During the second week of March, Partners for Women’s Equality hosted its very first Bridge to Change for Indigenous Women Retreat.   Eighteen Bridge Partners, Indigenous women working in their communities to end violence against women and children, left their busy lives and gathered at the Mount Olivet Retreat Center in Farmington, Minnesota.  Women from five countries, all walking to the beats of their own drums and in their own directions, found a junction in time that brought them together and led them to strive for a common dream: resources, support, sisterhood, encouragement, and drive to find peace, equality, and  safety for their communities

 

The welcome reception for the Bridge Partners retreat was an eye opener.  Bridge Partners, volunteers, interns, staff, and board members came together to share a meal and the reality of Bridge to Change for Indigenous Women.  As an intern helping with Partners for Women’s Equality I attended the dinner with other interns to help welcome the brave Bridge Partners to Minnesota, but to our surprise it was the Bridge Partners who welcomed us.  In less than a day, the Bridge Partners had fused their different paths and drives for equality into one movement.  The collection of varying ages, experiences, histories, wisdom, work and lives of all these women was a utopia of inspiration. 

  Catherine Mututua of Kenya was one of the international Bridge Partners selected to travel to Minnesota for the Bridge to Change for Indigenous Women retreat.  Catherine lives in the Rift valley, Kajiado district where she works with the Namayiana Maasai Women’s group.  The group of 112 women runs a shop and a women’s center.  The center in Kimuka is where women design, construct, package and prepare jewelry to generate income.  They sell their jewelry locally in the shop and internationally at fair trade shops like Ten Thousand Villages.

 

 

Catherine Mututua (left) at Bridge to Change Retreat, and her Bridge Builder (coach), Rose Tuiyott-Lewis.

 

 The women’s group also works to preserve women’s health, education and the environment. While working at the center, women also develop communication skills, learn about health, politics and leadership. They learn about their personal rights to education, to inherit property, to be safe, to own property. Catherine’s participation in the retreat has given her a rejuvenated sense of strength.  At the retreat, she improved her personal leadership skills and learned new ways of generating interest and help for her group.  She bonded with 18 other Bridge Partners who are now her supporting sisters. Rose Tuiyott-Lewis, her Bridge Builder, will continue to work with Catherine throughout  the year to attain the goals she has set for herself. 

 

The goal of the women’s group is to empower the women; by crafting jewelry women are generating income to help feed, clothe, and educate their children and families – they gain an independent voice and financially contribute to the family.

 

During Catherine’s trip to Minnesota she was successful in selling the jewelry she brought with her from the Namayiana Maasai Women’s group.  If any one of you have connections to groups that might assist Catherine in the sale of her jewelery, please email Maureen White Eagle and she will connect you.