Songs of Hope in WA

For two stormy  winter days in Perth we were visited by two extraordinary women from South Africa on a whirlwind tour of the country visiting politicians, speaking to the media and being at the centre of public events for the both the GROW and Make Poverty History campaigns.

Roseline Presence and Gertruida Barman’s inspiring stories of tackling hunger in their communities left a path of tears, laughter and belief that change is not only possible but a certainty, when women are given the opportunity to be leaders in their community.

In Perth their first visit was speaking to 300 students from one of Perth’s most prestigious girls school (Methodist Ladies College). A far cry from the Western Cape where hunger is all too common, where mothers are often reduced to begging to feed their families, and children, especially girls are taken out of school to work for poverty wages.

As Gertruida recounted her own moving story of being taken from school as a ten year old to work in a kitchen, a tear rolled down her face. It was soon joined by the tears of the 300 students at the school as well as the teachers and the principal. The tears did not stop for the whole moving story from sadness to inspiration as Gertruida  told how she went on to become a leader in her community and even travel the world taking on big corporations and winning to improve the conditions of women working in farms in her community. Read more here...