A Powerful Noise

I had the pleasure of seeing a very powerful documentary, "A Powerful Noise," this weekend at Silverdocs. The film follows three women activists in Mali, Vietnam, and Bosnia who have dedicated their lives to empowering other women in their communities (see their bios below). A core intention of the film is to motivate viewers to contribute to the empowerment of women like those profiled through donations to CARE. While I'm not a critic of CARE's work, I was disappointed that the producers of the film did not provide an avenue for viewers to directly donate to the organizations profiled in the film. After a thorough search on-line, the organizations profiled in 'A Powerful Noise' do not have a web presence, and their is very little information in English. I would have liked to have seen the producers profile more information on these women, their organizations, and a way for people to directly donate to them. One of the core components of the Global Women's Network wiki project I'm working on is to give organizations like those profiled the web presence they need to attract the funding they deserve!


Jacqueline Dembele
Known as “Madame Urbain” to locals, Jacqueline fights forced labor practices and illiteracy in the slums of Bamako, Mali. Having escaped the dangers of urban migration by attending school herself, Madame Urbain stands up for the rights of powerless girls who are often abused in the workplace or on the streets of the big city. At education centers throughout the city, Madame
Urbain’s organization, APAF, provides girls a basic education, teaches them vocational skills, and places them in good jobs to earn money. The group mentors graduates of the centers and provides grants so they can start small businesses as tailors, clothes designers and soap makers. Madame Urbain’s ability to protect and educate rural girls has begun to change perceptions about the importance of education and the role of women in Malian society.


Bui My Hanh
Hanh learned that she had contracted HIV after her husband and 5-year-old daughter died from the ravaging effects of AIDS. Bouncing back from despair, Hanh started a self-help group in Northern Vietnam, called Immortal Flower, to give people living with HIV/AIDS a place for support, counseling and health care. The group of six quickly grew to over 130 members in just one year. In a country where HIV/AIDS is regarded as a social evil due to its connection to drug use and prostitution, blameless individuals suffer discrimination from their families and society. As a community advocate and mentor, Hanh provides prevention awareness to the public, as well as medical assistance to affected families. Her goal is to stop the burgeoning AIDS
crisis and to prevent stigma and discrimination against survivors.


Nada Markovic
Nada is a working mother of three children. As a refugee, she survived the mass genocide of the Bosnian War. Her women’s association, Maya Kravica, is helping ease hostilities between Serbs and Bosniaks (Muslims) in a region marred by war crimes and massive destruction. Under Nada’s leadership, the group is reconstructing communities, integrating schools, supporting
poor families and preventing domestic violence so that the country’s children can have a brighter future. Nada is building an agricultural cooperative to offer employment opportunities for war widows, and fair trade markets for families to sell their crops and livestock. Every year, the women’s association showcases their members’ knitting work and agricultural produce
at the Raspberry Days Festival, a new tradition that celebrates the progress being made between Serbs and Bosniaks.