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Parksville church welcomes Haitian speaker

Public invited to learn about constructive change taking place for women
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Marie Ange Noel of Haiti will speak on constructive changes taking place for women in her country at an event to be hosted Friday by the Church of Ascension in Parksville.

Marie-Ange Noel, co-ordinator of one of the Canadian Catholic Organization for Development and Peace partner organizations Fanm Deside (Women Decide), will be at the Church of the Ascension hall in Parksville, Friday.

On March 17 from 10 a.m. 2 p.m. at the Church of the Ascension, there will be a meet-and-greet with Noel.

Fanm Deside was started in 1989 by four Canadian nuns and 13 Haitian women.

It was a means of working together to meet the direct needs of their poor neighbourhood in Jacmel, Haiti. These included getting access to potable water, paying rent, transporting children to schools and dealing with domestic violence.

Fanm Deside identifies four components:

The organization of information and sensitization activities for men and women in schooling, medical and justice systems; the creation of sustainable income generating activities to economically empower women; the advocacy and the training of advocates for gender equality within all aspects of Haitian life including training in participatory democratic problem solving skills; the long-term accompaniment of women and girls who are victims of violence.

A light lunch will be provided by the Church of the Ascension’s Social Justice Team. Admission is by donation with funds going to Fanm Deside.

For more information, please contact Yvonne Zarowny 250.752.3870 or yaz@shaw.ca.

Submitted by the Church of the Ascension