The Sisterhood Exchange Program

The Sisterhood Exchange Program (SEP) represents a unique collaboration of inspired grassroots activists amoung the IMANI Women's Workshop in Eldoret, Kenya, the Organic Health Response on Mfangano Island, Kenya, and the Advocate Safehouse Project in Glenwood Springs, Colorado. This program seeks to improve the lives of rural women by connecting HIV+ women and men from different communities around the globe into one social support network.  The goal of the exchange program is to model "positive living," increase social solidarity, and train in entrepreneurial craft making.

Objectives:

To foster cultural exchange between women of different geographical and cultural backgrounds.

To establish meaningful relationships between American and Kenyan women in rural communities facing similar challenges of poverty, intimate partner violence, and ill-health.

To foster positive living in women with HIV in Western Kenya by providing the opportunity to meet and interact with other positive women.

To introduce Kenyan women to the use of craft skills as a means of income generation and positive living, and to empower them towards forming a crafts cooperative.

To stimulate a social support network between the communities of Eldoret, Mfangano Island, and Glenwood Springs.

Program Phases:

Phase 1: (May 2008)  Establishment between IMANI Workshop in Eldoret, the Organic Health Response on Mfangano Island, and the Advocate Safehouse Project in Glenwood Springs wherein the Local-Global Sisterhood Exchange Program is visualized and developed for implementation. (Complete)

Phase II: (Sep 2009)  Initial exchage of 10 HIV+ women from Mfangano Island participate in a series of reciprocal group homestays/exchanges with women from IMANI Workshop in Eldoret. (Complete)

Phase III: (Aug 2010)  Representatives from Advocate Safehouse Project will tavel to Eldoret and Mfangano Island, Kenya to work with HIV+ women at each crafts cooperative to conduct psycho-social support trainings and begin developing marketing strategies and select product lines for production on Mfangano, wholesale through IMANI in Eldoret, and retail in USA. (Complete)

Phase IV: (2010-ongoing)  With support from donors identified in Glenwood Springs, IMANI will assist OHR in acquiring the necessary supplies and equipment to establish sustainable arts and crafts cooperative at the Ekialo Kiona Center on Mfangano Island.

To watch how the local-global sisters are using Oprah Magazines to build support, generate income, and reduce stigma among women living with HIV/AIDS check out their video here.

For more information or to order products from the Sisterhood Exchange Program please contact:
Nancy Reinisch, SEP Liasion
Glenwood Springs, Colorado
nrein@rof.net