Women’s project “Selam”
Current project of Hawelti e.V.
A bitter war raged in the Ethiopian region of Tigray from November 2020 until November 2022.
This cost the lives of up to 600,000 people. Unfortunately, the horrors of this war also include sexual violence – up to and including sexual enslavement. At least 120,000 women and girls were victims of rape. The number of unreported cases is even higher.
It is not only the rape as such that has a traumatic effect on the victims, but also the special brutality. Common examples of the atrocities are that after the rape, the women’s spine was broken or the genital area was irreparably injured.
“It is clear that rape and sexualised violence have been used as weapons of war to inflict lasting physical and psychological damage on women and girls in Tigray. Hundreds of them have been brutally abused to humiliate and dehumanize them,” said Agnès Callamard, Secretary General of Amnesty
International.
There are also many victims in Aksum, the historic capital of Tigray. To this end, many women and girls seek help as internally displaced persons with unwanted pregnancies, physical and mental damage or infectious diseases. Many have no financial means for medication or therapeutic treatments. Large organizations have so far only helped sporadically.
And this is exactly where we wanted and want to help!
Our thought: we offer these women
- Medical support
- Therapeutic support and
- A business start-up to have a future
What exactly is the idea?
From the sale of the Wholiday calendar 2024, we support women in precisely these areas – especially therapeutically and medically.
For this purpose, we received a donation from “Soroptimist International, Club Ellwangen/Jagst”. We don’t want to forget the art project “Beedabei” with Peter Kalb and Gisela Bartulec.
On 20.01.2024, a (peace) sign was created from 25 yellow bee feeding places in Aksum.
To our great joy, 10 women were found in Aksum who want to become part of our project.
What do we want to do?
A large part of the yellow bee feeding places were handed over to these women.
They are receiving land from the city of Aksum to set up beehives next to the flower boxes.
Then the women learn how to produce honey.
With the proceeds, we hope that they will be able to contribute to the existence of their families in the future.
Further information can be found here:
https://beedabei.de/kunstwerke/beedabei-aksum-aethiopien/
