Federation of American Women's Clubs Overseas Foundation

Fall 2004 On-line Charity Auction

FAWCO Development Grants

[ Awards ] [ Grants ]

Grant Winners

Development Grant Winners 2004

$3000	The AWC Madrid Effects of Violence Development Grant: Action for Children Soldiers in The Democratic Republic of Congo Proposed by The American Women's Club of Düsseldorf
$3000	The AW Surrey Feed The World Development Grant : Wells For Life, Siem Reap Province, Cambodia Proposed by The American Women of Surrey
$3000	The Healthy Living Development Grant resulted in a tie so $1500 will go to each of the following: Children of a Lesser God, Outreach Moldova Proposed by The American Women's Club of Dublin Ojos Del Mundo, (Eyes of the World) Proposed by The American Women's Club of Madrid
$3000	The Hope Through Education Development Grant: Malawi Orphan Support Project Proposed by The American Women's Association of Rome
$3000	The Peace Through Understanding Development Grant: Literacy for Indigenous Women in Southern Mindanao, Philippines Proposed by The American Women's Club of Bern

Previous Grant Winners

Zarina's Story - How your money helps others

Zarina lives in Nepal. Her mother died when she was very young. Her father is a farmer. While she was traveling with her aunt, her aunt eloped with a man and abandoned her. She was only 17. Whilst searching for her aunt, Zarina met a man who called himself Gunjaman and promised to help her. Innocent Zarina decided to trust him. For Zarina, this was a dream come true. She wanted to go back to her own house in Pashpupatinagar, Nepal. Gunjaman’s proposal for assistance made a deep impression on her mind. So, she agreed to the offer.

On the same day, Gunjaman took her to a small town near Birtomore. From there, she was taken to Siliguri, India in the Darjeeling district. Zarina was brought to a brothel and served lunch. The next day, when she inquired about Gunjaman, she discovered, much to her distress, that she had been sold to the brothel owner. The other girls told her that if she tried to run away, she would be killed. Her trafficker Gunjaman had disappeared with the money.

After undergoing vigorous torture, cruelty and violence for seven days, she found herself surrendering to the life of a sex slave in a foreign country. She was beaten with rods, not fed for three days, burnt with cigarette butts, and gang raped. The starry-eyed girl lost her identity. She spent about eight months in a dark room of the brothel receiving on average six to eight customers daily.

Meanwhile, Zarina’s father had contacted Maiti Nepal to seek help in finding his daughter. After a few attempts to locate her, a police raid was conducted to rescue Zarina from the brothel. Zarina’s father accompanied the rescue squad to identify her.

Finally, Zarina was rescued and brought to Maiti Nepal’s transit camp at Kakarvitta, Jhapa, where she underwent vigorous counseling. After various counseling sessions, she opened up and decided to file charges against the criminals. Within three months, six criminals were apprehended and sentenced by the court.