Liberación Collective: The Congo & Lebanon

Hola / Marhaba!

It's Loren Medina Jassir with Travel With Purpose and Guerrera Marketing & PR. So excited to share our new fundraiser with you!

Liberación Collective: The Congo & Lebanon is part 1 of a 3 part series to educate, draw the parallels amongst different global issues in order to find connective tissue amongst marginalized communities.

Funds raised will be directed to Friends of Congo and used to house displaced women and children, secure food and water, build a communal kitchen, and provide return packets (phone, seeds, cash, & transportation) for women returning to their villages. We will also be raising funds for Egna Legna in Lebanon which works with African women trapped in the Kafala system of which the proceeds will be used for food, women’s hygiene products, diapers, rent and medical assistance.

What's happening in The Congo right now is extremely devastating and unfortunately we all play a role in this issue due to our consumerism, specifically with cell phones and electric powered vehicles. In addition, the Middle East perpetuates a modern day slave trade under the Kafala system, a system whereby certain countries give local individuals or companies sponsorship permits to employ foreign laborers. These foreign laborers, who are mostly from Africa, are subjected to cruel exploitation and abuse and in some cases are never let outside. In Lebanon, due to the ongoing attack by Israel, hundreds of African domestic workers have been left behind by affluent families who fled the country and had sponsored them leaving them unprotected and often taking refuge in abandoned buildings. The situation is so dire not even Christian churches would take African domestic workers in because they prioritized their Lebanese citizens.

So why aren't The Congo and the Kafala system getting the media attention it deserves? There are many reasons but at the root of it all is anti-Blackness. Let's be honest...

My plan is to travel to the Congo and possibly to Lebanon in June in order to distribute the funds, however; due to the ongoing war and instability that might not happen. So I'm here once again asking you to be a part of my journey and donate anything that you can. No amount is small. We must all do our part to help each other, especially now more than ever. Thank you for your time. Sending you all a big hug! With love, Loren