Rubia Handwork: November 12, 2010

Greetings Diners!

A special (though belated) thank you to Karen C. for hosting our November 2010 dinner.  We had 11 attendees and collectively raised $178 to support Rubia’s Threads of Change Program in Nangtahar, Afghanistan.

To learn more about Rubia and their efforts to provide economic opportunities to marginalized Afghan women, take a look at the following video:

Our chapter has decided to take a short hiatus due to general holiday chaos, but will reconvene in January to support Matrichaya in India.  We are looking for hostesses for the first quarter of 2011, so please drop me a note at erikakeaveney@gmail.com if you can offer up your home or office.

I would also like to encourage you to consider donating to Dining for Women’s 2010 Annual Appeal to help cover their operating expenses: http://diningforwomen.org/node/686.  Doing so will continue to ensure that 100% of every donation made at the monthly meetings goes directly to projects on the ground.

Also – if you would like to learn about December’s feature charity (The BOMA Fund in Kenya), please visit http://diningforwomen.org/node/183.  You can easily make a contribution to this project by clicking the “donate” button in the upper right hand of the page.

We thank your continued participation and we look forward to growing our chapter in 2011!

Wishing you health, peace and prosperity in the New Year!

Warmly,

Erika Keaveney

November's Charity: Rubia's Threads of Change program in Afghanistan

Hello San Diego diners! We regret that we were unable to meet last month due to several conflicts, but we hope that this month's DFW event will make up for it. Please join us on Friday, November 12th at 6:30pm to learn more about this month's featured charity, socialize and dine with some amazing local women!

We all have heard a lot about Afghanistan in the United States through the media, but a lot of us probably do not understand how women's lives are there today. Here are some very compelling facts:

As the Taliban continue to resist the new government and U.S. occupation, ethnic 
tension, attacks by the Taliban, 
and government corruption have spread violence and poverty throughout the region. Although the Taliban's hold of Afghanistan has reduced overall and many rights were granted to women with 2004 constitution, regions like southern Afghanistan are still under the grip of Taliban influence. Women receive night letters that warn them against returning to work or speaking out. For example:


"We
 warn
 you 
to
 leave
 your
 job 
as
 a
 teacher
 as
 soon
 as
 possible
, otherwise 
we
 will 
cut 
the
 heads
 off
 your
 children
 and
 shall set 
fire 
to 
your
 daughter."


And:


“We
 will
 kill
 you 
in
 such 
a
 harsh
 way 
that 
no
 woman 
has
 so 
far 
been 
killed 
in 
that
 manner."


‐‐‐Time
 magazine’s 
reports 
of
 letters
 obtained
 by
 Human 
Rights 
Watch

According 
to 
the 
2009
 Human 
Development 
Report, 
Afghanistan
 is
 listed
 as 
the
 world’s
 second 
least
 developed
 country.

For
 Afghan 
girls
 in
 some
 regions, 
education remains
 elusive or forbidden. Poverty 
is
 a 
major 
barrier 
to
 education, 
especially 
among
 older
 Afghan
 girls. Afghan
 Women 
are 
slowly
 rising 
to 
political power, 
but
 usually 
only
 when
 quotas
 and
 other
 special
 measures 
are 
enforced.

Maternal health is also a very serious issue in Afghanistan, where skilled care is lacking. Poverty 
and 
a 
lack 
of
 education 
also
 lead
 to
 high 
adolescent 
birth 
risks, 
and 
use 
of 
contraception 
is 
lowest 
among 
the
 poorest 
women 
and
 those 
with 
no 
education.
 The 
Badakhshan 
Province 
in 
northeastern
 Afghanistan 
has 
the 
highest 
maternal 
morbidity 
rate
 in
 the 
world.


Many people in Afghanistan turn to illicitly growing opium poppies as a reliable source of income. Afghanistan currently supplies at least 93% of the world's opiates.

Security 
is 
the
 most 
significant
 issue 
in 
Afghanistan. 
It 
is 
difficult 
for
 the 
Afghan
 and 
U.S. 
governments 
to 
focus 
on
 human 
rights 
when 
the 
Afghan 
government
 is 
at
 war. 
Nonprofit
 organizations 
are 
helping 
women 
get
 back 
on 
their
 feet
 after three decades 
of
 warfare.
 Many
 NGOs 
(nongovernmental
 organizations)
 are
 working 
in 
Afghanistan 
to
 empower 
women 
by, 
for
 example, 
training
 women 
to
 be
 health 
and 
birth
 attendants 
and
 selling
 crafts
 made
 by
 Afghan
 women.
 Proceeds
 
go

 back
 to 
the 
women.
 In
 a
 world 
of
 patriarchal
 rule 
and
 domestic 
violence,
 women
 can 
learn 
to 
support
 themselves 
without 
men
 through 
their
 crafts.

The mission of Rubia in Afghanistan is to develop economic opportunities through craft heritage, to support education, and to promote health and well-being for Afghan women and their families.

From Rubia: “What differentiates us from other non-governmental organizations (NGOs) is the access and context in which we work. Most NGOs working in Afghanistan avoid programs in the countryside due to lack of security. Rubia, through its grassroots network and strong relationship with other local organizations, works primarily among the rural population, the most marginalized of Afghan women; our programs are driven by their needs and capacity. We are committed to improving conditions for Afghan women and their families in incremental, sustainable steps. Above all, we respect and function within the cultural norms and day-to-day realities of Afghan family life.”



The Threads of Change Program: Dining for Women's donations will fund the development and implementation of Rubia’s Threads of Change Program. The integrated program in literacy, health, human rights, civics and handwork will impact over 600 women in Nangtahar, Afghanistan, mentoring emerging leaders to continue and expand the program. This program teaches practical skills and disseminates information about rights, civics, income and health, thus empowering Afghan women and their families.



Rubia eloquently describes more about the program in a way a lot of women here can understand in their latest newsletter on their website: "Contrary to the image of stitchery as retro domesticity, imprisoning women in their customary and predictable roles, we view embroidery as a positive and actual means of liberation for Afghan women. [...] Needlework may be the most feminine of art forms, but it is a means to liberation as well. The needle is so much more than a sewing tool: for Rubia women who first learn to spell their names in stitchery, it is a writing tool as well. For rural Afghan women, credibility and status can only be raised in a way that is meaningful to their community; within the culture and rhythm of their daily lives. It will take time for their work to be valued, in the long term, starting slowly and building over time. We recognize that change in Afghanistan is generational."



You can read more about Rubia on Dining For Women's site and at their homepage.

If you are not on our evite distribution and would like to be, please email erikakeaveney@gmail.com. These dinners are open to the public, though for reasons of privacy and limited space, we will not be publishing event details on the blog.

Somaly Mam Foundation: September 26, 2010

Greetings Diners!

A very special thank you to the 14 women who helped make our September dinner a success! We shared delicious food and inspired conversation while collectively raising $336 to provide post-recovery educational opportunities to female victims of human trafficking in Southeast Asia.

We would also like to thank Helen for offering up her beautiful home in Encinitas! On that subject, we are looking for hostesses for October (Guatemala), November (Afghanistan) and December (Kenya). If you are interested in hosting an event this year, please email me at erikakeaveney@gmail.com to discuss dates. Hosting can be as hands-off or involved as you want…some people may prefer just to provide the location, whereas others may want to get involved in researching and presenting on the monthly program. Though most hostesses choose to contribute to the meal, you are not asked to share more than your home and your flatware :)

If you couldn’t make it this month, you can still participate virtually by watching the Somaly Mam Foundation’s documentary at http://www.theroadtotraffik.com/. If you are inspired to contribute to this project, it is not too late to do so here: http://www.diningforwomen.org/donate/program.

Thank you again to everyone for being a part of this growing movement in San Diego. Please stay tuned for more information on October’s dinner. If you would like to be included on our invite list, please contact me at erikakeaveney@gmail.com.

Hope to see you soon!

Warm regards,
Erika Keaveney

September's Charity: Somaly Mam Foundation

Greetings Diners!

If you have not heard of Somaly Mam (the inspiration for this month’s DFW charity), prepare to be stunned…

Somaly was born into a minority ethnic group in the Mondulkiri province of Cambodia.   Orphaned as a small child, Somaly foraged like a wild animal until she was picked up by a man posing as her “grandfather.”  Somaly ultimately ended up serving as the man’s domestic slave.  He not only physically and sexually abused her—he profited from allowing others to do the same.  When she was 11, he sold her virginity to pay off a gambling debt.  At 14, he sold her to a man to be married.  When her “husband” (a soldier) disappeared, he sold her to a brothel.  Believe it or not, this is where the real horror begins…

Somaly’s life in the brothel is simply unfathomable.  If she resisted clients in the slightest way, she was subjected to what can only be classified as torture: brutal beatings, electric shocks, starvation…her owners even locked her in a windowless basement and poured maggots all over her body and down her throat, something she has horrifying nightmares about to this day.  And Somaly didn’t fare too badly, all things considered: unlike her peers (one of which she witnessed the murder of), she was never subjected to forced abortion and she ultimately came out alive (and AIDS free).

Somaly eventually transacted with a French “barang” who would ultimately marry her and help her start a new life.  But Somaly did not turn her back on the other girls and women who continued to suffer her same fate.  She began by distributing condoms to girls in brothels, and was soon sheltering escapees in her tiny apartment—an action which eventually led to the genesis of AFESIP (French acronym), a Cambodian NGO which among other things, operates a network of safe shelters across Southeast Asia for victims of sex trafficking.

The Somaly Mam Foundation is Somaly’s answer to increasing awareness and response to global trafficking in U.S.  In addition to supporting AFESIP and other initiatives in Aisa, SMF is working to increase awareness on the realities of the devastating global trade in human beings—a rapidly growing multibillion dollar criminal industry second in only to the drug trade in lucre.

Unfortunately, Somaly’s story is being relived by countless girls as I write.  In 2005, the Cambodian Minister of Women's Affairs estimated that 30,000 children were involved in the Cambodian sex trade.  And just a few months ago, Amnesty International released a study which reported a desperate shortage of aftercare services for trafficking victims in Cambodia.

Our dinner is an opportunity to remedy this shortfall, even if only by a small amount.  The funds we collectively raise this month will go toward a scholarship fund which will help rescued girls just like Somaly get access to training and education – from primary school to the university level.

If you get a chance, I highly recommend Somaly’s heartbreaking (though triumphant) memoir, The Road of Lost Innocence which is available on Amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/Road-Lost-Innocence-Cambodian-heroine/dp/0385526210

I have also included a short and inspiring interview with Somaly (though we will be showing an equally powerful video at the dinner on the 26^th:

If you are not on our evite distribution and would like to be, please email erikakeaveney@gmail.com.  These dinners *are* in fact open to the public, though for reasons of privacy and limited space, we will not be publishing event details on the blog.

Thanks to all of you for being a part of this wonderful movement.  See you on the 26^th!

Warmly,

Erika Keaveney

Bead for Life: August 28, 2010

Greetings Diners!

Thank you to everyone who attended our second Dining for Women event this past Saturday!  We had 15 attendees (10 of which were new DFWers) and collectively raised nearly $1,000 to provide women in rural Uganda with improved economic opportunities.

Linda (with the help of Corinne) set up a beautiful shopping boutique in her front yard to feature Bead for Life jewelry sent all the way from Uganda.  Bead for Life beads are made out of recycled paper strips from various sources such as magazines, pamphlets, calendars and cereal boxes.  The paper is rolled, glued and varnished with an eco-friendly sealant.  The finished beads (along with colorful glass seed beads) are strung onto elastic and/or plastic lines and are completed with a silver-plated clasp and tag.

Beads are handmade by rural Ugandan women who receive training in jewelry making and business development with a goal to become financially independent within 18 months.  BFL introduces these entrepreneurs to Western markets who pay fair trade prices for the beautiful end products (check out their online store at http://www.beadforlifestore.org/servlet/StoreFront - the holidays are coming!).

BFL (in partnership with Dining for Women) is building upon this highly successful initiative by introducing a Shea butter project which will give Ugandan women the tools and training needed to process Shea nuts for soaps and lotions.  Our group raised $650 through BFL jewelry sales and $315 in support of the Shea Butter project for a total of $965!

Another successful meeting, and we would like to extend a very special thank you to everyone who attended and shared food, funds and compassion.  We will be scheduling the September dinner in the coming weeks and will be sure to keep you posted on the date/time – hope to see you there!

Warm regards,

Erika

PS - If you would like to be added or removed from our invitation list, please contact erikakeaveney@gmail.com.

Spinach Salad with Pecorino, Pine Nuts and Currants

Recipe courtesy of Dawn Ramsayer :)

Ingredients
1 1/2 tablespoons dried currants

1 1/2 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted, coarsely chopped

1 1/2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

1 1/2 teaspoons minced shallot

1/2 teaspoon sugar

2 tablespoons olive oil

6 cups (packed) baby spinach leaves

Shaved Pecorino Romano cheese

Preparation
Whisk first 5 ingredients in small bowl. Whisk in oil. Season with salt and pepper. Toss spinach with vinaigrette in large bowl. Add cheese and toss.

Curried Chicken Wraps Recipe

Alternatively, this recipe can be made with medium-firm tofu.  Simply cube the tofu, gently coat in oil and bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes, turning in between.  Chop cubes into desirable sized pieces and use in lieu of chicken.

Ingredients

3 split (1 1/2 whole) chicken breasts, bone in, skin on

Olive oil

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

1 1/2 cups good mayonnaise

1/3 cup dry white wine

1/4 cup chutney (recommended: Major Gray's)

3 tablespoons curry powder

1 cup medium-diced celery (2 large stalks)

1/4 cup chopped scallions, white and green parts (2 scallions)

1/4 cup raisins

1 cup whole roasted, salted cashews, chopped

6 large tortillas

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.  Place the chicken breasts on a sheet pan and rub the skin with olive oil. Sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper. Roast for 35 to 40 minutes, until the chicken is just cooked. Set aside until cool enough to handle. Remove the meat from the bones, discard the skin, and shred the chicken in pieces.  For the dressing, combine the mayonnaise, wine, chutney, curry powder, and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Process until smooth.  Combine the chicken with enough dressing to moisten well. Add the celery, scallions, and raisins, and mix well. Refrigerate for a few hours to allow the flavors to blend. Add the cashews to the chicken.  Fill the center of each tortilla with the chicken mixture. Fold the 2 sides of the tortilla over the filling so that the sides overlap. Roll the tortilla from bottom to top, and cut in half diagonally.

Bead for Life Uganda

Watch this short yet powerful video on August's feature charity, Bead for Life Uganda. This month's Dining for Women event will be held on August 28th @ 4:00 PM in Encinitas, CA. If you would like to be included in this and future events, please email erikakeaveney@gmail.com

Chicken Tikka Masala Recipe

As requested, here is the recipe for Chicken Tikka Masala that I brought at the DFW event on July 31st. This recipe serves 4. If you are a vegetarian, try using paneer instead. You can find it at Indian markets or make your own.



Ingredients
• 1 cup yogurt
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 tablespoon garam masala
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
• 1 teaspoons salt (or to taste)
• 3 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces
• 4 long skewers

• 1 tablespoon butter
• 2-3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 jalapeno pepper, finely chopped
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 2 teaspoons paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
• 1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 8 oz can diced tomatoes
• Fresh cilantro (optional)
• Basmati rice

Directions
1. In a large bowl, combine yogurt, lemon juice, 2 teaspoons cumin, garam masala, cayenne, black pepper, ginger, and 1 teaspoon salt. Stir in chicken. Cover, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour (overnight is best)
2. Preheat a grill for high heat.
3. Lightly oil the grill grate. Thread chicken onto skewers, and discard marinade. Grill until juices run clear, about 5 minutes on each side. Pan frying (w/out skewers) works well if you do not have a grill.
4. Melt butter in a large heavy skillet over medium heat. Saute garlic and jalapeno for 1 minute. Season with 2 teaspoons cumin, paprika, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Stir in tomato sauce, diced tomatoes and cream. Simmer on low heat until sauce thickens/reduces, about 20 minutes. Add grilled chicken, and simmer for 10 minutes. Serve with basmati rice and garnish with fresh cilantro.

This was modified from the original recipe here on allrecipes.com.

Our Inaugural Event in San Diego

Greetings Diners!

Last night's meeting was quite a success -- our small group of 11 successfully raised $400 to provide women in West Bengal, India with improved health, education and economic opportunities.

Our group included moms, lawyers, techies, a scientist, a mathematician, a baby and even a ballerina.  We shared delicious food and impassioned discussion on the global epidemic of violence against women (VAW) and how we can be a part of the solution.

I think nearly everyone asked for Kristen's recipe for Chicken Tikka Masala and if I can manage to add her as a blog admin, we will have her share the recipe here :)

Helen Z. and ("Auntie") Linda will settle on a date/location for August's dinner which will most likely be held in Encinitas -- stay tuned!

Thank you again to everyone for coming and sharing!  We would like to use this blog as a forum for continued discussion, so please feel free to use the comments section for this purpose.

San Diego Kick-Off Event to Benefit MBBCDS in West Bengal, India!

Greetings Diners!

Welcome to the blog of the Dining for Women Chapter in San Diego, CA!  We will update you with the latest and greatest on upcoming events, featured charities, dinner debriefs and more.

This month, Dining for Women's featured charity is Mohammed Bazar Backward Classes Development Society (MBBCDS) in West Bengal, India.  Funds raised at our dinner will help provide tribal women in West Bengal with economic opportunities, vocational skills and basic education on things like nutrition and reproductive health.  Watch their video for more info:

Discover Simple, Private Sharing at Drop.io

To read the full project description, please visit http://aidindia.org/main/content/view/1139/1/.  To learn more about Dining for Women, visit http://www.diningforwomen.org/.  And if you are interested in becoming a member, please email erikakeaveney@gmail.com!