V-Day, an organization focused on combating violence against women and girls around the world, has a new project called City of Joy.
V-Day and UNICEF, in partnership with Panzi Foundation, are currently building a special facility for the survivors of sexual violence in Bukavu, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The City of Joy will support women to heal and provide them with opportunities to develop their leadership through programming in: group therapy; storytelling; dance; theater; self-defense; comprehensive sexuality education (covering HIV/AIDS, family planning); ecology and horticulture; and economic empowerment.
V-Day invites you to be a part of the creation of the City of Joy through the City of Joy Gift Registry. By contributing just a few dollars, you can have far-reaching impact. By purchasing items on the registry you can provide much needed supplies that will make the City of Joy a comfortable, caring, and healthy place for women survivors of sexual violence to learn, lead, and inspire.
This is a unique opportunity to be a part of a groundbreaking project.
Gifts can be chosen from various areas, anything from skills training to education. You can also choose a custom donation. This giveaway is a great way to start off the new year and decade. I will donate $200 in the name of the winner. Please visit the site and share what gifts you would choose (within $200, of course) in the comments. Also be sure to share if you make a donation on your own. I will choose a winner at the end of the month (deadline for entering is 11:59pm on 1/31). Deadline extended to 2/14 at 11:59pm.
And please, share this project with all of your family and friends.
I also encourage all of you to set up a monthly donation to V-Day. I donate monthly, and you can choose any amount that works within your budget.
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I love V-Day. I was on the executive of the branch at my school for two years and I totally appreciate that you’re supporting this organization.
The gifts I would choose for the City of Joy are bedding (because if you aren’t getting good sleep then it’s hard to have other things in your life go well) and a sewing machine (I love to sew. I find it really fun and relaxing and hope that it will be part of my job someday).
Hello! I’m a Jezebel lurker and I saw your comments about this giveaway. I think it’s a great idea! I’m going to post a link to your blog on my Facebook and Livejournal, and as soon as I have a steady paycheck again (just came off sick leave – ugh) I’m going to set up a monthly donation to V-Day. I’m so glad I know about this now!
On to the point. I would choose self-defense training, literacy, first-aid, connectivity, oil lamps, towels, and curtains. The first four I feel are all vital tools for safety, and a woman should be safe at all times. Not only for obvious reasons, but also so that she can focus on her goals other than surviving. The last three I would choose just because they’re small basic necessities that I wouldn’t want overlooked.
Thanks for this event, I’m off to spread the word!
Thanks for your donation Penny. I was linked by Melissa here.
If I were to choose, it’d be, arts, literacy, first aid, self-defense training, music, and oil tamps. It’s kind of a mix between self expression and basic needs for me, both of which I value highly. I wouldn’t want to live in a world without the arts, and I wouldn’t want others to be in so much danger they cannot enjoy the arts either.
This is great! sadly, I have put all philanthropy on hold since I started grad school but plan to resume once I start working again. thanks for putting this on my radar! I would pick the literacy item, or the anatomy model. there was a NYT article a while back that made me realize how lacking sex education and body awareness was in some parts of the world, and I would think that the anatomy stuff would help educate the women about their bodies. wonderful idea, thank you!
Count me in!
This is such a great giveaway! I would choose the sewing machine and literacy books. I would hope the sewing machines provide the opportunity to make an independent living and the literacy books empower through education.
Again, this giveaway is awesome and you are awesome for providing it, Penny!
What a fantastic giveaway — one that means something!
I would choose the self-defence classes, the bedding, towels, literacy books, and — if there’s enough left — books and pens for the kiddos.
This is such a fantastic giveaway. Thank you so much for hosting it. I would choose either the anatomy charts or the anatomy model. While studying massage therapy, I had to learn A LOT about human anatomy and physiology and that knowledge was remarkably empowering. I think helping women and girls learn more about their bodies will affect their lives in phenomenally positive ways.
I love this idea!
This would be my combo: music, the arts, self defense training, literacy, horticulture and connectivity, and then 3 $1 donations.
I missed this original post! This is so great, thank you!
I would choose a few of each of these: self-defense training, supplies for bread for a year, and connectivity.
Oh, and I tried that Brussels sprout salad recently and then proceeded to make it 3 more days that week — so good! I’m excited to see what other Gourmet recipes you share.
$80 for a classroom chalkboard
$112.50 for three classroom chairs
$6 for an oil lamp
The remaining $1.50 as a donation.
Wow! What an inspiring and generous giveaway for a very worthy cause!
I would love to give gifts that include the arts, crafts and music. They are so important and even overlooked in the US schools. Music and art can be so rewarding and therapeutic even.
I saw your link on Jezebel groupthink and this sounds like a great project!
My suggestion is sort of based on what I would think the women and girls could use to live independently without the need to rely on somebody else:
$50 • Dishes and Utensils or Bedding or other household items
$32 • Literacy, because it’s necessary
$30 • Self-Defense Training, I remember how confident it made me feel to be able to wrestle my friend in self-defense class and realising that I can physically fight someone was a really empowering feeling, I can only imagine how powerful this skill would be for those who have been victims of violence
$50 • Connectivity and $30 • Bread Making, I’ve heard stories of how a phone or a preparing food can be turned into a business that benefits the owner and the community around them
So hard to choose.
I’d say, at least to me, the biggest priorities would be self- defense training and literacy, as well as teaching skills, such as bread-making.