Congratulations to Our American Sisters
Susan notes: This is an open letter from Zimbabwean girls' and women's rights activist Betty Makoni to American women congratulating them on the inauguration of President Barack Obama. Betty Makoni
is a rape survivor and a champion of girls’ and women’s rights in
Southern Africa. I have created links in the letter to items that I
thought might be of interest to you.
Dear Sisters in USA,
Warm greetings !!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Yesterday we were all glued to Botswana television, as we watched USA make history on the Inauguration of its first young, energetic, intelligent, black president.
It has been customary for me now to follow every story of the Obama girls when they take to the world stage with their dad, and that marks also a new beginning for all girls in the world - that yes we can do it, and what our fathers do we can do also!!!!!!!!!!
Dear Sisters in USA,
Warm greetings !!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Yesterday we were all glued to Botswana television, as we watched USA make history on the Inauguration of its first young, energetic, intelligent, black president.
It has been customary for me now to follow every story of the Obama girls when they take to the world stage with their dad, and that marks also a new beginning for all girls in the world - that yes we can do it, and what our fathers do we can do also!!!!!!!!!!
Sisters, we want to congratulate you for the new era of hope and
change, and it is always great to cast a vote for someone you want to
see president and that vote is not rigged.
As I listened to Obama speak, though he did not mention names, I thought here in Africa his message was very clear on what leadership should all about. Leaders in our part of the world here must unclench their fists, and stop blaming the West for their own manmade disasters.
Also the message on food on the farms and clean running water was not directed to anyone in particular, but we all embraced it in Zimbabwe because where I stayed myself I had no running water for a year, and now Zimbabwe has been struck very hard with a cholera epidemic.
Lets hope our leaders in Africa embraced this message !!!!!!!
Just last year I had a rare opportunity to be invited by the current Vice President Joe Biden`s office to testify to the US senate on the International Violence against Women Act (IVAWA), whose campaign had reached an advanced stage but I could not come because last minute this was postponed due to the election campaigns going on by then.
Now that the elections are over, maybe sisters in the US can help us track this vision by your current Vice President because he was the biggest sponsor of this Bill which when passed into law will support groups like Girl Child Network working so hard to stop violence against women and girls in Africa.
Also it would make it possible for US to intervene within six months in cases like Jestina Mukoko`s when women human rights defenders are incarcerated. (AWR notes: Jestina Mukoko is Zimbabwean human rights activist that was kidnapped in December, and beaten and tortured, but was thankfully released alive after being held for more than a month.)
We are fully aware of the many challenges our sisters in the US have to deal with during this transition, and we will be with you in spirit and learn from your coping mechanisms.
Once again congratulations our sisters because every time I received emails from many of you or when we met, you just sounded anxious and hoped for something new, and so yesterday rest assured you will all be okay.
It is so interesting how our countries are in the same universe, but so different.
I counted that since 1980 when I turned 11 and till now 2009 which is 29 years, you sisters in the US have had more than 10 presidents.
Now I am 37 years old and turning 38 this year and my son, who turned 13 recently, and myself have had ONLY ONE PRESIDENT in our lifetime. It is quite possible that my grandchildren will be so lucky to see the same president in the next ten years, and so three generations of us will have one president.
However I have been lucky because I have been in neighboring beautiful and democratic Botswana, and saw presidents do transitions smoothly and its people protected by the government. This also ushers hope for Africa because leading democratic countries like Bostwana are good examples of what Africa can do if committed.
Congratulations to you sisters, and Michelle Obama too !!!!!! Your new administration has women and girls and children at heart and so for the next few years we will work closely together to overcome the challenges women and girls face in both our countries.
Well again and again congratulations sisters !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Regards,
Muzvare Betty Makoni
Freelance Defender for Rape Survivors
Southern Africa
As I listened to Obama speak, though he did not mention names, I thought here in Africa his message was very clear on what leadership should all about. Leaders in our part of the world here must unclench their fists, and stop blaming the West for their own manmade disasters.
Also the message on food on the farms and clean running water was not directed to anyone in particular, but we all embraced it in Zimbabwe because where I stayed myself I had no running water for a year, and now Zimbabwe has been struck very hard with a cholera epidemic.
Lets hope our leaders in Africa embraced this message !!!!!!!
Just last year I had a rare opportunity to be invited by the current Vice President Joe Biden`s office to testify to the US senate on the International Violence against Women Act (IVAWA), whose campaign had reached an advanced stage but I could not come because last minute this was postponed due to the election campaigns going on by then.
Now that the elections are over, maybe sisters in the US can help us track this vision by your current Vice President because he was the biggest sponsor of this Bill which when passed into law will support groups like Girl Child Network working so hard to stop violence against women and girls in Africa.
Also it would make it possible for US to intervene within six months in cases like Jestina Mukoko`s when women human rights defenders are incarcerated. (AWR notes: Jestina Mukoko is Zimbabwean human rights activist that was kidnapped in December, and beaten and tortured, but was thankfully released alive after being held for more than a month.)
We are fully aware of the many challenges our sisters in the US have to deal with during this transition, and we will be with you in spirit and learn from your coping mechanisms.
Once again congratulations our sisters because every time I received emails from many of you or when we met, you just sounded anxious and hoped for something new, and so yesterday rest assured you will all be okay.
It is so interesting how our countries are in the same universe, but so different.
I counted that since 1980 when I turned 11 and till now 2009 which is 29 years, you sisters in the US have had more than 10 presidents.
Now I am 37 years old and turning 38 this year and my son, who turned 13 recently, and myself have had ONLY ONE PRESIDENT in our lifetime. It is quite possible that my grandchildren will be so lucky to see the same president in the next ten years, and so three generations of us will have one president.
However I have been lucky because I have been in neighboring beautiful and democratic Botswana, and saw presidents do transitions smoothly and its people protected by the government. This also ushers hope for Africa because leading democratic countries like Bostwana are good examples of what Africa can do if committed.
Congratulations to you sisters, and Michelle Obama too !!!!!! Your new administration has women and girls and children at heart and so for the next few years we will work closely together to overcome the challenges women and girls face in both our countries.
Well again and again congratulations sisters !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Regards,
Muzvare Betty Makoni
Freelance Defender for Rape Survivors
Southern Africa