"We're running a marathon and raising money for KOFAVIV -- established by and for rape survivors in Haiti, organizing to transform the conditions that give rise to sexual violence"
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hey there friends,
I'm getting ready for my 2nd marathon. It should be an interesting experience. After running this year's NYC Marathon -- the world's largest marathon ever with over 50,000 finishers, I'm headed to Haiti to run what might be the world's smallest.
It's the second annual event put on by Let's Go Haiti and possibly the first full length marathon ever in Haiti. There have been hundreds of races run to raise money for causes in Haiti -- this is among the first of those to also be run *in* Haiti.
As part of this journey, my comrades and I are raising money for one of the groups we will be visiting with while we are there.
KOFAVIV (Komisyon Fanm Viktim pou Viktim or in English, The Commission of Women Victims for Victims) is an amazingly powerful grassroots effort for and by the survivors of rape and gender based violence.
KOFAVIV provides a 24/7 call center, does outreach and education in every neighborhood and displacement camp in Port-au-Prince and also sends members to escort recent survivors to medical, legal and other services. When necessary they also provide safe houses and other services to women and their families.
Their call center hotline program recently expanded to cover all of Haiti.
They have also done an amazing job in doing outreach to men, creating committees that not only provide security in the displacement camps but also do outreach to and education of men -- attempting to end gender based violence at its source.
It has been my honor to be involved with providing technology services to KOFAVIV over the past 2.5 years. Their courage and spirit is inspiring. The challenge they face is daunting.
We hope to raise at least $3,000 -- what is costs KOFAVIV to run one of their safe houses for a month. It's a small drop in a huge and nearly empty bucket compared to what they really need, but every little bit helps.
Donate at:
https://fundly.com/haiti-marathon-fundraiser-for-kofaviv
More information about KOFAVIV can be found at the following URLs:
http://www.frontlinesms.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/KOFAVIV1.jpg
http://www.cnn.com/2012/04/26/world/americas/cnnheroes-villard-appolon-haiti-rape
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eStfNFnTtkw
http://worldpulse.com/newsletters/20061108/feature.html
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/ingrid-arnesen/despite-rape-and-abject-p_1_b_1459271.html
http://www.wired.co.uk/news/archive/2011-04/1/using-tech-to-document-haitis-rape-epidemic
https://survivorsforsurvivors.squarespace.com/about-kofaviv/
and lest you start to think that everyone is happy about the progress that KOFAVIV has made, read this
http://www.madre.org/index/resources-12/madre-statements-57/news/madre-calls-for-international-solidarity-with-haitian-womens-human-rights-defenders-under-threat--908.html
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