It's nice to see you all again -- meatworld has been chewing into my blogging time lately, so I don't get out as often as I'd like. I wanted to drop in and tell you about something wonderful, though. I also want to mention that KTK played a role in making it happen.
Last March, I posted some fundraising diaries that were warmly promoted at KTK. You can read a couple of those here and here.
The money was to fund a grassroots video project in Goma, DR Congo -- and without your help, we would not have made our goal. This video was written by a group of teenage, single mothers in DR Congo -- performed with a Congolese pop group called Maisha Soul. The video was to promote the community-based work they were doing to empower themselves, and to tell the rest of Congo that their lives could be better, too.
People at Daily Kos played a significant role in funding this:
The video was so successful, that the teen moms are making videos on their own now -- funded by selling DVD copies of the original video on the streets of Goma! The experience gave them the connections and tools they needed to continue producing socially significant artwork on their own. And people pay attention to it.
The following video was written and produced by teen moms in Goma, and is deeply significant to women in DR Congo. The refrain in the song means, "Don't laugh at me, because I was forced."
So, feel good about yourself for a moment. Even if you didn't donate to the original video, your recs, likes, and shares made a difference -- and it really is making a difference for people in DR Congo.
And thanks again. :)
Kitchen Table Kibitzing is a community series for those who wish to share part of the evening around a virtual kitchen table with kossacks who are caring and supportive of one another. So bring your stories, jokes, photos, funny pics, music, and interesting videos, as well as links—including quotations—to diaries, news stories, and books that you think this community would appreciate. Readers may notice that most who post diaries and comments in this series already know one another to some degree, but newcomers should not feel excluded. We welcome guests at our kitchen table, and hope to make some new friends as well.