girl was paired with an author from their country to help tell their stories and each story is presented in a different way. The stories are those of oppression and poverty but also of defiance and victory.

The Honor Diaries

The issue of honour based violence came to my attention when I had an assessment based on it for university. Honour based violence is a very real and dangerous threat for thousands of women and girls around the world, even here in the UK, but it is rarely ever spoken about. This film brings together nine women with roots in Muslim societies to break the silence surrounding honour based violence. Some scenes are quite shocking addressing the issues of FGM and suicide, I advise you watch the trailer first.

The Square

This is a film about Egypt's revolution that saw the fall of three presidents. No matter how much, or how little, you know about what happened there between 2011 and 2013, you should watch this. This revolution saw the largest demonstration in the history of the world and will be part of global history that we lived through, so you should really know about it. It follows a set of revolutionaries and members of the Muslim Brotherhood party. There are some scenes of violence and injury. Age rated 15 (Swearing and violence)

Born into Brothels

This film follows an American photographer who has been living in a Red Light district in Calcutta. The children of the prostitutes who live there soon became students in her photography classes. The film offers an insight into the lives of the children in the brothel and the opportunity for the children to take photos themselves enables us to see the world through their eyes. Some of the photos the children take are amazing. The film is also about the struggle to get these children into school. Contains swearing. 

Saving Face 

Saving Face follows surgeon Dr Mohammad Jawad, who visits Pakistan to help victims of acid attacks. Many of the women were attacked by their own husbands, or by men who they refused to marry. These women are left with life limiting scars and injuries, and some of them are forced to live with the family that attacked them. 

What is the Zika virus?

Global media attention has recently turned to the outbreak of the Zika virus in South and Central America. But what actually is it? I thought I would do a bit of research into the virus and write a blog while I was at it! 

What is the Zika virus?
The Zika virus is an infection that is not usually harmful. It was first identified in monkeys, in the Zika forests of Uganda in 1947 (hence the name). The first cases of the Zika virus in humans were in 1952, with cases in Uganda and Tanzania. Since then, there have been outbreaks across Africa, the Americas, Asia and the Pacific. The Zika virus is able to spread in countries where the climate is mosquito-friendly.
How does it spread?
The virus is spread through mosquito bites, particularly Aedes mosquitoes which are usually active in the day time (especially morning and late afternoon), unlike malaria-carrying mosquitoes that are usually out in the evening and at night. 
What are the symptoms?
Most people infected by the virus do not present with any symptoms. However if they do occur, they are not usually very severe and last between two and seven days. Some symptoms include a fever, joint pain, itching, headaches and eye problems. There were outbreaks of the Zika virus in French Polynesia (2013) and Brazil (2015) and during these, questions were raised over potential neurological and auto-immune complications caused by the virus. In Brazil, local health authorities have seen a correlation between an increase in cases of the Zika virus and an increase in babies born with microcephaly. The relationship between the Zika virus and microcephaly is not yet understood but there is research underway to determine the link, as well as look as other potential causes of microcephaly. The global scare about the Zika virus has been focused on this possible correlation between the virus and microcephaly, with fears that thousands of unborn babies are at risk of having abnormal brain development. 

A baby with microcephaly in Brazil

Where is the outbreak?

Why are people being warned against getting pregnant?
As above, there is growing evidence to suggest that the Zika virus can cause babies to be born with microcephaly. Microcephaly means an abnormally small head and can be associated with abnormal brain development. Pregnant women, or those trying for a baby, are being advised to avoid areas where the Zika virus is prevalent in order to minimise the risk to their baby. The government of El Salvador has warned people not to get pregnant until 2018, with similar messages seen in Colombia, Jamaica and Ecuador. However these precautions are difficult to put into practice, as Latin America is predominantly Catholic and teaching on sex education for young people is limited. Abortion is also illegal and emergency contraceptives or contraceptives of any type are hard to come by. 
How are women supposed to manage their fertility when their choices are so restricted? Are governments contradicting themselves by telling women not to get pregnant, but at the same time denying women access to abortions even in cases of rape or severe risks to health? 
Rosa Hernandez, the El Salvador director of Catholics for Choice said 
"How are we going to prevent pregnancies of these girls... [if] there are no emergency contraceptive pills available at health units after someone is raped?
Abortion would be the solution but [it] is fully penalised... Asking only women not to become pregnant is irresponsible when all these factors exist...
It is absurd; women have the right to decide what to do." 
Women have the right to hold autonomy over their own bodies. Surely if the governments are serious about protecting expectant mothers and enabling women to be in charge of their own fertility they should also educate them about contraception and make it easier for people to access contraceptives. But maybe this isn't about empowering women, after all they just 'advised' women not to get pregnant for 2 years, which sounds like an attempt to control fertility and sexuality even further. 
How is it treated?
There is currently no specific treatment or vaccine for the virus. Those infected by the virus usually recover with rest, plenty of fluids and medication for fever. The best prevention is protection from mosquito bites through the use of insect repellent, sleeping under mosquito nets and wearing suitable clothing. Containers that hold water are an ideal environment for mosquitoes to breed and so people are being advised to clean and cover these containers.  
What is being done by development agencies?
The World Health Organisation raised the alarm over the Zika virus for four main reasons:
"- the possible association of infection with birth malformations and neurological syndromes
- the potential for further international spread given the wide geographical distribution of the mosquito vector
- the lack of population immunity in newly affected areas
- and the absence of vaccines, specific treatments and rapid diagnostic tests"
The WHO have been working on the ground in affected countries since the outbreak began in May 2015, investigating how the infection arises and is spread. They are also working on treatment options and the development of a vaccine. The WHO have also been working to track the spread of the virus and encourage people to protect themselves from contracting the Zika virus.

This is just a very brief overview of the Zika virus and why people are so concerned about it and its potential impact. I'm interested in the government advice to avoid getting pregnant for two years, I think I will read around and see what the feminist/health/development worlds think about it all! 

In my research I found this from MSF: Five Epidemic Diseases to Watch in 2016

Sources: Al Jazeera, Independent, World Health Organisation, NHS, Mother Jones

Why did Mrs X die?

Immigration Facts

Picture from The Harbour Project

Welcome to the Jungle

My alarm went off at 4:30am after a night of restless sleep. I drove to meet Juliet, Idina and Matt and we made our way to the channel crossing. We met up with the rest of our group, many of us meeting for the first time and set off for France. The train was delayed due to some technical problems but eventually we were on our way.

Pascal who volunteers for Secours Catholique

Our first stop in Calais was the Secours Catholique, run by Pascal and his fellow volunteers. We had all filled our cars and vans with aid donations and this is where we had been told to drop them off. When we arrived there were already two British girls unloading their van so we helped them first before unloading our vehicles. We took the bags through to the centre, which I assume used to be a church but has now become a warehouse for L'auberge des migrants. I was taken aback as I walked in as it was full of boxes and piles of clothes and shoes. It seems that the amount of donations is not a problem, but the donation of the right items and the manpower to organise it. Pascal explained that there were only a handful of volunteers and at 56, he was the youngest. L'auberge des migrants opens the centre every three weeks, and 500 tickets are given out in the jungle to allow the refugees access. When you imagine 500 people each taking clothes, sleeping bags and toiletries, you can see how the stocks must quickly empty. Pascal told us how last week they very quickly ran out of blankets. The centre desperately needs a team of able volunteers who can manage the donations coming in as well as handing them out, ideally enabling them to open weekly or even daily to help the people who have arrived in Calais with only the clothes on their backs. 

Here's a video recorded by Jamie, who was part of our team.

As we were sorting piles of sleeping bags, duvets and blankets, Maya arrived. If you watched the Songs of Praise episode in Calais, you will remember Maya. She arrived and greeted us all before getting very excited that we had brought along lots of sleeping bags and pots for cooking. Maya is an incredible woman who doesn't ever stop. The migrants all know her by name and she's forever running back and forth doing about 15 things at once.

Maya suggested that we go to Lidl and buy packs of biscuits to give out when the food was distributed later. We got three big trolleys and filled them with hundreds of packets, much to the delight of the lady on the checkout.

Then it was time to visit the Jungle.

We lost Maya en route so made our way to the Jungle and pulled up on the outskirts. As we arrived a white van began to reverse into the entrance of the camp and echos of 'line' traveled along a fast-growing queue, each person hoping that the bags of food would not run out before they reached the van. Word traveled fast and the line soon had around 400 people in it. This is the first time we saw the scale of the camp. We were aware that there were thousands of people in the camp but it's not until you see the extent of it for yourself that you are struck by the reality of it all. A second line was formed for women which was much shorter by comparison. The van doors were opened and volunteers from L'auberge des migrants and from our group began handing out bags of food that contained oil, rice and other essentials. Some fish had also been donated by a local shop, so that was handed out as well as the biscuits we had bought from Lidl. There were old men, young women, young children, teenagers, and lots of young men. Maya was fantastic at organising the line and telling people not to push in! She is very much respected by everyone there and she makes sure things are done fairly. 

Then the food ran out.

And the line was still there.

We reckon the line must have been 500 strong by the end of the distribution, but we only had enough for 300 people. This was a really difficult moment as we had to turn people away empty handed, hungry people.

"Come back tomorrow" was the advice.

One of the shelters in the camp

People's temporary homes

Trying to create a homely environment

Cubicles constructed by French organisations for people to wash in

After the food distribution we got chatting to those around us. I spoke to three ladies from Eritrea, they must have been in their early twenties. I asked them what kind of things they needed in the Jungle and they said deodorant and underwear. One of them told me that she had a husband in the UK but no way of contacting him. They spoke good English so I was able to ask them about themselves and their journey to the Jungle. They told me that it had taken them two months to reach Calais, by bus and by foot. If you don't know where Eritrea is, it's in North East Africa bordering Ethiopia, Djibouti and Sudan, and it's 5,215km away from Calais.

They had been in the Jungle for a month already. When I asked if they had made any attempts to cross the border, they hesitated, before admitting that they had tried to get to the Euro-tunnel a few times. But there is an emerging issue of women being left behind. "It is impossible for us, then men run ahead and leave us". Some of these women are pregnant - so what happens next? Who takes responsibility for those children? Who ensures the mother has a safe, attended labour? Who provides the baby with vaccinations? Where is the birth registered? These babies are being born into uncertainty with different governments shifting the responsibility onto someone else.

St Michael's Church, Calais

We also met an Ethiopian man called Amima. He is 26 and is a theology student. He invited us to visit the church that has been built in the camp, where he helps to run services. St Michael's church is an example of how important faith is to these people, and how the church is a place of hope and peace which is vital in these situations. Amima told us that he had to leave Ethiopia because of political persecution, and he had to leave his mother and sister behind. Since the building of the church, Amima has spent less time trying to get to the UK and more time in the church. He feels called to serve in the church there. But he misses home, he misses his family and he misses Ethiopia. He's ready to go home now, he told us.

Amima told us that the church is important for the Jungle because it's a place where people feel safe. It's a very peaceful environment and provides a sanctuary for people to escape the camp for a while.

"We suffer, but we have life, because Jesus is alive" 

Amima reached Europe by crossing the Mediterranean Sea in a boat. He described how he saw his friends drowning, I can't even imagine how devastating that must have been.

People seem to focus on the conditions of the camp, or the situations that caused people to leave their countries, and these are very important topics that need to be addressed. However the bit in between seems to be overlooked. On their journeys to Calais people have experienced enough trauma and hardship to last several lifetimes. We met three young men who had become friends when they trekked across the Sahara Desert together. It is unimaginable.

An article on Bradley Wiggins!

In the middle of the camp there is a caravan covered in posters and information. It has details of how to claim asylum in the UK and organisations that can help people once they reach Britain. It was interesting to see that this information has been provided, and good for the refugees to understand how the process of asylum works in the UK. The caravan also featured an article about Bradley Wiggins, maybe there are a few cycling enthusiasts about?!

Alpha

Riaz, a volunteer for L'auberge des migrants, took us to visit an artist in the camp. Alpha was very happy to show us some of the work that he has created. He had a piece of artwork for David Cameron that quoted him calling the refugees a "swarm", so Alpha wrote that Cameron was the swarm who only cared about himself and his friends getting rich.

We visited the school, which has both child and adult education going on. Some of the refugees are learning French so they can claim asylum there. English lessons are also taught. The school is mainly run by French and British volunteers. Outside the school we met a man from Kosovo. He had a broken foot and the medical charity in the camp, Medecins du Monde, had given him some crutches and a cast. This injury was not uncommon, and we saw many men walking round the camp with broken ankles and legs where they have fallen whilst trying to climb the many fences that surround the camp and the tunnel to Britain.

The school building

Medecins du Monde are doing a fantastic job of looking after the people in the Jungle. As we were there we saw them ferrying minibuses of people to and from their base, with bandages and crutches and medicines. We visited their newly opened art tent, run by two British volunteers. One of them is an art therapist and is trying to encourage the refugees to create art that helps them deal with the trauma they have experienced. A volunteer for Medecins du Monde told us that the camp is experiencing an outbreak of scabies, which is near impossible to treat in such a situation.

Walking through the Jungle we met people from Eritrea, Ethiopia, Sudan, Israel, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Kosovo, Syria, Iran and Libya. Think of a country that is currently facing war or unrest and it was probably represented in the camp. Their stories all varied in detail but followed a similar line of having to flee because of threat to their lives or their families. Travelling to Europe in a desperate attempt to escape the tragedies happening in their homelands. 

They arrive in Calais and have to find shelter in tents, or build structures out of whatever they can get their hands on. We saw true examples of human resilience and ingenuity. People live in very close proximity, vulnerable to the rain and cold weather and at risk from getting ill. They are exhausted. They want safety, they want security and they don't want to fear for their lives, is that so hard to provide for them? When people ask, I say it was like being in a third world country. It is shameful that we are allowing this to happen so close to our borders and not taking action.

It's time for us to speak out for these people. Stop treating them like statistics and start treating them as humans. The British government spent £12 million on fencing in Calais alone, but claim we 'cannot afford' to take in any more refugees. Matt, who I traveled to Calais with has started this petition to ask David Cameron to take in our fair share of refugees. Please take the time to sign it if you agree.

Wouldn't you flee war and violence?

Wouldn't you escape political or religious persecution?

Wouldn't you search for a better life for you and your family?

Wouldn't you head for a prosperous, first world country?

Wouldn't you?