Past Award Winners

2005 Women of Peace Award Recipients.

International
     1.      Jazmin Dervish, East Barnet, London - Jazmin manages a program that addresses anti-social behavior and crime among youth populations, including gang mediations. She draws on her years of experience in dance and drama to develop creative interventions, including a crime board game and graffiti arts, and has sacrificed further education and a 9-to-5 work environment to help kids on the street.

2. A. B., Austria - (Name withheld for her the safety of her continued work). A liberal   multicultural feminist and licensed psychological counselor originating from Tanzania East Africa, A.B. supports grassroots multi-faith women's projects for nonviolence against displaced and sexually violated disabled women and girls from her homeland. She helped save three Somali girls, aged 4, 7 and 9, from female genital circumcision, and is now hoping to become an alternative practitioner for women's mental health with an emphasis on expressive art therapy and spirituality. 

 3. Dafna Banai, Tel Aviv, Israel - Women’s International League for Peace & Freedom
Dafna and her organization help Palestinian women that need to cross various checkpoints within the Occupied Territories for medical and other reasons.
          

4. Julie Nze-Bertram, Evanston Gardens, Australia - Julie is the coordinator of Sweet Mother International -Australia.  Julie uses her own resources to travel to Africa to care for poor women and girls through teaching, providing supplies, mediating disputes and leading community development initiatives.

5. Robin Lim, Ubud, Bali, Indonesia,  Robin Lim Support Organization – Before the tsunami of December 2004, Lim was living in Indonesia, serving as a midwife and advocate for safe birth practices and health care. She established basic sanitation and universal AIDS prevention in the hospital in Bali. After the tsunami, Lim focused her efforts on assisting emergency medical teams. Her husband and grown children, originally from Iowa in the United States, are full-time volunteers for her birthing work, and live in Indonesia. 

     1. Heather Hosterman, Pleasant, CA, 31^st December Women’s Movement - Heather taught women in Ghana about planting crops and hardwood trees in previously deforested regions. Also, she recently returned from Bolivia where she trained as a Peace Corps Environmental Educator and taught waste management and environmental awareness in Bolivian schools. Her next project is to travel to Ixhualan, Mexico, to develop educational materials on gender equality for AUGE, a women's micro-crediting loan organization.

     2. Pamela Wooldridge, Thomaston, GA - Wooldridge's 15-year-old son nominated her for this award after witnessing her relentless work on behalf of abused and neglected children in their area. She works with local government agencies and independently, even securing a $6,000 loan two years in a row to provide Christmas gifts for nearly 80 needy children in her community. She has also created a foundation to provide outreach services for abused and neglected children, foster children and women rebuilding their lives after domestic violence.

                             3. Alice Washington, Richmond, VA , Helping Hands Women’s Outreach Ministries – Ceeatta House - Alice works with women who have experienced the trauma of sexual abuse, many of whom have histories of violence, previous incarcerations, and mental health disorders. She used personal funds to open four homes for women survivors of domestic and sexual violence, and has tailored a program to help women reenter their lives free of drugs, battering and family strife. 

 4.  Josephine Prescott, Aiken, SC, CSRA Dream Catchers, Josephine was shot by her estranged husband when she was eight months pregnant, and left a quadriplegic. Now, 20 years later, he still lives in the same area where she speaks her story as founder of the CSRA Dream Catchers support/advocacy group. Without compensation for any of her efforts, she assists other survivors of domestic abuse, and speaks locally for the "Love Shouldn't Hurt" forum.

     5. Johnnie Lewis, Oakland, CA, SISTER (Supportive, Intensive System of Treatment, Empowerment & Recovery) - Johnnie was raped at 7 years old, and grew into a woman who will not let other women make destructive choices. She gave her life savings and her home to develop a program to teach self-respect and life skills to women and girls who have experienced sexual trauma, domestic violence or prostitution, and is known for her ability to love unconditionally. 

                            6. Jennifer Stanley, Warren, RI, Silent Witness - Jennifer is the Director of the Women's Center at Roger Williams University but also volunteers  as the International Director of College Campus Projects with the Silent Witness Initiative. Her program through SWI has been recognized by the National Crime Prevention Council as one of the 50 best practices for ending domestic violence, and she does this almost exclusively in her off-time, wrangling phones, emails and volunteers to make women safe from violence.

2004 Women of Peace Awards

International
1.      Margaret Owino, Nairobi, Kenya

Margaret travels to remote, dangerous areas in Kenya teaching solar cooking as a fuel saving and life giving skill. She is also very active in two women’s self help groups. Her aim is to alleviate women’s heavy burdens such as fuel wood collection, purchasing and preparing food and the possibility of reprisals from her husband if she doesn’t provide these well. She has helped women to empower themselves through her work.

2.      Gyorgyi Toth,  Budapest, Hungary  

    Gyorgyi is part of a women’s organization called NANE. She helped to start a Silent Witness exhibit in the 1990’s. Hungary was one of the first countries to start an exhibit outside the US. Gyorgyi risks her life in a political arena that is dangerous fighting to get domestic violence high on the agenda of law enforcement and politicians.

3.      Irma (Mimi) de Maza, Ciudad de Guatemala
 
    Mimi  travels around Guatemala to poverty and war torn areas helping women with breast feeding and mother-to-mother support projects. She faces many risks in her work as women, traveling alone and helping women to feel empowered. Since corporations often try and manipulate women into using formula which creates malnutrition problems when the mothers who live in poverty can not afford to continue to use the formula.

4.      Nze Marita, Lagos,  Nigeria

Nze is a widow and mother of eight. Despite her own hardships, physical limitations and living in country where women are considered second class, she has a passion for women. She travels the rural areas of Nigeria educating women and girls through workshops on food and nutrition, mediation settlements of disputes, developmental initiatives and her positive approach to problems the women face.

5.      Maralyn Bamabridge, Brantham, Suffolk  

    Maralyn founded Engalynx in response to a need she saw among families in Rwanda during the civil war in the 1990's.  At first she used her photo shop as a place to gather materials such as sewing machines and bicycles to be shipped to Rwanda. Eventually she started raising money, and since retiring she has been working with orphanages and children-headed families to try to improve their lives in a number of ways including better medical treatment.  

United States

6. Jewel Cowan, Greenville, Michigan

Jewel gives of her self, her time, her home and her personal resources to help women and children leaving domestic violence situations. She also opens her home as a foster parent for special needs children.  Jewel works in her community to help women and children with needed resources. She helps them in dealing with the red tape involved with getting any assistance. She helps with a safe house, and has used her personal cell phone as a 24 hour hot line for women.

7. Maritza de Juan, Tampa, FL

Maritza knows first hand the trauma of living in a homeless shelter.  She is an amazing women that has used her savvy to begin the process of forming a non-profit to help other women and children. She has used her own limited resources to help others. She works in her community to help women and children with needed resources. She offers classes from etiquette to business development.

 8. Sarah Longley, Delmar, New York

Sarah has used her professional skills in culinary arts as a means of teaching domestic violence victims a job skill. She has selflessly used her own resources to start her project that enables battered women to get back in the work force. The food her "students" prepare is used to feed senior citizens in her community. In addition to the culinary arts training she has organized a  group of professionals to offer emotional support, counseling, yoga/meditation and application/interview skills.    

2003 Women of Peace Award Winners

1. Becky Trent,  Valrico Florida -

Becky founded B Encouraged Freedom Ministries, Inc. to help women in crisis in her community get back on their feet. With the support from friends, volunteers and several Churches, Becky counsels women fighting addictions or who are just coming out of prison. She is in the process of constructing a shelter that can be a center offering services and information to help the women find employment  and become self-sufficient. 

2. Sister Lorraine Ryan, Boca Raton, Florida

Sister Lorraine Ryan is a one woman crusader for her community. If she isn't busy offering workshops at Women's Circle then she is tending to plots in her city's community gardens. Her Women's Circle group offers free health screenings and support group meetings such as parenting, career options and financial planning. Her community knows if there is a need for something Sister Ryan will find a way to address it.

3. Katie Alberts, Tampa Florida 

Katie is a 16 year old that heard about a group at her church that was trying to raise money to buy blankets for African children suffering from AIDS. Katie organized Quilts for Kids in Africa. With her army of friends and volunteers  they assembled more than 20 quilts for children in Zambia. Katie was able to deliver her quilts this past summer when she traveled to Africa with some of her classmates from school. In addition to the quilt project, Katie also volunteers at Creative Kids Count.    

Women of Peace Award Winners 2002

Tampa Bay

1. Terry Luna, Pregnancy Care Center, Zephyrhills, FL

Terry worked for the Department of Children and Families for 21 years and knows first hand the devastation of women and girls in crisis. She left her secure position to start the Pregnancy Care Center.

  With her Church's support she used her work experience to create the Pregnancy Care Center in Zephyrhills. The center offers counseling, childbirth and parenting classes, and assistance with physical needs. The center also provides information about abortion and its alternatives, fetal development and the value of human life. Free pregnancy tests are available to anyone in crisis situations, such as domestic violence or substance abuse.

The center has an open-door policy in a home-like atmosphere. Baby and personal items are free to those in crisis. They offer cooking classes and life-management skills classes. Terry thinks sharing practical living skills can be an immense help in preparing new parents for a new life.

Terry is sensitive to the needs of both the clients and the volunteers. Through her training, the volunteers and the center were able to help more than 190 women in its first year. 

2. Jan Rodgers, Zephyrhills, FL

The book "Trevor's Place" made an impression on Jan many years ago. The story involves a young boy who sees a newscast about homeless people. Curious, he asks his parents whether there are any homeless people in his city and can he see where they stay. The child takes his pillows and blanket to give to the homeless when his parents take him to that area.

Helping the homeless has become a personal mission for Jan. Through her church, friends, business customers and through word of mouth, she gathers clothes, blankets, pillows and toiletries. She and a friend set up tables in the parking lot of the Salvation Army in Tampa in January and distribute items to 35 -40 people the first year and 175 the second year. She immediately starts collecting again for the following year.

Jan realizes she can't help everyone but she can make a difference to some who are in need.

3. Susan Stallard, Some of My Best Friends, New Port Richey, FL

Susan founded Some of My Best Friends in 1995 as a 12- step support group much like Alcoholics Anonymous to help displaced women and children. A prison ministry for women was added in 1998 that is currently helping 75-125 inmates in 8 facilities in Florida after helping many of the children of these inmates.

The focus of the organization is to show at risk youth the positive side of life so that they may be steered away from a potential life of crime. Many of the youth are exposed to crime through dysfunctional home lives and their parent's criminal behavior. Her project offers them an alternative.

One of the main projects is a summer camp that the children can attend at no cost. Susan does all of this work for no pay but great rewards when she sees the children grow into high functioning young adults that are able to stay out of the system.

4. Patty Sanphy, Clearwater, FL

Patty is a musician who has devoted many volunteer hours to supporting and educating the public about domestic violence and raising money for women's shelters in the Tampa Bay area. In the early 90's, as a member of the Greens, she organized two "Take Back the Night" vigils in downtown Clearwater.

In 1996 she single-handedly recruited local women musicians and planned and put on a "Take Back the Night" benefit concert on Mother's Day top raise money for an area shelter at Skipper's Smokehouse. This has turned into an annual Mother's Day event ever since. This year was the 7^th annual concert. The concerts now benefit 3 area shelters. Patty has raised more than $35,000 for the shelters in her relentless mission to help battered women.

Florida

1. Ondria Brown, Boca Raton, FL

For over a decade Ondria has been involved with programs that assist women and young girls. She developed and taught displaced homemakers on the mechanics of starting a home-based business. These women had been economically successful however had found themselves abandoned by spouses with no skills or gainful employment.

She has provided youth entrepreneur ship training to a special group of youth to provide them a hope for the future. These youth have come away from the juvenile courts and whose parents have had difficulty finding schools that would take them.

Ondria has taken Take Your Daughter to Work Day to a new level. She takes inner-city girls to meet successful women in their good paying jobs or women who own businesses. She has matched over 25 inner-city girls with successful urban women mentors.

She diligently works with the daughters of battered women in shelter and has started a program that targets and mentors inner city and urban young girls and their moms with ongoing communications about life skills. It offers them exposure to the arts, museums and other places that many people take for granted. Conversations are used to promote their educational desires, hope of leaving their environment, obtaining viable housing, gainful employment and seeing themselves as positive role models to their daughters.

2. & 3. Tracey Dannemiller and Lesley Clementi, Lakeland, FL

Tracey Dannemiller and her 11 year old daughter, Lesley have AIDS.  Tracey contacted the disease from her former husband who died of AIDS in 1987. Lesley was born with the disease.

  Their mission is to help people overcome the fear factor about people infected with HIV.  Dannemiller, who is a homemaker, volunteers her time to educate people about AIDS safety precautions as part of the talks she gives regularly at area churches and community centers.

  She and her current husband, Timothy (his previous wife died of AIDS in 1993) are writing a book about their experiences, and a group of Lakeland High School students are filming a documentary on Lesley’s version of being HIV infected as part of their television production class.

  Lesley participates with her mother at the speaking engagements “because I know it will make a difference in peoples’ lives.  I tell them what I’ve been through…It’s difficult.  I have to take medicine and go to doctors all the time.”

United States

1. Nancy Rafi, Silent Witness Rhode Island, Newport, RI

Nancy survived a murder attempt by her former husband. It spurred her to get involved with a group of survivors that went on to build the Rhode Island exhibit for the Silent Witness display in Washington, DC. She was so moved by the exhibit and the speech of a recovered abuser that she decided she had to let go of her hatred and start really healing.

She has coordinated domestic violence awareness marches for the last 5 years, works on a project to connect with families of victims, hosts Silent Witness events at all 10 of the colleges in her state, hosted 2 regional training programs to name a few. She is a prime example of passion at work and using your own healing experiences to heal others.

2. & 3. Vickie Amundson                                

                                                                                          and                                                                                    Jerri Miller 

Silent Witness Montana, Livingston, MT and Missola, MT

This team of two powerhouse activists are changing the face of domestic violence in Montana. They are the Silent Witness coordinators and are making sure the Witnesses travel around their sate promoting awareness.

Jerri and Vickie personally raised the money to have a traveling trailer built to accommodate the Witnesses. They are both active members of Business and Professional Women and have formed networks with other BPW's to carry forward domestic violence work in other states.

They formed a non-profit organization (Silent Witness Montana) so they could get grants to sponsor training on effective programs focusing on perpetrators, adolescents, and court observation. Several programs have begun thanks to their efforts including a Native American Nations training project. Both of these tireless women work outside the home and do all this work as volunteers.

International

1. Madame Helene Tahibola Kiashiba, Street Adolescent Girls Project, Lusaka, Zambia

When Laurent Desire Kabila was elected president of the Republic of Congo he created a law that dictated that women must wear the traditional dress of the county or be arrested, and tortured.

Madame Kashiba organized a group of women and girls to visit the president’s home so that they could present a 20-page paper outlining the economic situation for women and girls.  When they arrived to meet with the president the guards prevented them from entering so they took off all of their clothes to demonstrate how marginalized women are in the Congo.

When they were released from jail Madame Kashiba managed to obtain an appointment with the president.  At the meeting she told him that females wear men’s pants because they are cheap, and the traditional dress is expensive.  She said that if he was going to mandate women to wear traditional dress then he should provide these dresses for everyone.

The president reversed the law and women are now able to wear what they are able to afford.

2000 Media & Amigas Award Winners 

1.  Radio Feature - USA

WQYK Morning Show hosts Skip Mahaffey, Les McDowell, Rita Ciccarillo and Braden Gunn for their decision to keep their programming family oriented and leadership role in community service.The show's consistently high ratings prove that a radio program in a country western format can offer a family show. They use their show to encourage young people through their “Skip’s Kids” contests and promote awareness and offer sensible solutions on where to get help with problem issues.

2.      Radio Feature - International (Ireland)

Galway Centre for the Unemployed for their radio feature “Breaking the Silence” on domestic violence. The format shows how two women use their personal domestic violence experiences and their struggle to survive to promote awareness and offer support and information.

3.  TV News Feature - USA

Alexandra Gromko for her news feature “When Women Kill” that she produced and reported which highlighted the stories of battered women incarcerated for killing their partner. The series opened a floodgate of response from interested viewers and has prompted people to become involved in various ways to help the women gain pardons.

4.  Print - books - Fiction - USA

Author Connie May Fowler for her book “Before Women Had Wings”. Connie is the author of several novels.  She has also been a battered woman. Her book is a fictionalized version of her own story of growing up as the child of an abused woman. Oprah Winfrey made her book into a movie.

5.  Print - books - Non-fiction - USA

Author Michele Weldon – for her book “I Closed My Eyes”, a non-fiction memoir.   Michele fell back on her years as a journalist to write a compelling story of her own life experiences. Her work helps thousands to understand the pervasive tragedy of domestic violence.

6.  Print - Manual or Handbook - USA

Rape & Abuse Crisis Center for their “Red Flag – Green Flag” coloring book for children.   The center develops educational tools for children. Their coloring books, videos and training manuals are used nationally to help children learn how to prevent a dangerous situation. They are done in a format that children understand. The success of the first coloring book has spawned an entire line of children’s educational books, videos and board games that deal with sexual and domestic abuse.

7.  Print - Manual or Handbook  - International (England)

Author Camille Giffard  for her " The Torture Reporting Handbook ". This book is available on the internet and is a step by step guide to help anyone that has ever experienced, witnessed or been told of an incident of torture. The manual provides instruction on how to document abuse and human rights violations properly in order to prosecute effectively. Only by bringing such incidents to the attention of the international community can eradication stand a chance of success. It is arranged in a basic, easy to read format.

8.  Print – Personal Growth - USA

Author Jan Arnow for her book “Teaching Peace: Raising Kids in Harmony Without Fear, Without Prejudice, Without Violence”. This is a hands on, down-to-earth approach that explains how to combat prejudice and prevent conflict, while teaching kids the kinds of values that will help them live fruitful lives in today’s changing world.

9.  Print – Personal Growth - International (Canada)

Authors Reinhild Boehm, Judith Golec, Ruth Krahn and Dianne Smyth for their book “Lifelines:Culture, Spirituality, and Family Violence. A four woman editorial collective of stories on abuse and community workers sharing stories, experience and knowledge. The book examines the healing process, which evolves through pain and mental anguish. It offers a way of helping, gives a message of hope and a celebration of healing.

10. Internet - USA

War Widows Website  for their development of www.warwidows.org that serves as a living memorial for war widows to record and share their stories to highlight the devastation of war.

11. Internet - International (Yugoslavia)

Radio FreeB92 for their radio broadcasts on www.freeb92.net despite all attempts to silence them.    Radio FreeB92 has existed in Belgrade for 10 years. During the recent NATO intervention in Yugoslavia the police occupied their premises and confiscated all of their equipment and transmitters as well as more than 50,000 editions of books published by the radio station. They also lost their complete musical CD production along with all documentation, money and bank accounts. Despite all of the efforts of the Slobodan Milosevic regime failed in taking over one thing: all of the dedicated people that worked for FreeB92. "From the cleaning people and technicians to the journalists we refused to be silenced". With the help of allies they used any and all connections presented to them to continue broadcasting the news and a message of tolerance.

12. Arts & Entertainment - USA           

 Artist/ photographer Mika Fowler  for his photographic portraits and stories of domestic violence survivors in Florida. Through his work he tries to put a face on violence against women and to dispel the stereotype that violence is a distant problem.

13. Documentary Video - USA

Producers Holly Fisher and Katherine Pieratos for "Burma Land/Scapes", a documentary that highlights protection of women’s rights, respect for cultural and environmental diversity and the advancement of human rights via political empowerment in Burma. The rough draft of this film premiered at the Hague Appeal for Peace.

~ Amigas Award Winners - 2000 ~

USA

1.  Angela Martinez - Land 'O Lakes, Florida

After a long marriage, Angela found herself divorced and needing a job.  She taught herself how to do basic construction and ended up working with The Center for Women in Tampa to help start the SHIP program.  The SHIP program's goal was to teach women who needed job skills how to do basic home repairs.  Single handedly Angela helped save hundreds of homes by fixing up homes owned by elderly people who were poor and facing eviction.  After retirement she started volunteering her time to teach dancing and sculpting to Alzheimer patients.  She also is the main character in "PowerStories", a show about her life, and other strong women from Tampa Bay.

2. Jennifer Pedraza - Tarpon Springs, Florida

Jennifer didn't just coordinate Florida's activities for The National Million Mom March,  She wrote news releases, organized meetings and hosted the one hundred people who traveled by bus to Washington D.C.  She helped with the march because she wanted to help since her mom was too busy with her other 7 children and working on her Ph.D.  She felt strongly about the issue of gun violence because of the violence her siblings have seen in their short young lives.  During her last couple of high school years she has served as a youth ambassador with People to People and traveled to Australia and New Zealand.  She also serves a youth facilitator for Federation of Families and is a high school student.

                           3. Jennifer Sasso - Tampa, Florida

Jennifer founded Creative Kids because she needed to do 22 hours of community service to fulfill a middle school requirement.  The first phase of the art project was for children staying at The Spring, a domestic violence shelter in Tampa, Florida.  Eventually she expanded the project to include Tampa Children's Hospital, Tampa General's Children's Unit, The Children's Cancer Core Center, The Children's Home, A Brighter Community and the YMCA.  She now has a small army of friends and family who assist her with Creative Kids.  They help pack two hundred and forty-five art bags for distribution each month.  She is a high school student.

4. JJ Watts - Tampa, Florida

JJ created a sculpture of an 8-foot stick figure holding a limp child.  Her goal with the sculpture was to raise awareness of family violence issues. She takes the sculpture around to various high profile places to create conversation and awareness. 

5.      Cheryl Chandler – Sandy, Utah                             

For over two years Cheryl has volunteered her time to teach a 16-week course on life dynamics at the Utah State Prison for women. Her class helps women make healthy life changes.   

         6.    Sandy Murphy – Houston, Texas

Sandy has dedicated her life’s work to helping others through her weekly TV talk shows. Her facial scars from domestic violence help her to get across the themes she discusses honestly and openly.

7.      Naomi Berman–Potash – Mequon, Wisconsin 

Naomi is a director of sales and marketing for hotels and was inspired to start Project Debby by a newspaper article about battered women’s shelters lacking space. Project Debby allows women to stay in area hotels for up to 3 nights.  

       8.      Katina Johnstone – New York, New York

After Katina's husband was murdered she co-founded New Yorkers Against Gun Violence, organized three national silent marches to bring attention to fun violence.  She is co-filer of a landmark, successful lawsuit against 15 gun manufacturers to mandate handgun registration and childproof locks.

9.      Christine Smith – Howard, Colorado                             

She founded Dreams of Freedom, Inc. in 1999 with her own money.  Her program offers an interactive newspaper that inmates create, furnishings for children’s meeting rooms at prisons, personal hygiene items, as well as music and nature videos for their libraries.

                          

10. Marissa Maurer – Washington, DC

Marissa volunteers with World Organization Against Torture USA. She works diligently to advocate for women who have been abused (or may be abused if deported) and are facing deportation.

International

1.      Ndofor Magdalene Bingum & Asong Teresia Ajab – Cameroon

These two women are volunteers who help battered women. They have worked to abolish corporal punishment in the primary school system, as well as to eradicate child abuse and to establish equal pay for women.

2.  Bernie Walsh- Dublin, Ireland

Bernie developed a community-based project that became the blueprint for Sunflower Recycling. Against all odds and poor health she created awareness and a culture to encourage recycling in her community. She has generated jobs for women and improved the quality of life for the disadvantaged. With her help and guidance many other women’s projects have emerged in Ireland.

3. Bell Mc Guiness - Belfast, Northern Ireland              

Bell's husband was killed by the RUC during the Northern Ireland "troubles" and was left to raise her 6 children in a community filled with fear. She has worked hard as a role model developing both herself and her community to become aware of its issues and how to create a better life for families.

4. Irene Boucher- Dublin, Ireland

Irene and a small team of supporters converted a derelict building owned by the City Corporation to create the first after school facility for Dublin's inner city children. This community based after school project has now spread to many more sites and is staffed almost entirely by previously unemployed mothers and single parents. Staff is trained in special skills associated with playcare, sports, arts and safety.  

5.      Nana Semidi IV – Logba, Ghana

She has risked her life to change violent customs such as female genital mutilation, widowhood rituals and domestic violence. She founded the group Logba Mother and Child Health Group.

        6.  Tara Upreti – Kathmandu, Nepal

Tara is an attorney who runs a battered women’s shelter in Nepal. She provides free legal support and counseling to victims. She also works tirelessly to help women wrongfully imprisoned in a country where women can be arrested, tortured and sometimes murdered for being accused of being a witch.

7. Larisa Vasilyeva - Chelyabinsk, Russia             

She founded and leads the "Women of the 90^th" who are businesswomen helping women and their children who are at risk to becoming part of Russia's sexual trafficking industry. Their goal is to stop sex trade traffickers.

Amigas Award Winners 2001

Tampa Bay     

Nina Burwell, Sarasota, Florida 

Nina volunteered her time to create and initiate a program at a Sarasota housing project.  The program teaches children the benefits of cultural diversity, peacemaking skills for conflict resolution and tolerance for different points of view. Nina’s fortitude and endurance along with her ability to form liaisons within both the black and white community has resulted in a very successful program, which helps to develop global citizens while providing a safe place for children to learn.

  Sandra Richardson, Zephyrhills, Florida, For the past 9 years, virtually 24 hours a day seven days a week Sandra has dedicated her life to helping women and children who are victims of abuse find a way to survive. She lives in the shelter with the women and offers them a safe haven and help obtaining a GED or finding a job. Her generous spirit is reflected in the success of the women she helps as they move on to live peaceful and productive lives.

Diana Sanchez, Dade City, Florida, Diana over came great odds as a farm worker to become a certified nursing assistant.  Her job enables her to serve as a role model for women who formerly thought they had no way to improve themselves educationally and professionally. As a volunteer she is often called upon for Spanish-English translation in crisis situations, some of which have involved domestic violence victims.   Diana is forever positive and energetic, always willing to find resources to bring food to a family with nothing, to find shelter for a family who is homeless, and to give support and genuine caring.

   Sister Rosalie Hennessy, OSM, Sun City Center, Florida, Sister Rosalie, a Catholic nun, founded a program to help pregnant women in crisis in Tampa. Her work has grown to include providing counseling, clothing items to pregnant women in need and has recently added transitional housing. She has helped hundreds of women on the streets that were pregnant and given their babies a life with a healthy start.

     Wendy Loomas, St. Petersburg, Florida, Wendy is the Violence Prevention Coordinator at the Pinellas County Health Department.  She also has been volunteering her time for over 15 years in the area of non-violence and advocacy work. She has organized demonstrations against violence, worked with the press, spoken to organizations, as well as provided training to groups in consensus decision-making and non-violence. Her latest project is teaching people how to safely intervene when they see a child in their          neighborhood or community that is being abused, neglected or in any other kind of danger and offering no-cost mediation services to the community outside the court system to prevent disagreements from escalating.  

Florida

Myriam Mezadieu, Miami, Florida, Myriam, a Haitian citizen, works tirelessly preparing immigration forms such as family petitions, appeals, motions, asylum applications and interviews, requests for employment authorization and handles office contact with INS and US Embassies in foreign countries. She founded a program, which deals with the multi-faceted problems teens face, including pregnancy. The organization also addresses the needs of victims of spousal and child abuse. They provide comprehensive outreach to those who are in need of social and medical services and legal representation. Myriam screens and counsels clients, conducts necessary immigration work, provides legal services and acts as a referral to other services that may be needed. Through her single-handed efforts she has improved the quality of life for many Haitians living in Miami-Dade County.    

Angie Thompson, Deerfield, Florida, After traveling to Romania to do relief work with her church group and witnessing all the children growing up without parents, without homes and without education Angie gave up her high-paying job in Silicon Valley; sold everything she owned and started an organization to help the street children of Romania.  She brings them food, clothes and gets them much needed medical attention and a hug from possibly the only adult that has ever cared for them before in their lives. She takes home any children that are willing to give up the streets. Based out of an office in Florida, and with a partner in Romania, Angie has opened two orphanages for the children who are living in sewers and on park benches. Angie offers them a place to live, education, and the chance for a better life. With an estimated 2000 children living in the city streets of Bucharest, Angie knows she can't save them all. But she plans to save all she can. 

Bunny Sewel, Naples, Florida, Bunny worked three jobs while raising 3 kids alone. She has volunteered for more years then anyone remembers to help reduce domestic violence in her community by offering individual counseling, group counseling, hosting free weekly workshops and discussion groups. Bunny opens her home up once a week for a family fun night. She isn't afraid to take a stand and speak out about injustices to battered women and children. The many women she has helped say she is "non-judgmental and confident". 

U.S.

 Pat Lupson, Silver Springs, Maryland, Pat became involved with Silent Witness because her daughter and two grandsons were burned to death in their home by her son-in-law.  In 1997 Pat carried the figure of their daughter in the first Silent Witness March in Washington, DC.  She goes to prisons on a regular basis to tell her story to inmates, letting them know how the ripple effect of murder has affected their lives.  She also developed a web site that is visited by thousands of people each year.  Pat flies around the country to various Silent Witness cities to talk to communities about how her involvement with Silent Witness has helped in her healing. 

 Diane Peterson, Tucson, Arizona, Diane participated in the Silent Witness March in Washington in 1997.  She appeared on stage with her husband John, who gave a talk on how he had been an abusive husband, but was now committed to helping other men heal.  Diane stood quietly as he spoke, holding his hand.  Many people said it was the single most poignant moment of the entire march.  When her husband died of lung cancer last year she continued to carry on her work as a volunteer with Silent Witness in Tucson, AZ.  She has continued to focus on men’s treatment since that was what John felt so strongly about.  She serves as a mentor to others around the country.

            Lucinda Fulkerson, Zanesville, Ohio, Lucinda was stabbed over 27 times by her abuser and left for dead. She recovered and broke the cycle of violence in her life by determining that she was going to help other people who were experiencing violence in rural Ohio by sharing her own experiences as a battered woman. She speaks to groups on violence and recently founded a new project, Common CENTS – Community Efforts Needed to Survive.  The role of her program is to facilitate a volunteer support group for women experiencing violence in their lives.  She gathers clothing and household items for people who are leaving their violent situations and created a lending closet.  Lucinda said, “I’m taking the negative and turning it into a positive.  Because if I don’t who else will?”

  Rosaleen Wilcox, Sultan, Washington, Rosaleen has dedicated her life to keeping youth out of trouble, which is no easy task since many of the kids she tries to help have parents in prison.  She volunteers for Girl Scouts Behind Bars, which unites young girls with their imprisoned mothers by driving across the state each month to pick up the troop members for their meetings.  She also brings together young people and prisoners to learn first-hand about the wrong choices the prisoners have made. She worked with other volunteers to establish Safe Stop for middle and high school students.  Every Saturday evening in the middle school, Wilcox and others provide chaperoned fun for youth – athletics, board games, arts and crafts, and video viewing among other activities.  The program has resulted in a 60-65 percent drop in Saturday vandalism and domestic violence calls. 

  Gail Hollar, Arlington, Texas, Gail, a dentist who was surprised to hear that the students in a patient’s second-grade class were so poor that they didn’t even own toothbrushes.  Gail said, “Some of these kids were in constant pain from tooth decay and were having trouble eating and sleeping.  Gail says that severe decay leads to lethargy, irritability and an overall inability to thrive. Gail spent $1,500 of her own money on toothbrushes for kids.  Soon after, she joined a group of dentists to form a not-for-profit organization in Arlington, which set, up a free dental clinic.  Since 1993 the organization has helped over 40,000 children.  Gail set up its preventive-education program, giving toothbrushes and oral-hygiene instruction to 5,000 kids a year. She sold her practice to devote herself solely to aiding the indigent. 

 Dina Dublon, New York, New York, Dina is the CFO of Chase Manhattan Corp. but she gives equal weight to helping others:  Her volunteer work with refugees in general, and those from Rwanda and Afghanistan in particular, as part of the Women’s Commission for Refugee Women and Children, has had a global impact, increasing awareness of the plight of refugees and raising money to help them. Dina says, “I feel a responsibility as a role model to use the microphone for purposes other than to discuss business.  I try to be an advocate for people to become involved in this important issue by giving them information and telling them what they can do to help.” 

 Kristy Childs, Kansas City, Kansas, Kristy worked in street prostitution for 18 years.  A little over 8 years ago she left prostitution and dedicated her life to assisting women in everyway that she can by working with Veronica’s Ministry.  She runs a 24-hour crisis line, a support group, and speaks to countless organizations; churches and halfway houses about the reality of life women on the streets endure.  She regularly cruises the heavily prostituted areas and stops when she sees women soliciting.  She offers them a hug, a gift bag of toiletries and information about the program. Kristy is working with a police consortium to start a “John School” in which men caught for soliciting prostitution will be mandated to attend an 8-hour session in which they receive education.  Most of the fines placed on “johns” will go to assist Veronica’s Ministry. Kristy has turned the tragedies of her life into triumph and gives hope to many women who have none. 

 Dr. Juliette Engel, Seattle, Washington and Moscow, Russia, Juliette, a 53-year-old radiologist sold her six-figure practice in Bellevue to found MiraMed Institute in 1991. By recruiting full-time volunteers to help teach computer, language and vocational skills at Russian orphanages, she is trying to establish new, and in some ways more significant dimensions. When orphans “graduate,” they are expected to find a new life on their own, but all too often, Engel said, they founder and wind up on the streets, sometimes fueling the growing ranks of the Russian mafia and prostitutes. “Basically, the children have no choices and no hope,” Engel said. “Without education, family or resources, little is left to them but to drift into the cities and to find a place in the growing underworld. We want to establish the orphanages as places of learning and hope instead of isolation and despair.”
  

Dr. Anele Heiges, O.P., New York, New York, United Nations, Julliette Engel joined forces with Dr. Anele Heiges, O.P., in 1999 and formed the Angel Coalition in the former Soviet Union. The coalition is fighting the trafficking of women and children in a country so poor that the advertisements for work abroad are appealing. They have mounted a huge multi-media campaign to create awareness of the problem and educate the public to some of the tactics used by the traffickers to lure their victims. The issue is so large-spread that it caught the attention of members of the United Nations. The UN has asked for the input of Angel Coalition to address this global issue.  Dr. Heiges is MiraMed Institute's representative to the United Nations in New York and visits the MiraMed Russia sites frequently. Both women hope their work will put a large dent in the trafficking problem in Russia.

International

Lucy Orta, Paris, France, Lucy was greatly influenced by her experiences seeing people on the edge of survival. She used her talents as an artist to launch a Refuge Wear, which mixes fashion with social protest, after she saw the plight of Kurdish refugees during the US invasion of Iraq.  She was moved by the idea of collective action and public debate and has collaborated with shelters, prisons, foster homes, universities and high schools.  Her work aims to draw attention to issues of public welfare that fail to meet the media’s imagination of marginalized communities. She designs clothing that can serve multi-use, as a thermal sleeping bag by night and a rucksack by day.  Pockets are made to hold objects such as water supplies, food, portable stoves and documents. The wearer can use an attached whistle to call for assistance when under threat. She has also used her talents to teach workshops on uses of used clothing through the Salvation Army.  Her work to draw attention to the plight of the homeless and the war torn is bold and relentless. 

Lizi Sagie, Shikmim, Israel, At great personal risk for teaching against long held religious and cultural beliefs and with sheer dedication and vision, Lizi Sagie founded Ta-ir, an organization dedicated to providing support to victims of sexual assault and abuse. Ta-ir, which means, “to bring to light,” operates a support center for women who come from a multitude of countries including the Middle East, Israel, North Africa, Ethiopia and the former Soviet Union. The sex roles and lack of education on women’s issues contributed to the taboo of addressing the issue of sexual violence in these communities. Ta-ir has changed all that by not only providing front line support to victims of sexual assault through emergency hot lines, escorts to hospitals, assistance with police, the courts and various other governmental agencies but also work to educate society in hopes of changing the way Israelis and their neighbor's views sexual

attacks on women. Ta-ir organizes workshops and lectures for students, teachers, advisors and the persons who work with sexual abuse victims.  At Ta-ir, there are Jewish and Palestinians working together, poor and rich, devoutly religious and secular, native and immigrants, all work together to achieve a united goal.

 Jecinter Atieno Onyango, Oyugis Kenya, Jecinter has dedicated her life to finding solutions for the problems facing women and children in Kenya. Jecinter works as a volunteer in an organization she founded to help women whose rights have been violated, counseling them through, not only the emotional devastation of the violation, but also the confusing and often overwhelming legal system. Her male counterparts do not favor her mission.  In fact, by lobbying for changes in the laws of Kenya and educating against violence against women and children, she risks her personal safety on a daily basis. Fighting against ignorance, encouraging the education of female children and seeking the empowerment of the women of Kenya, Jecinter’s teachings have wide spread ramifications, both locally and nationally.  Jecinter is dedicated to fighting against gender inequality, including the fight to allow women to own property, inherit monies, and gain political and social equality; her goals include eradicated rape, sexual abuse, forced marriages, and horrendous child labor abuses. Locally, the rate of domestic violence has decreased, and nationally, by helping to educate Kenya’s future leaders.

Mandisa Monakali, Capetown, South Africa, At the height of apartheid Mandisa grew tired of seeing the men in politics fighting and paying lip service and the women afraid to interfere or risk becoming the victim of domestic violence. Mandisa, at great personal risk, started a program to educate women and ran it out of her own home. Capetown was rife with an ungovernable government and widespread civil unrest. Most black townships had strict confinement and curfews. Mandisa was arrested and spent 18 months in jail for organizing women to protest apartheid. Upon her release she lived underground for a year before it was safe for her to be reunited with her family. Her organization is still going strong assisting women and children survivors of domestic violence. She offers support and education around violence against women and children. She also started training programs and workshops centered on individual and community development and the legacy of apartheid. Her grassroots group now has 8 offices in various areas in South Africa and employs 20 counselors. Her group is credited with finally having women hired as police officers. The female officers are now involved with special units that deal with victims of rape and abuse. 

 Sushma Katuwal, Katmandu, Nepal, In 1995, floods washed away Sushma's village. Her family had resorted to sleeping under a plastic sheet when a village woman asked her if she wanted to make money working in a garment factory in Katmandu. At age 14 and less than 5 feet tall, Sushma, the youngest of five children and never having been to school, jumped at the chance. The woman sold her for 2,000 Indian rupees or about $50 in US to three men who owned a brothel in India. For 13 months she was a prisoner in this house until the police raided it. She made her way back across the border and found a women's shelter. She found out she was HIV positive. While staying at the shelter she happened to be looking out the window and saw two of her captors. She screamed for help and went running outside after them. All the women at the shelter chased them down and dragged the men to the police station where they were arrested and jailed for 3-5 years. This action inspired Sushma to go back to the border and watch the border traffic for suspicious men lurking to take innocent young girls. She has been instrumental in preventing the smuggling of many young girls. Nepalese police credit her with having 4 men successfully arrested and saving 15 girls so far this year. Armed with only a determination to save other young girls from her fate she daily risks her own life and health to put an end to this problem.

Helena Stuart, Portadown, Northern Ireland, Helena gave up a well-paid job to implement a cross-community (Protestant and Catholic) project she created. The project serves the whole of Portadown and the surrounding area. Women and their children who are under stress due to the political strife in Portadown or parents who are having difficulty relating to their children use this facility to help ease the stress and strain of their situation thus helping to provide a future for children to grow into healthy fully integrated, productive adults. The root of the trauma (political war) does not know the barrier of religion or culture and people come from all over the district to gain Helena's counseling and guidance. The people are socially and economically disadvantaged and receive these services at no charge. With no budget and the help of one other volunteers Helena serves as many women and children as she can doing her part to move beyond the "troubles". 

Mary Alphonsa, Chilkalguda, India, Mary grew up very poor. She is now a social worker who has been working since 1980 to help impoverished women and children in over 800 rural villages in India. She has organized women into committees she then trains so they can help her to fight for social, economical, moral, political and human rights in their respective villages. Since she began her work she has been instrumental in having rape cases prosecuted, fighting alcohol abuse and unfair wages, preventing dowry deaths, harassment, and implementing change in traditional widow customs. No matter what the issue she is a brave one-person organizer that motivates her committees to assist her in tackling all cases of injustices and atrocities against women.