Greetings from at the Forefront! With each new update, it is exciting to see that our family is growing—we're grateful to have you all! November whizzed by but we want to take a moment to reflect on an unforgettable month which saw us launch a revamped website, push critical conversations at the Women and Girls Africa Summit, and extend our support in the ongoing #EndSARs movement across Nigeria and the Diaspora.
In this issue, we are announcing our fundraising efforts for the Girls of Color (GOC) Project launching in 2021. In honor of the legacy of Rhonda Staudt and her work with the SASEF Foundation, we're holding a Giving Tuesday virtual fundraiser in support of the project's aims to respond to global disparities girls of color face. We will also be placing a well-deserved spotlight on the phenomenal panelists and participants alike that made our time at the Women and Girls Africa Summit one for the books. The summit ended just 9 days ago so it feels like just the right time to relive some of our favourite moments (and also share what's coming next—keep your eyes peeled!) Finally, we are formally introducing the core team behind at the Forefront and sharing information about the ongoing WeCiE Festival packed with an exciting lineup of speakers.
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SUPPORTING GIRLS OF COLOR THIS #GIVINGTUESDAY
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Our sights are set on championing young black girls this upcoming Giving Tuesday!
at the Forefront is honoring the legacy of Rhonda Staudt and her work with the SASEF Foundation by launching the Girls of Color (GOC) Project in 2021. Join our virtual fundraiser featuring artist Namatsi Lukoye alongside Tasha Kabwe and Andrew Ngatia in support of the project's aim to respond to global disparities girls of color face in gaining access to quality education, career-building opportunities, mentoring, and provide platforms encouraging them to uplift their voices. The GOC project will equip youth to strategize solutions to prevent and respond to the heightened risk of gender-based violence, teenage pregnancy, and mental health challenges, exacerbated by COVID-19 isolation measures.
Participate in the virtual fundraiser live on Zoom at 2:30pm GMT on December 1 here. If you’re unable to attend the virtual fundraiser, you can donate to our GoFundMe here. Don't forget to indicate "GOC" with your donation.
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A SUMMIT FOR THE BOOKS
As has become convention in 2020, the Women and Girls Africa Summit was held virtually from November 16-18 2020. As physical exhibits, presentations and panels were swapped for endless Zoom links and virtual interactions across social media, we still felt connected with the sense of community built throughout the panels, particularly the ones we had a hand in organising. We want to extend our appreciation to, and thanks, the vibrant and lively panelists for their participation in the critical conversation we had: Nana Apenem Dagadu, Lucy Wainaina, Mame-Yaa Bosomtwi, Angela Bruce-Raeburn, Tamara Cummings-John, Muna Idow, and Lucie Amadou. We would be remiss not to mention our appreciation for the participants who attended the panels, and contributed stories and questions that pushed our conversations further—thank you.
If you didn't catch our panel sessions (or you just want to revisit them), we have compiled recap blog posts on our site highlighting the key moments and takeaways from each panels. Both blog posts also include the full recordings of the panel sessions to watch back at any time.
The "Magnifying the Voices of African Women on the Future of Gender Equality" full panel recording is accessible here.
The "Improving Diversity and Creating Inclusive Spaces for African Women in International Development" full panel recording is accessible here.
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Read the recap on our first panel, "Magnifying the Voices of African Women on the Future of Gender Equality" here.
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Read the recap on our first panel, "Magnifying the Voices of African Women on the Future of Gender Equality" here.
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THE FACES BEHIND AT THE FOREFRONT
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As the atF family grows, we are keen to learn about you and share more about our core team with diverse expertise across public health, education, law, and human rights with over 40 years combined experience in the nonprofit sector.
Read more about our core team and advisory board here.
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The first ever WeCiE (Women of Colour Working in Emergencies) Festival kicked off this past Monday with an exciting lineup of speakers from all over the globe! Founded by Dorcas Erskine & Aisha Bain, WeCiE is a network born out of the need to increase visibility of the work women of colour specialists are doing on gender-based violence during an emergency or conflict in their own countries and elsewhere. This will be a space for individual specialists to connect to women of colour around the globe, share experiences and solutions, exchange resources, and collaborate on opportunities.
Find out more information about the speakers at wecie.org and register (it’s free!)
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