| Woman sends a message through Haitian plays |
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| Written by Anne-Marije Rook - Argonaut | ||||||
| Thursday, 12 February 2009 | ||||||
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 Nancy Casey describes her experiences in a village in Haiti during a "Courageous Women" slide show presentation at Moscow Book People on Wednesday night. Tyler Macy/Argonaut At 5 feet 2-inches with dreadlocks, Nancy Casey isn’t by any means a big woman—but her heart, efforts and optimism are. As she prepares to fly out for another trip to Haiti, Casey is collecting funds and seeds for women and children on the Haitian island of LaGonave.Photos of braided girls with big smiles, green lush nature and proud women flashed on the projection screen at BookPeople Wednesday evening as Casey narrated the slideshow. Josiane on her way to church. A school where adult women sit among third grade children. Women cooking. A play about Elise. A malnourished 7-year-old girl who looks 3. It has been two years since she last saw them all and the excitement in Casey’s eyes and voice was noticeable. Casey is going back to help the Haitian women’s group Courageous Women (or Fanm Kouraj in their native Kreyol language). Concerned with domestic violence and the abuse and neglect of children, Fanm Kouraj is a women’s group dedicated to improve the situation of women and children in LaGonave. With the majority of people being illiterate and Kreyol being a largely non-written language, the best way these women know how to make themselves heard is through plays and performances. In such plays, performers walk around the area from one woman to the next and ask the questions “What’s going on? What’s on your mind?” From that, a play is born. The popular and rousing plays are centered around sexually transmitted infections, domestic violence, child slavery and sexual abuse. “I’m sure they take a lot of heat for what they do,” Casey said. “But they’re bringing hope and the possibility of trust.” Performing the theater pieces raises awareness and allows for discussion. In addition, Fanm Kouraj feeds the people who attend the performances. “The isolation of women is a big deal,” Casey said. “Women are alone in their houses, forbidden to leave or talk to other women.” At the performances, women receive information, food and the opportunity to discuss such issues. Teenage pregnancy is a major topic. “In a culture where it’s hard enough to feed yourself, (condoms) are a problem,” Casey said. Men often don’t share the responsibility and the responsibility and young, impregnated women end up on the street with no resources to take care of themselves or the baby. “They’ll say they don’t care,” Casey said. “Well, I care.” In 1995, Casey decided to go to Haiti because she saw it as a local version of Africa. “I’m troubled by the notion of people’s lives being so terrible it’s unlivable,” she said. “I wanted to know these people.” Now, 14 years later, Casey calls Haiti and its people her “primary relationship.” “It has a special and problematic place in my heart,” she said. The Voices of Power Foundation, which brings Yin Radio to the airwaves on KRFP, has adopted Fanm Kouraj and made it one of their own projects. “There’s a lot of vision,” VP President Sandi Billings said. “We can provide more resources to them and we can learn from them.” Billings said VP is dedicated to empowering women and finding balance in society. “Courageous Women is doing what we’re doing, but in Haiti,” she said, “and they have even more need for it there.” Being a 501C3 nonprofit agency, the VP Foundation supports Courageous Women by serving as a type of fiscal agent. VP Foundation is the funding vehicle, Casey said. “I’m not good at the pitch,“ Casey said. “But if you can give financial help to this program, I’m grateful, and they are grateful.” A year of Fanm Kouraj activities costs $7,500 and allows for 10 performance pieces, workshops and discussions. Besides monetary help, Casey collected seeds for vegetable plants that are hard to come by in Haiti. Above all, Casey said she wants people to visit Haiti. “It’s not what you think,” she said. “If you go to Haiti for a month, you can write a book. If you go for a year, you can’t say another word.”  Add as favorites (64) | Views: 1047
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