Phumulani Minnesota African Women Against Violence
Report date
August 2020
What has been most instrumental to your progress?
Defining clearly what cultural community meant at the very- onset of the project. Often Africa is seen as
a homogenous small country, on the contrary realizing that Africa is the world’s second most populous
continent, with over 5000 languages spoken, 54 countries total. It was important to define, what constituted a “
“Cultural community”, for each healing circle cycle (10 week project).
Having women from West African countries, ( Liberia, Ghana, Democratic Republic of Congo, Burkina Faso,
Mali, Guinea, and Ivory Coast), and conducting pre-surveys, on cultural practices, language, and customs
helped us narrow down the core groups for each 10 week healing circle ( with 5 healing circles completed so far)
The tea ceremonies were conducted in the context of cultural specificity, in which the strength, resilience, and expertise of this culturally grounded work benefited the survivors and created a sustainable successful 10 week healing process for African Women.
2) The tea ceremonies we successful because they were a culturally grounded intervention to healing and ending cycles of violence. The interventions were founded, designed from the ground up, by the survivors.
a homogenous small country, on the contrary realizing that Africa is the world’s second most populous
continent, with over 5000 languages spoken, 54 countries total. It was important to define, what constituted a “
“Cultural community”, for each healing circle cycle (10 week project).
Having women from West African countries, ( Liberia, Ghana, Democratic Republic of Congo, Burkina Faso,
Mali, Guinea, and Ivory Coast), and conducting pre-surveys, on cultural practices, language, and customs
helped us narrow down the core groups for each 10 week healing circle ( with 5 healing circles completed so far)
The tea ceremonies were conducted in the context of cultural specificity, in which the strength, resilience, and expertise of this culturally grounded work benefited the survivors and created a sustainable successful 10 week healing process for African Women.
2) The tea ceremonies we successful because they were a culturally grounded intervention to healing and ending cycles of violence. The interventions were founded, designed from the ground up, by the survivors.
The tea circles, are a cultural practice that served as a culturally grounded intervention: Founded and designed from the ground up by the survivors, and from the members of the African immigrant/refugee community. The survivor’s lived experiences, core cultural constructs, and implementation of healing circles, and decision making enabled the tea circles to demonstrate clear and measurable goals, and objectives, engaged, in on-going guidance from the survivors in the
community.
Because the tea ceremonies, were culturally focused, values, behaviors, , expectations , norms and worldview of the cultural community was present at every level of the healing circles process, the strength, resilience, expertise and vitality of this culturally grounded work benefited all survivors who participated.
Culturally specific healing practices uplift the voices and experiences of those who, because of oppression, have been unheard or unheeded for too long. Allowing the women to define 'gender-based violence', in their own languages, enabled us to dismantle the common silence around Domestic and sexual violence. Survivors built trust, and were able to discuss, and open up about a taboo topic.
community.
Because the tea ceremonies, were culturally focused, values, behaviors, , expectations , norms and worldview of the cultural community was present at every level of the healing circles process, the strength, resilience, expertise and vitality of this culturally grounded work benefited all survivors who participated.
Culturally specific healing practices uplift the voices and experiences of those who, because of oppression, have been unheard or unheeded for too long. Allowing the women to define 'gender-based violence', in their own languages, enabled us to dismantle the common silence around Domestic and sexual violence. Survivors built trust, and were able to discuss, and open up about a taboo topic.
Engaging in problem solving and working collaborative partnerships with Minnesota Coalition against Sexual Assault, Violence Free Minnesota, The Minnesota Department of Health and The Cultural Wellness Center, enabled us to continue to work on processed that are inclusive, helped us to meaningfully engage key stakeholders and identifying the gaps in victim services programming as we conducted the healing circles. Through the constant feedback from our healing circles participants, we managed to gather information on how we can improve how different systems respond to domestic and sexual violence victims. In addition, we have managed to take the voices of the women to offer advice, to the Governor on the status of violence rates, in Minnesota's African immigrant community, we were invited to participate in the reform of how Minneapolis Police has been responding to victims of violence and sexual assault.
Centering the survivor's voices, and enabling the women to facilitate and lead the circles, created vitality and success of the healing tea circles.
One of the bricks that made the foundation of our project succesfull was using a relationship -centric approach.
Centering the survivor's voices, and enabling the women to facilitate and lead the circles, created vitality and success of the healing tea circles.
One of the bricks that made the foundation of our project succesfull was using a relationship -centric approach.
Key lessons learned
1)Stigma around Gender -Based Violence
One of most profound lessons we learned was how much stigma is attached to domestic violence and sexual violence in the African cultures. Most of the women were speaking about their experiences for the first time, and we realized the amount of shame that victims feel, hence the silence around it. We realized the need to continue bringing an awareness and creating content that helps women understand the signs and symptom of domestic violence and are able to define in their own languages.
2)Isolation of African immigrant women in the diaspora
Many women identified how isolated they felt , due to the long hours of work and or raising children and we learned how this isolation is impacting their mental health and well being, ( in addition to violence in their homes, or past violence they experienced, there was a significant feedback on how the healing circle meetings, were something they were looking forward to, as it reduced isolation. So we realize the need for creating space for African immigrant women to come and meet long-term and establish community of healing.
The only set back was the lack of capacity to host as many women.
One of most profound lessons we learned was how much stigma is attached to domestic violence and sexual violence in the African cultures. Most of the women were speaking about their experiences for the first time, and we realized the amount of shame that victims feel, hence the silence around it. We realized the need to continue bringing an awareness and creating content that helps women understand the signs and symptom of domestic violence and are able to define in their own languages.
2)Isolation of African immigrant women in the diaspora
Many women identified how isolated they felt , due to the long hours of work and or raising children and we learned how this isolation is impacting their mental health and well being, ( in addition to violence in their homes, or past violence they experienced, there was a significant feedback on how the healing circle meetings, were something they were looking forward to, as it reduced isolation. So we realize the need for creating space for African immigrant women to come and meet long-term and establish community of healing.
The only set back was the lack of capacity to host as many women.
2)Resistance of African women going to traditional domestic violence shelters
One of our main take-aways from the circles was that women who were presently living in abusive homes, resisted the idea of moving to a domestic violence shelters, there were a lot of concerns around lack of culturally specific services in mainstream shelters. We learned that the women would prefer to move to a safe home and or place that is culturally relevant to them and their children and prefer to be in a space where they can continue with their regular lives, like work and school for the children.Some of the women shared the following 'I once went to a shelter, and as a night nurse, there were rules around curfew, where I ened up choosing, either going back to my abuser, or lose my job, I went home', 'I would move to a transition house, that allows me to continue to maintain my dignity, of course with support services, until I can get my own appartment or home,I experienced shelter, and it is something I would not want it for anyone.'
From these and more statements from the women, we learned that there is a lack of culturally specific shelter or safe haven for African Immigrant women in Minnesota
One of our main take-aways from the circles was that women who were presently living in abusive homes, resisted the idea of moving to a domestic violence shelters, there were a lot of concerns around lack of culturally specific services in mainstream shelters. We learned that the women would prefer to move to a safe home and or place that is culturally relevant to them and their children and prefer to be in a space where they can continue with their regular lives, like work and school for the children.Some of the women shared the following 'I once went to a shelter, and as a night nurse, there were rules around curfew, where I ened up choosing, either going back to my abuser, or lose my job, I went home', 'I would move to a transition house, that allows me to continue to maintain my dignity, of course with support services, until I can get my own appartment or home,I experienced shelter, and it is something I would not want it for anyone.'
From these and more statements from the women, we learned that there is a lack of culturally specific shelter or safe haven for African Immigrant women in Minnesota
Reflections on inclusive, collaborative or resourceful problem-solving
Creating working collaborative working partnerships with community leaders, religious leaders, and other community agencies, has been the most important in making progress in the healing work because of several reasons; The African proverb that states, “If you want to go fast, go alone, but if you want to go far, go together. This last year, we have created working collaborative partnerships, with organizations like Violence Free Minnesota, The Cultural Wellness Center, and The City of Brooklyn Park, Brooklyn Center, and Bloomington City. These collaborative working partnerships, strengthen our ability to implement changes, to decrease the rates of homicide through securing land, for a future transformative housing option for African immigrant survivors and their families.
The healing tea circles’ emphasis is on the voices and experiences of the survivors of violence proved how inclusive innovative work is possible. With the guidance from survivors, and members of the community, we are managing to come up with culturally grounded interventions on ending domestic violence. We believe that the solutions of any community's issues, lie within those same communities.
The healing tea circles’ emphasis is on the voices and experiences of the survivors of violence proved how inclusive innovative work is possible. With the guidance from survivors, and members of the community, we are managing to come up with culturally grounded interventions on ending domestic violence. We believe that the solutions of any community's issues, lie within those same communities.
Other key elements of Community Innovation
Due to the endemic nature of racism, colonialism, white supremacy, and xenophobia, many communities are unserved, underserved , and inadequately served. Although in Minnesota, there is a clear need for culturally specific Domestic Violence services, (D.V),gaps and barriers exist in seeking funding to address the culturally specific needs of African Immigrant and refugee survivors of D.V.
Understanding the problem
The healing tea circles, brought to light the isolation of African immigrant women who have experienced violence, it also brought to light the gaps in victim services especially lack of culturally specific shelters for women of African heritage. This process, helped bring the the voices of victims and survivors to the table, especially on understanding why women do not speak up about their abuse, why they prefer to stay with their abusers, because the men are the breadwinners, often African women have more than three children, which many shelters are not able to accommodate larger families. This process, made it clear that there is a need for alternative housing that will serve and make sure African immigrant women have another option to flee abuse.
It was very clear to us that women born in Africa are disproportionally impacted by sexual and domestic violence and the cultural practices that protect patriarchy marginalize women, therefore speaking up and sharing their stories, enabled women to connect and build trust which is a huge step towards prevention.
I envision a home environment, that has reminders of Africa, where women can come and be safe, gather and build community.
It was very clear to us that women born in Africa are disproportionally impacted by sexual and domestic violence and the cultural practices that protect patriarchy marginalize women, therefore speaking up and sharing their stories, enabled women to connect and build trust which is a huge step towards prevention.
I envision a home environment, that has reminders of Africa, where women can come and be safe, gather and build community.
If you could do it all over again...
If I were to go back to the beginning I would advice myself to have room for more, we have had at least 125% more women that what we anticipated. I would have planned for a much bigger project, and requested funds for full time, advocates instead, because as the healing circles commenced, more women showed up due to word of mouth, and there was a need for case management and referral to other resources, like counseling, lawyers, housing assistance, to name a few. I should have considered, this as an outcome after identifying more women, but for the future, I know to include these expenses in our budget.
My next piece of advice, is to be attached to nothing and open to everything, because I realized that Africa, is a non-homogenous continent, I learned a lot about other cultural practices, and the piece of advice, I would give myself, as I prepare for the next innovative bigger project , the Hope house project, I will consult with elders, from each African country present in Minnesota, to learn deeper about their cultural practices. This way I can prepare the foundation to serve all women who will walk in our doors, in culturally relevant ways.
My next piece of advice, is to be attached to nothing and open to everything, because I realized that Africa, is a non-homogenous continent, I learned a lot about other cultural practices, and the piece of advice, I would give myself, as I prepare for the next innovative bigger project , the Hope house project, I will consult with elders, from each African country present in Minnesota, to learn deeper about their cultural practices. This way I can prepare the foundation to serve all women who will walk in our doors, in culturally relevant ways.
One last thought
Since we planned to host up to 15 women, from each 'core', cultural group, we had more women sign up from countries, that were war torn for instance, Somalia, Liberia, Rwanda, Sudan it seems, there is a huge need for those communities. We had a difficult time with putting women on a wait list, and continue to seek more funding sources, to continue hosting circles, for the women we could not reach out to. I continue to facilitate these circles due to the pandemic, we have reallocated funds to salaries which has created more time for us to be able to add up to two more healing circles.
Secondly, the first year has been a success, despite the challenges posed by the pandemic, we have managed to readjust, the budget, and conduct online healing circles. Due to the feedback we received from our participants, we would love to continue to host healing circles, long-term and the proposed Innovative Project, the Hope house project to be able to have a safe space that will be resourceful for the survivors, a place where we can continue to host, house and have a culturally specific space for African immigrant women survivors and their children. We are currently looking at securing land.
Secondly, the first year has been a success, despite the challenges posed by the pandemic, we have managed to readjust, the budget, and conduct online healing circles. Due to the feedback we received from our participants, we would love to continue to host healing circles, long-term and the proposed Innovative Project, the Hope house project to be able to have a safe space that will be resourceful for the survivors, a place where we can continue to host, house and have a culturally specific space for African immigrant women survivors and their children. We are currently looking at securing land.