Who we are “Are you ready for me? I will expand what it means to belong. I don’t need you to accept me, I embraced myself a long time ago, Eloquent in myself, Successful in being me.”
Ata Ratu, East Sumba’s beloved singer song writer and female Marapu cultural figure, preparing to record songs to respond to the Covid-19 pandemic.
hours on 7 April, we were in one space at the global celebration- #connected and #prouderandlouder. More than 384 people participated offline (in capitals and in villages) and more than 570 people participated online, including people who watched the live streams. There were 16 different languages, including sign languages! We danced to the beats of DJ Catsu Diosi from Uganda founder of the Dope Gal Africa network that celebrates and promotes African and diaspora female DJs and music creatives. We were moved to tears by a collabo- rative performance by Madina N’Daiye, the first woman and woman with visual impairment to play the kora, and Sitawa Namwalie, acclaimed poet, playwright and performer from Kenya. The Magic of Our Voices, documenting the stories of rightsholders and grantee partners, is the most pow- erful and humbling legacy of this event. Voice would not exist were it not for the people who have come together in a community around its shared purpose. The rightsholders and grantee partners who daily live the principle “Nothing About Us Without Us” as they affect change for their communities. The Voice team members who work their hearts out to make grants, amplify voices and facilitate linking & learning. And our allies, supporters and funders who continually trust us and guide us. What kept Voice going in 2021 was the immense energy and creativity displayed by rightsholders and grantee partners as they adapted to the COVID-19 pandemic and conceptualised new projects to enhance inclusion for their communities. Following the trend from 2020, we saw a growth in responsive approaches to using social media and digital technology to foster social change. In Nigeria for example, Integriti Technologies and the Yes We Can Youth Leadership Initiative started Politecracy to equip rural youth with digital skills and promote political literacy. In Cambodia, the Khmer Youth Association is using an online platform to share messages that counter negative gender stereotypes from an intersectional perspective through an initiative called “I YOU ARE BEAUTIFUL”. In Mali, the Association Malienne pour la Protection des Albinos is forming partnerships not only with other Disabled Peoples
From Voice to Belonging
2021 will perhaps be remembered as the year when living in a pandemic went from being new to being ‘normal’ for people across the world. For Voice, it presented an early opportunity to engage its global community in a reflective and celebratory event to mark 5 years of being. And so came about the Voice@5 celebrations! In Laos, Nigeria, Mali, Niger and Uganda, Voice teams gathered in-person with grantee partners and rightsholders and other wellwishers. In Kenya, Tanzania, Cambodia, Indonesia and the Philippines the Voice community connected virtually for their own national celebrations. Most importantly, for two
Organisations but also a network of bloggers and influencer activists to advocate for the implementation of a law mandating quotas for political participation of women with disabilities through its project Equilibrons pour un Mali plus inclusive. Complementing these interesting examples of online activism, we had powerful offline initiatives demon- strating that change-making at the local level does not stop. With or without a pandemic. In Tanzania, the Aqua Farm Organization Arts and Culture for Development is creating an arts for change campaign to overcome socio- cultural and religious barriers that prevent women from participating in fisheries through the Bahari HUB Yetu, Ukombozi wa Wanawake project. In Indonesia, Sumba Integrated Development is continuing to organise to en- hance access to social and education services for Marapu believers including through integrating Marapu inclusive curriculum in formal and informal education systems. In Uganda, Voice of Encouragement will take lessons from civil society in Kenya and Zambia to advocate for the re-entry of pregnant girls who are compelled to drop out of schools.
SITAWA NAMWALIE, KENYAN POET AND PLAYWRIGHT
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