We began our day by going to Minnesota African Women's Association to become more educated on the issues that face young African women in Minnesota. Miss LaBelle, one of the heads on the organization spoke to us about MAWA's struggles with funding and the tension they feel with the parents of the young adults they serve. We also went to the Minnesota Indian Women Resource Center and served the community by cleaning the facilities.
I was very interested seeing the children at the Indian Resource Center interact with some of us. A group of siblings were going to pick up their laundry and was very intrigued with one of our cameras. A girl from our group, Bridget, let them play with it and even left it for them. It was shocking to see them not touch it but stare at it. It was sweet that they wanted to learn more but were too scared.
At MAWA I was extremely inspired by the women that ran the organization. Miss LaBelle told us that only six women work at MAWA full time, but they are still able to provide numerous resources to the community they service. I also loved to see that these women had such positive attitudes about all the work they are doing, even with their funding being cut and having a all the time.
I am looking forward to meeting the girls at the after school program to inform the girls about all the opportunities that are out there and to show them all the doors available.
I am looking forward to becoming more educated on the issues of the women and we are serving and learning how to best advocate for them.
Written by Emma Gambaro and Nikki Brewer
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