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I recently reviewed the book “28 Stories of AIDS in Africa” for you, and today I have one more book review that I wanted to share, and that I think all parents who have adopted from Africa or are in the research stage or are in process, would really enjoy.
The book is titled “Angels in Africa” by Beth O’Donnell, and it features the stories of seven extraordinary women in Africa who are doing something to change the things that they see need fixing in their communities and countries. These are not women who are involved in politics. These are not women who have foreign financial aid. These are not wealthy women who want to pump money into a good cause. These are women who are showing what can be done with blood, sweat, tears and heart.
The book is gorgeous. When I bought it off of Amazon.com, I didn’t realize that it was a big coffee table type book. It is hardcover and the photos are stunning. Anyone with a love for or interest in Africa will be taken by the beauty of these pictures. And the stories are even more beautiful.
One of the women is caring for people living with, suffering from and dying of AIDS in Kenya, even though the stigma against HIV in Kenya is so severe that she herself was shunned originally for interacting with the people she cares for. She has created an organization to provide a warm, nutritious meal and a much needed shoulder to lean on and listening ear to people who are all alone.
Another one of the women is working to teach the people in her home of Tanzania about the importance of conservation of the forest, and links her theories of conservation with income generation, to help get people interested.
One of the stories features a woman in Mozambique who is fighting against hunger, and serving as the president of a cooperative that she has grown from a mere seven farms, to a union of 250 collectives, which now feeds six thousand members, many of which are impoverished women and their children.
The fourth story is of a woman in Rwanda, who is working to unite Hutus and Tutsis and her nation, after the brutal killings of more than a million people in 1994. Her organization brings Hutus and Tutsis together to work side by side weaving baskets, and while the baskets are being weaved, she is helping her country become one people again.
The fifth story in the book is of a woman in South Africa who has dedicated her life to caring for AIDS orphans. She focuses on caring for children who are 8-17 years old and have lost their parents to AIDS. The children get an education, nutritious meals, a safe place to live, love, support and hope for their futures.
Poverty is an issue affecting most of Africa, and the sixth story is about a woman fighting poverty in Senegal. She works to teach women skills they need to be financially independent, and teaches them jobs such as being an auto mechanic, metal worker or construction worker, that are typically jobs for men. These jobs not only give women confidence, but the ability to earn a greater amount of income than the traditional woman’s jobs in Senegal. Her program is not only helping hundreds of women provide for themselves and their families, but she is also teaching them that it is wrong for men to beat and abuse their wives, and is giving these women support, strength and independence.
The last story in the book is about a woman who is fighting child labor in Mali. Her program trains young girls that come to the city from the country side, and gives them the skills and knowledge that they need to be highly qualified maids. The girls also get literacy classes (since many come not knowing how to read). The program, which is free to the girls, helps them get jobs in safe environments (as these girls are often exploited) and allows them a way to earn money with dignity.
These woman are inspirational to me. So often we think of Africa as a place that needs Westerners to come over and “fix”. While foreign aid is much needed by many African countries, these stories show that much can be done by the people in Africa themselves as well. I often say how important it is that adoptive parents do not forget about where their children are from and the needs that exist there. I often say how essential it is that we work together to try and find solutions to help keep parents alive, to keep families together and to prevent millions more children from becoming orphans.
It is easy to look at the problems of the world and feel that they are too big and overwhelming for us to make any real difference. The stories of these women show us that anyone can do something. If these women, living in the conditions they are living in and having as few resources as they have can touch so many lives and create so much positive change and so much good, just imagine what we can do with all that we have been blessed with.
I found the book on Amazon for $23 and a portion of the proceeds of each sale go to the Pendulum Project, which supports the work of the women in this book, and other women in Africa like them.
Do you have a book about Africa that inspires you? Leave a comment and let me know.
The book Left To Tell is an amazing story from Rwanda. It’s a hard read, but worth every second.