Congo Team to V-Day 2008

Jennifer and Vinie with Agnes from the V-Day film. Agnes is a Kenyan woman who walked from village to village to stop FGM. She n

Vinie with a woman from the Phillipines, also featured in the V-Day documentary

Christine Dreschyver and Bibiane and a new friend from Friends of Congo organization in a strategy conversation

Networking

Bibiane with Gayle, you know, Oprah's friend

Bibiane helps get our flyers and lettering ready at Kinkos

burn the midnight oil - vinie colors, Bibiane cuts

Jennifer affixes the design to the umbrellas

ready for the parade

twirling and doing our thing in the parade

The delegation parading with Code Pinkers.

Eve Ensler interviews Dr. Mukwege

the delegation in front of the superdome. we made it!

I was overwhelmed by all those people coming together to meet for the wellbeing of the women from all over the world. I heard women from Phillipines, Iraq, Afghanistan, Serbia. Living the same problem. The violence. It made me think how it is happening around the world and whay is it still happening?

It was crossing my mind all the time. Women are the ones giving birth to the perpetrators, mothers to gunmakers, mothers to policy makers. Where are we failing as women? That we can birth out these types? It's women all over the world. We are giving life to what? Let's go inside ourselves and ask if we are doing enough. It's like a theater. We meet, cry and forget. Are participating in conflict resolution with the murderers? These are my questions. These should not be a buisiness as usual meeting. It's superficial and not solving the problem. Women as educators should get to the future by training our children and evaluating ourselves and actions.

This is not a question of color but a question of power. Questions. Questions. Questions.
Bibiane

In an event where almost three or four thousand women were together, many impressions - some fleeting and some lasting. The overall impression was movement of women. Knowing the condition of women.

To hear from the Phillipines (the Gabriella Network is strong), to hear from Katrina survivors and Iraqi women, I realized that the two gulfs had something in common. Both gulfs were deserted by powerful proctectors.

It was also heart breaking to talk with New Orleans residents - white, black, poor, and otherwise. They had been abandoned by all the forces of Government. One women, with whom I spoke with in great length, gave graphic desciption for what happened - Clara Rita. She said she stood in many feet of water screaming to a boat passing by:

"My name is Clara Rita and I am still alive. My name is Clara Rita and I am still alive."

When we arrived at the Superdome, there were for women who were talking about their experiences. Their horrible experiences as young women. Young women from Afghanistan and from the Phillipines. The lady from the Philipines talked about the Comfort Women and the current prostitution in the Phillipines. She even mentioned the how the U.S. military creates a prostitution ring and also, the rise of mail order brides.

There was also a woman from Bosnia, talking about the violence there. You know, the whole thing, the stories, were just so barbaric that it is hard to believe that we are living in the year 2008.
Louise

Laguardia to Washington, D.C. to Tampa, to Miami to New Orleans. All of this for the sake of peace and justice. We never lost hope. We tried to wheel and deal and negotiate our way onto flights. Running to make the plane from crazy connections. Thank God at last we made it.

In New York we tried several agents to get us out of there from 6 a.m. Finally a kind woman was able to figure something out. We left hundreds of stranded folks in that airport. It was a divine order that we should make the plane. We were the blessed ones. Thank God we made it.

In D.C. we were interviewed by Fox 5 and Canadian television. This almost made us miss our flight. Another airline promised seats and at the last they failed. We got a flight to Tampa. Thank God we made it.

I travelled with two amazing human beings, women who are fighting for the well-being of others. The trip was long just as travelling from one continenet to another. It seemed as though leaving Africa to America or Europe would be more comfortable than travelling within the U.S. at this time with the American Airlines situation. But, the goal was so desirable - to be in New Orleans - nothing else matters. We did it together. It was fun.

I felt as though I was sharing the load that I had been carrying for years. It is hard to express it. My favorite moment of the day was when I sat between the two military officers on their way to Washington, D.C. That moment represented that the Congolese are between the U.S. military, men and women. Going to meet other women in V-Day, lighten my load.

There is a song we used to sing in Congo. Take always the road that brings you higher. The victory waits for you because the goal is so high. It's inviting you to repeat everyday to yourself. It's telling you to say to yourself the idea which will guide you and inspire you everyday.

Bibiane

It's amazing how friendly people can be. A ticketing person took particular attention when we said we were going to V-Day. I was alone. Separated from my three fellow travellers and I did worry about what would be their experience as we said goodbye in the departure lounge. Later I learned they made four stops.
Vinie

Here's recounts from the travels from New York City to New Orleans on the day that American Airlines cancelled hundreds of airplane flights due to a grounding of their fleet of MD-80s for safety inspections. Thousands of travelers were stranded and the Congo Team's travels and travail stories are inspiring.