Phumulani Minnesota African Women Against Violence
Report date
July 2021
What has been most instrumental to your progress?
The cultural specificity of the Healing Circles were created by and for cultural communities with an emphasis on the voices and experiences of survivors of interpersonal violence. Acknowledging the strength and resilience, expertise and vitality of this culturally grounded work benefited all survivors who participated in the healing circles. In centering the cultural needs of the survivors, we also uplifted the voices and experiences of those who because oppression, have been unheard or unheeded for too long. In our communities, we have been unserved, underserved and inadequately served because of the endemic nature of racism, colonialism, white supremacy and xenophobia in the United States, as well as barriers that result from global cultural contexts, culturally specific services have historically been grounded in and grown from communities marginalized along racial, ethnic immigrant, refugee or linguistic lines.
Conducting these healing circles with the cultural context in mind, helped the program to be successful because the participants felt a sense of belonging and safe.
This was important because it created a cohesive and a more trusting space for survivors.
Conducting these healing circles with the cultural context in mind, helped the program to be successful because the participants felt a sense of belonging and safe.
This was important because it created a cohesive and a more trusting space for survivors.
Understanding that each individual's definition of who they are culturally, is complex, even with our participants from the same African country or tribe, we acknowledged the multiple layers and complexities. One of the components of the Healing Circles that made it successful was realizing that we could not assume other's culture even if we think we may know it. We used the term 'cultural community', to mean :a group of people united by a shared experience of oppression and cultural resilience, on a basis such as identities as race, ethnicity, language immigration, or refugee status, gender identity/expression, other marginalized identity. We let each 'cultural community define what the aspect of culture meant for them, and we listened to the cultural needs of each individual cohort. We also used the data we received about the cultural needs of each community to engage, the Elders from those communities who then led the Healing Circles.
Key lessons learned
Invisible Pandemic; Throughout the CORONA VIRUS ( COVID-19),Pandemic, we were unable to meet in person for the ceremonies, and we learned of the high levels of isolation African Immigrant women face once they immigrate to the United States. We learned that there is a huge need for cultural communities to gather, in some ways as the women suggested, it would be ideal to recreate, our Ancestors' ways of doing things.
“Free speech” is the only rule approach to the Healing circles reminded us of the importance of creating brave/spaces, for survivors of color to heal.
When the Corona Virus Pandemic hit the world, we were unable to meet in person and unfortunately we were unable to meet in person. Most of the participants were unable to continue participating due to lack of access to technology. This was one of our failures in successfully completing those healing circles.
We learned that there is a huge need to gather in our community as isolation among survivors contributes to higher levels of domestic abuse, including high rates of other issues like suicide and mental health problems.
“Free speech” is the only rule approach to the Healing circles reminded us of the importance of creating brave/spaces, for survivors of color to heal.
When the Corona Virus Pandemic hit the world, we were unable to meet in person and unfortunately we were unable to meet in person. Most of the participants were unable to continue participating due to lack of access to technology. This was one of our failures in successfully completing those healing circles.
We learned that there is a huge need to gather in our community as isolation among survivors contributes to higher levels of domestic abuse, including high rates of other issues like suicide and mental health problems.
One of the biggest lessons was realizing the large numbers of domestic violence and sexual violence, in the African Immigrant community. We learned of the mistrust of African immigrant survivors of the Governmental systems hence their fear of reaching out. We also learned of the disparities that exist in the African Immigrant community. Most survivors do not reach out for help because they do not feel like they have options, and or solutions for their community.• Lack of culturally specific domestic violence shelters, and housing resources is a dire need. We would like support to advocate for what I call mobile advocacy, which does not force survivors to leave their communities, often African Immigrant women have more than three children on average, traditional domestic violence shelters do not work for the women in our community.
•Lack of quality legal resources is one of the biggest barriers faced by African immigrant women, and when it comes to domestic abuse, it is complex often the women’s immigration status is used against them in court, as well as their financial situation.
•Lack of quality legal resources is one of the biggest barriers faced by African immigrant women, and when it comes to domestic abuse, it is complex often the women’s immigration status is used against them in court, as well as their financial situation.
Reflections on the community innovation process
Increase Collective Understanding of the issue:
Not all African immigrant, women want to leave the relationship. They want the violence
to stop. There are times when it may be safer for a woman and her children to stay. Quite simply, a woman who has been battered might be told
she will be killed, or her children will be killed, if she leaves or refuses to
return. Past violence has taught her that his threats often translate into
action. Leaving also might harm her children if he gets custody or visitation. If she is still in the relationship, she can monitor his interactions
with the children. Indeed, the decision to leave an abusive relationship
is not as straightforward as it might seem. The table on page 8 outlines
some of the crucial factors a victim must consider, especially if she has
children.,We understood very well, how to increase the understanding of African immigrant women and domestic violence.
Not all African immigrant, women want to leave the relationship. They want the violence
to stop. There are times when it may be safer for a woman and her children to stay. Quite simply, a woman who has been battered might be told
she will be killed, or her children will be killed, if she leaves or refuses to
return. Past violence has taught her that his threats often translate into
action. Leaving also might harm her children if he gets custody or visitation. If she is still in the relationship, she can monitor his interactions
with the children. Indeed, the decision to leave an abusive relationship
is not as straightforward as it might seem. The table on page 8 outlines
some of the crucial factors a victim must consider, especially if she has
children.,We understood very well, how to increase the understanding of African immigrant women and domestic violence.
Progress toward an innovation
In the last two years, we managed to make some amazing progress, towards breaking the silence and stigma around Gender -Based Violence in the African immigrant community. In addition to the George Floyd measure in the work we do, we have to believe that we are much closer to the innovation grant over the many women.In our community, domestic violence is a topic that is taboo and being able to gather survivors to talk about this topic is a breakthrough, we managed to use the feedback from the community members and participants to create a culturally specific innovative program that heals survivors of gender-based violence through a culturally relevant way.
Based on the feedback our program is now implementing a community centered and wealth building and creation approach ( business development, career training, home ownership, credit repair, financial literacy) for survivors instead of social services approach that seem to limit women and are not sustainable long term.
We are closer now because we have built trust and a strong network of survivors we will now work with moving forward.
Based on the feedback our program is now implementing a community centered and wealth building and creation approach ( business development, career training, home ownership, credit repair, financial literacy) for survivors instead of social services approach that seem to limit women and are not sustainable long term.
We are closer now because we have built trust and a strong network of survivors we will now work with moving forward.
What it will take to reach an innovation?
The ability to continue hosing tea healing circles in person will be crucial because there is a higher need that we anticipated, also we need support building our organizational capacity so we can accommodate the number of survivors reaching out.
What's next?
After this project ends we definitely find the need to continue healing circles especially post George Floyd and the increase in Gun Violence in Minneapolis. We will continue to seek out extended partnerships with Foundations like Bush, HRK Foundation among others. We will plan on facilitating healing circles again in the near future.
If you could do it all over again...
Being flexible and openness to learning because nothing is really guaranteed. The Pandemic taught us that things as planned can and could change, so we managed to use a plan B which was hosting the circles virtually. Looking back and reflecting at the experience, I would tell myself to be open and remove assumptions, because even as an African Immigrant woman and community leader, I thought I had an idea of the complexities that exist within the African Immigrant community itself but learned a lot more throughout this project. I would tell myself to be open and continue to be open especially to be unattached to nothing so I can be best able to learn anew each time.
It would have been important for me to know especially hiring facilitators, we would have had double the amount of facilitators as we had way more women that we thought, also the different tribes and languages represented.
It would have been important for me to know especially hiring facilitators, we would have had double the amount of facilitators as we had way more women that we thought, also the different tribes and languages represented.
One last thought
• Lack of culturally specific services is one of the largest barriers for African born women, the 26 Shelters in Minnesota are not culturally specific, often women have a difficult time finding staff that speaks their language and or understand their culture hence many women end up leaving shelter and going back to the abuser’s home, where it is dangerous for the victim but often, she will choose the comfort of her children over hers.
• A culturally specific non-profit organization like ours does not have capacity due to the unequal distribution of resources, historically marginalized organizations are often underfunded, and main stream programs are well funded, I would love the Taskforce to advocate for Culturally Specific Gender Based Violence Prevention resources to be allocated to programs like ours, hiring someone from the African Immigrant community to represent the whole community is not culturally specific work, instead, funding a program like ours and empowering the community members to become advocates and do work within the community is culturally specific.
•Women expressed the need for Capital to start businesses as well as opportunities for them to own homes
• A culturally specific non-profit organization like ours does not have capacity due to the unequal distribution of resources, historically marginalized organizations are often underfunded, and main stream programs are well funded, I would love the Taskforce to advocate for Culturally Specific Gender Based Violence Prevention resources to be allocated to programs like ours, hiring someone from the African Immigrant community to represent the whole community is not culturally specific work, instead, funding a program like ours and empowering the community members to become advocates and do work within the community is culturally specific.
•Women expressed the need for Capital to start businesses as well as opportunities for them to own homes