In December, 2007 Mary Tuchscherer, an Adjunct Faculty member in the School of Holistic Studies, traveled to Malawi, a small landlocked country bordered by Zambia, Tanzania,
Mozambique and known as the "warm heart of Africa."
During her trip, Mary marvelled at stories of the village women and questioned the absence of books and resources that captured these stories.
The women share their stories at the local water
wells, but they thirst for a connection with
women across borders and time. They
repeatedly expressed their need and encouragement
to tell their stories and allow their gifts to be remembered.
"Tell us what to do and we will do it!" they cried.
Mary's goal is to answer their cry and so has launched
Voice Flame Writers Malawi. With the support of the University, Mary is working to provide the training, tools, resources and encouragement these women need to preserve their legacies. This effort consists of the following:
Training. In August, 2009 Mary and Masankho Banda, a Bay Area educator, speaker, and native of Malawi, will travel with eight women to Malawi to conduct a series of Legacy and story writing workshops. With these workshops, they hope to provide women in Malawi not only the tools and training they need to write their own stories but also the ability to train others to do so. This training is the first in a series to increase awareness of our deep international connection with women, to strengthen the bonds between us, and increase our resolve to work for the freedom and wholeness of women worldwide.
Cultural Writing Exchange. To promote sharing of writing and culture between the U.S. and Malawi, essay contests are being held - one at John F. Kennedy University in Pleasant Hill, California and one in Malawi in partnership with KUDO. (KUDO is a non-profit whose mission is to improve the livelihood of the rural poor in the Nkhata Bay District of Malawi.) The winner of the contest at JFK University will travel with the group, all expenses paid, to Malawi in August 2009. Two winners will be selected from Malawi; each will receive a scholarship toward a four year college education in the African country. For details about the essay contest at JFK University,
click here.
Documentary Production. Plans include the making of a video and a photographic documentary to preserve the stories of Malawian women, particularly those with HIV/AIDS. The documentaries will be used to promote awareness of the needs of the women in this small African nation. Fine art photographer Caroline Lovell will create portraits of women and their children to document and preserve family legacy. Old Dog Documentaries, a non-profit video production company, plans to collaborate with
Voice Flame Writers to produce a film promoting social justice.
The cost of transforming women's lives is significant. To make these programs a reality, Mary intends to raise $225,000 in the next year. You are invited to help provide these women with the life-giving water that will quench their thirst for connection and allow them to experience the power of community and human commonality by making a tax-deductible donation.
Click here for a project brochure and a donation form.
To learn more about
Voice Flame Writers,
click here or contact Mary Tuchscherer by
email or calling 925.969.3515.
