Among the Dizi people of Maji, women had been so crushed, both men and women’s focus groups urged MDC to bring hope to women. Somehow.
The Dizi, the indigenous people of Maji, were decimated by a 19th century East African slave trade that scattered the darkest skinned Africans north and east. Women took much of the impact as the culture shattered.
When MDC arrived with a community needs survey, the community asked what could be done for women. Rather than mounting a rescue operation, MDC cast a vision of hope. It’s a vision that goes deeper than the symptoms. It’s a vision that is transformative: one of self- and mutual-empowerment.
Over the past few years, a few brave women caught the vision. They began to respond to local leaders and formed neighborhood self-help groups across the rural Maji District. These groups—made up of 20 to 50 women—meet regularly to support each other, save money, learn new skills, and explore ways to generate income for their families.
It’s incremental work. It’s the germinating of tiny seeds of hope. It’s the inside-out work of discovering their own sources of strength. Of turning to friends and neighbors instead of suffering in isolation. Of course, these neighborhood groups have no “rooms of their own”. They gather wherever they can— in the meadows, under trees, in classrooms after school hours. They are newly hopeful, hungry for opportunity and full of ideas—but they need a place to meet each other. That’s why the Maji Women’s Development Center matters.
This new building will give women across the district:
- A place to hold district-wide training in leadership, business, and health
- A place to connect with resources, mentors, and support systems
- A place to develop income-generating projects
- A place to expand the movement for long-term empowerment and dignity
- A place to celebrate their worth
The WDC isn’t just a building. It’s a gathering center for women who are already starting the work—and who need the support to do more. It is a lighthouse in rough seas, standing just off the marketplace in the population center of a tiny, almost-extinguished ethnic group. It’s a power house, where energy focused on and dedicated to the advancement of women will be generated.
And it’s not just about women, the lowest of the low. Women’s work holds the people together. When women thrive, families thrive. When families thrive, communities thrive. The ripple effect starts here.
The land was given to Caroline Kurtz by town officials. Ground is broken. The women are ready. ✨
Help us give them the space of their own.
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