OVERVIEW

There are many successful community-based initiatives in addressing the issue of violence against women and children, both in Canada and abroad. In this half-day symposium, we aim to share knowledge about intercultural strategies that have been used in Tanzania and in London, Ontario to mobilize communities to address and prevent abuse in different cultures.

The symposium will bring together individuals from both Africa and Canada to discuss the roles they play in community mobilization, as well as education and prevention initiatives from these diverse cross-cultural contexts. The main aim of the symposium is to ask what we can learn from a comparative perspective about intercultural strategies to mobilize communities to deal, head-on, with the global issue of violence against women and children. The symposium will consist of an opening panel, breakout sessions, and regrouping together for sharing and final discussion.

GUEST SPEAKERS

• Mohammed Baobaid (Executive Director, Muslim Resource Centre for Social Support and Integration)
• Maimuna Kanyamala (Former Director, Kivulini Women’s Rights Organization, Tanzania)
• Anna Hendrikx, Executive Director and Lisa Widdifield, Outreach Coordinator, Across Languages Translation and Interpretation Services
• Sue, Survivor Liaison and Dawn, Project Coordinator (Survivor Voices Inclusion Project sponsored by The Ontario Association of Interval and Transition Houses)

TO REGISTER PLEASE GO TO
https://conferences.adt.its.uwo.ca/Default.aspx?conferenceID=82

Conference registration fees – Students/Unwaged = $5; All Others = $10
(Please bring cash or cheque to the symposium to cover your registration.)

This symposium is sponsored by (CREVAWC) Centre for Research and Education on Violence against Women & Children, the RICE (Research in International and Contemporary Education) group, and Western Heads East.

In December 2011, after 7 years of WHE interns and kitchens in Africa, the African Probiotic Yoghurt Network (APYN) was created. The APYN is a formal network of women's groups collaborating on development, subsidy for people living with HIV/AIDS, and mutual support.

It was established with the support of Western Heads East (WHE), Kivulini/Mikono Yetu, and the National Institute for Medical Research (NIMR) who have a long history of implementing community health and development projects in East Africa.

APYN supports the establishment, development, and continuation of small-scale probiotic yoghurt community health micro-enterprises that economically empower at risk and/or impoverished women and youth while at the same time improving community health and nutrition, especially for people living with HIV/AIDS.

Western Heads East is extremely excited about this project as it represents an organically African organization and local ownership of the program. WHE will continue to lend APYN its support throughout the years to come.

It's hard to believe it's been 10 whole years since that fateful day in 2002 when, at a Housing conference on campus, the vision behind WHE was conceived. It was there that Stephen Lewis, UN Special Envoy for HIV/AIDS in Africa, poignantly described the overwhelming plight caused by the HIV/AIDS pandemic. Inspired by Lewis' words, a group of Western's Housing staff immediately formed a committee in response, aimed at going beyond financial contributions to battle this crisis at the grassroots level.

Plans were set in motion almost immediately, starting with a fundraising event to raise money for Bob Gough, WHE Program Director, to travel to Mwanza and pitch the program's initiative. With the help of Maimuna Kanyamala, the Director of the Kivulini Women's Rights Organization, a meeting was arranged with The Tukwamuane Women's Group. As expected, their response was overwhelmingly positive, and just like that, Western Heads East hit the ground running! Feeling energized, and not wanting to waste any more time, Bob made sure to purchase pots, pans and burners before leaving Africa. These were put to use less than three months later when we sent our first two interns (Brian and Cynthia), who helped teach local women how to make yoghurt right in their apartment!

Over the next three years, the focus turned to the program's development and sustainability to finally get where we are now. Today, we are so very proud to say that over 50 student interns and more than 20 staff/faculty members have spent time in East Africa. As of this summer, there are eight community kitchens operating in Mwanza, three in Kenya and one starting up in Rwanda as we speak. By December 2013, our goal is to have 20 kitchens in place, with 55 people receiving yoghurt at each location free of charge, thanks to the generous grant from Dr. Marianne Larsen, Faculty of Education, Western University.

A very successful 10 years WHE! Here's to many, many more.

It's that special time of year again! The entire Western Heads East team is busy with last minute preparations for our annual 'In the Market' fundraising gala.

We are thrilled to welcome back Maimuna Kanyamala, Executive Director of Kivulini Women's Rights Organization in Mwanza, Tanzania as our keynote speaker, as well as many other special guests.

Our silent auction will undoubtedly be a hit again this year, featuring many enticing packages from generous local sponsors such as a round trip for two between London and Montreal courtesy of VIA Rail or a two-night stay in a deluxe guestroom at the Fairmont Royal York in Toronto.

This year's gala will be held at the Great Hall on the Western University campus on Thursday March 22 from 4:00-6:30. For more details, check out the updated Events section of our website.

For now, please take some time to look at pictures from last year's event and be sure to reserve your ticket from Cheryl Briglia (whe.events@uwo.ca) or online at: https://www.usc-online.ca/whe_registration.asp.

We look forward to seeing you there!

As you may have heard, Western Heads East recently received an overwhelming $1.06 million dollar donation from one of Western's very own professors, and WHE chair, Dr. Marianne Larsen.

Thanks to her generous gift, WHE will be able to provide probiotic yoghurt to people living with HIV/AIDS free of charge over the next ten years.

Larsen said she's been inspired by the Yoghurt Mamas and their stories of how the concoction has changed the lives of so many people who would otherwise have nowhere else to turn.

"I can't say enough about Western Heads East," she says. "It's great on so many different levels. It builds on grassroots knowledge here at Western and supports existing communities working together."

The impact of this money is already being felt, as the Yoghurt Mamas will see an immediate upgrade to four existing yogurt kitchens in Tanzania and 16 new kitchens throughout eastern Africa. This translates into an increased capacity to feed 1,100 people each day living with HIV/AIDS over the next decade!

At Western Heads East we commonly receive inquiries concerning the safety, health benefits, and production of the probiotic cultures. In this month's News Update we would like to take some time to explain some of our most frequently asked questions.

What are probiotic cultures and why do we use them?

By definition, in order for any microbial strain to be deemed 'probiotic', it has to have been proven to confer a health benefit upon the host, and have undergone rigorous testing. The addition of helpful probiotic cultures to yoghurt allows the Mamas to produce yoghurt branded and known as 'Fiti', which means 'health' in Swahili. Swahili is the primary language spoken in many East African countries. There is evidence that the use of probiotic yoghurt can improve the immune function in some HIV patients. The health improvement of individuals receiving the Fiti has been recognized by both the Mamas and interns.

Are probiotic cultures safe to use?

There are two parts to this explanation. The first part concerns the safety of actually producing the probiotic culture and the second concerns the safety of providing such a product to individuals with compromised immune function.

The safety record of yoghurt with and without probiotics is exemplary. Clear processes and protocols for food handling are consistently implemented. Any remaining issues concerning adequate food handling and cross contamination are countered by the fact that fermented milk contained in yoghurt can itself act as an inhibitor of pathogens.

Further, the probiotic strains are known to inhibit the growth of harmful pathogens including E. coli, a common cause of potentially life-threatening symptoms such as diarrhea. Also, in the unlikely event that pathogenic contamination does ever occur, the yoghurt will immediately sour and become unsafe for consumption through both taste and visible appearance.

There have been studies performed testing for the concerns raised about giving probiotics to HIV/AIDS patients. It was once feared that the live bacteria contained in probiotic cultures would enter the bloodstream of immune suppressed patients. Research has provided us with evidence that probiotics can improve the gut barrier function that protects against bacterial translocation, thereby reducing rather than increasing the risk of infection by the probiotic or intestinal pathogens.

Where do we get the probiotic cultures?

There exist only 12 proven probiotic cultures in Canada, and each is owned by a for-profit company. In order to utilize the proven health benefits of probiotic cultures we were required to either pay one of the private companies for use of their particular culture or develop our own. Dr. Sharareh Hekmat, a professor of Foods and Nutritional Sciences at Brescia University College, developed the Lactobacillus rhamnosus GR-1 microbial strain. With the gracious approval of Dr. Hekmat, Dr. Gregor Reid, and Chr Hansen, the probiotic culture was donated for use in our humanitarian projects in 2004. Today, we rely on the support of local labs to provide the probiotic culture regularly to Mamas so that they may incorporate the product into their yoghurt for marketing and distribution. Researchers are currently trying to create a product that allows the kitchen mamas to simply add a pre-determined dried powder to the yoghurt to produce 'Fiti'. Unfortunately, this is not a simple process and the research is ongoing.

The latest probiotic research has been at the centre of our organization's motivation to help assist the millions of individuals living with HIV/AIDS in Africa. The incorporation of healthy probiotic bacteria into an easily produced yoghurt product has been empirically shown to lower mortality and increase the quality of life for those suffering from HIV/AIDS as well as from the effects of malnutrition.

Here at Western Heads East, we are always excited to share with you the latest ground breaking research that has granted us the ability to do what we do. Please take some time to review our collection of published research articles and publications to learn more about the benefits of probiotics.

Here at Western Heads East, we welcome many questions concerning how one can help contribute to our cause. While we are always open to accepting charitable donations, there are other ways that you can help make a difference in the lives of individuals living with HIV/AIDS in Africa.

You can choose to participate in one of our many charitable events throughout the year or perhaps organize one yourself! If you are a student or staff member and do not have the time to join a committee, we encourage you come and help out with an event.

This year we have a 'pay it forward' bracelet campaign starting in late November and our goal is to have everyone on campus wearing one by the end of the year - come help make bracelets or help get the word out!

If you are a student interested in witnessing WHE initiatives in Africa first hand, you can apply for one of our student intern positions in Tanzania, Kenya, or Rwanda. However you choose to get involved, we encourage you to participate in this important cause. Without the help and support of the local community we could not have accomplished what we have.

Students and staff interested in joining the WHE fundraising committee can email westernheadseast@gmail.com.

Faculty members are invited to join the Research Committee to take part in the Western Heads East project. Please Contact whe.research@uwo.ca.

A Western Serves team made almost 400 bracelets and sold half, making nearly $400 in one hour for Western Heads East (WHE)!

On Saturday, September 26th, ten enthusiastic volunteers spent their afternoon learning more about the WHE program and contributing their energy to the "Pay It Forward" Bracelet campaign to be launched in November.

After learning about the campaign, the group spent an hour and a half making bracelets, rehearsing their sales pitches, then hit the streets to sell bracelets. Proceeds will help provide probiotic yoghurt for people living with AIDS in Tanzania, Kenya and Rwanda and assist with student intern expenses.

The day was a great success and there was a good feeling in the room. One volunteer was excited to learn Western Heads East was a home grown program of The University of Western Ontario, as opposed to 'Western culture' program available at other Canadian universities.

A great big thank you to the wonderful group of volunteers, their group facilitator and the Western Serves program!