Supporter: Mary Tam

What does it take to start a movement? Mercy Corps is fortunate to have a large base of passionate supporters who rally their communities to support people facing natural disasters, civil conflict, poverty and oppression around the world.

Taiko drumming troupe Taiko Ren's energetic performance brought tears to the eyes of some attendees. Photo: Mary Tam/Mercy Corps

Every once in a while there is a catalyst that not only motivates the immediate community, but manages to stimulate a larger movement, transcending both physical and social boundaries. Such a movement has been initiated by Pixar employee Daisuke (Dice) Tsutsumi and Artists Help Japan (AHJ), a grassroots effort to help affected communities in Japan.

It began with a desire to help the earthquake and tsunami survivors in Japan. Dice was already a Mercy Corps donor and knew that we were partnering with the Japanese non-governmental organization Peace Winds. It became a host of events — both in the U.S. and overseas — reflecting a collaborative effort to support relief and recovery in Japan. So far, AHJ events have raised over $45,000 for Mercy Corps and Peace Winds!

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My niece sporting her Mercy Corps onesie. Photo: courtesy of Mary Tam

As we ring in a new year, my sister and brother-in-law are beginning a new life chapter. Their first child was recently born, and this 6.7-pound bundle has changed all of our lives. I see my sister and her husband altering their priorities, based on a desire to give this little girl the chance to live, love, laugh and learn. I see my family gravitating towards her innocent energy, almost as if she holds a cosmic force. I notice how friends, family and even strangers take an interest in new life and the constant process of discovery that accompanies it.

It makes me think about the little ones I’ve come across in other parts of the globe while visiting Mercy Corps’ field offices. A little boy in Kyrgyzstan, living in a neighborhood that had recently been torched and pillaged. A group of Colombian children who shared school space with other youth who had been victims of child labor. I know that their families have as much love for their children but perhaps not as much hope, as they have seen what limited opportunities their circumstances will permit.

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Every year thousands of families in Colombia are displaced from their homes and communities due to violence. They form resettlement camps where they can, often in undesirable locations due to lack of options. Mercy Corps makes it a priority to work with local communities to identify the challenges of living in such areas and create solutions, enabling community-led projects. But what does “community-led” really look like?

In the resettlement of Colombiatón, Mercy Corps has gathered a group of youth leaders and is teaching them about environmental awareness, community pride and how to be self-advocates. Mercy Corps staff provide them with guidance and knowledge, and help the youth coordinate projects like planting neighborhood fruit trees. The youth are taking ownership and action – making their communities cleaner and safer. These passionate young leaders are motivating the adults to get involved and showing los niños (the younger children) that life can be better.

They are working across neighborhood boundaries, supporting each other and strengthening inter-community relations. Watch this two-minute video to see what “community-led” looks like!

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As Kyrgyzstan's October 10 elections approach, I think about my friends and colleagues over there and hope for their safety. Without a doubt, Kyrgyzstan and its people made an imprint on me, and taught me to challenge my assumptions.

In the United States, we are generally taught to smile when we meet people — projecting happiness and confidence. Naturally, when new acquaintances greet me with a straight face, I interpret that as disinterest. This was my initial notion in Kyrgyzstan, but it didn't take long to figure out that — in this land — the absence of a smile does not indicate the absence of warmth.

Ayzada Mukambetova with a fresh round loaf of hlep — bread — from her oven. Photo: Mary Tam/Mercy Corps

During my third week in Kyrgyzstan, I was fortunate enough to head north to visit some of our Issyk-Kul field offices with my fellow interns and our esteemed colleague, Ulan. Despite resembling a traveling circus, we managed to have quite the productive trip. One day of the excursion was dedicated to meeting various loan clients, who also participate in Kompanion's development trainings on agriculture, livestock and financial management.

On this day our local colleague, Dariya, introduced us to Ayzada Mukambetova. Ayzada seemed a bit reserved at first — offering a half smile with her hands clasped together in front of her. I thought, perhaps, she felt inconvenienced by our visit. But as she began sharing details about her life I realized this woman was full of a unique and organic energy, and that she was happy to tell her story.

With humble confidence, she spoke of her agriculture business and how she has improved the quality of her crop through Kompanion loans and development trainings. At this point, Ayzada had warmed up and I felt ignorant for having made a judgment based on the first moments of our introduction.

After talking to Ayzada, I felt like the laziest person on earth. “In the village,” she said, “one must have more than one source of income.” In a modest tone, she went on to describe her various professions. In addition to cultivating various crops, she raises livestock. She is a music teacher at the local school. In the summer, she has a bakery — in fact, when we arrived she was in the middle baking bread.

Here I am, third from left, next to Ayzada Mukambetova — holding the still-warm loaf of hlep. Photo: Mercy Corps Kyrgyzstan

She said it is a good sign if guests visit the house when one is baking. She showed Dariya and I to the kitchen, rich with the smell of fresh bread, and handed me a golden-brown oval loaf. It is customary for Kyrgyz households to invite guests to join them for chai. If visitors cannot stay one offers hlep (bread). Dariya and I pinched off a piece of bread which was still warm, and she insisted we take the entire loaf for our afternoon tea. We visited four Kompanion clients that day — needless to say, we ate a lot of hlep.

It is not uncommon for a Kyrgyz person to wear a straight face when greeting you or posing for a photograph. But that does not imply anything about his or her attitude or interest in communicating. Every household we visited was warm with hospitality.

When we left, they would all say "preenhadeetye," which means, “come back.” This is a customary farewell, but — after hearing their stories and sharing bread — I like to think they genuinely meant it.

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Mercy Corps-supported community leaders and volunteers stand in front of Pasto's Casa de Justicia with visitors from Mercy Corps headquarters. These leaders and volunteers are helping raise awareness of gender-based and family violence and find solutions. Photo: Mercy Corps

What does empowerment look like? It’s difficult to accurately depict such an intangible subject. In a small building located in the heart of Pasto, Colombia, I found a tangible example. In fact, there was a whole group of them. They wore maroon sweatshirts and name badges...

In the Casa de Justicia, a group of women set up chairs in a large circle. These are community leaders, volunteers who have joined women’s networks that Mercy Corps’ gender programs have helped to form. We do a round of quick introductions and the women are eager to share with us what they have learned and accomplished.

One woman crosses the room to a few large posters hanging on the wall. She walks us through the representative contents of an “Emergency Kit” to combat family violence. Band-Aids to protect the wound. Cotton to smooth relationships. Hearing aids that allow us to truly hear others. Iodine to allow us to forgive and heal. Disposable towelettes so we are ready to help others at any moment. And most importantly, friends who will help us overcome the physical and emotional scars.

"One woman crosses the room to a few large posters hanging on the wall. She walks us through the representative contents of an “Emergency Kit” to combat family violence." Photo: Mary Tam/Mercy Corps

When she is done, another member describes a situation where the police beat and arrested a boy for no reason. Through the networks, the women have learned about law and their rights. She went to the police station to defend the child, stating they had no legal right to detain him. She wore her network uniform and badge, which she felt offered recognition and kept her from being thrown in, along with the boy. He was released.

The women charge forward with accrued momentum and collective support. Another woman points out that raising awareness about gender-based and family violence is good, but women need options in order to truly escape the violence. She explains that a group of them would like to take the next steps in helping women who are trapped in abusive relationships due to economic dependency. They want to start a bakery which would employ such women, offering a regular salary, an escape route and an abundance of emotional support.

This is what empowerment looks like. Not only are these women applying the knowledge they have acquired to daily situations, but they are analyzing challenges within their communities and identifying and pursuing solutions.

Yet another woman expresses herself in a poem. She speaks of land that was once arid and unwelcoming, but is now fertile. Of humiliation being replaced with friendship. She says this is where dreams may be planted.

While there is no funding currently available for the bakery, these women have planted their dream seed. When this plant sprouts and grows, it will bear the fruit of empowerment.

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