courage /ˈkʌrɪdʒ/ noun
- The ability to do something that frightens one; bravery.
- Strength in the face of pain or grief.
Our first jewellery collection was named The Courage Collection for many reasons, but the overarching and unavoidable reason was that the main characteristic the women we work with is most definitely; courage. In the face of fear, great pain, grief and uncertainty they have continued. They have carried on, found courage and found the strength to rebuild their lives from the ground up.
Many of the women from the Congolese Mother’s Union have suffered hugely because of the unrest across the DRC. The women in the West often have lost husbands in the conflict and are left to provide for their families alone. Often illiterate they struggle to find work. Others in the East still remain in the middle of these horrendous conflict zones. They have often experienced horrendous sexual violence as a result of the war and are left alone having lost husbands, family, children as well as deep psychological scars and the need for serious medical attention and rehabilitation. The violence and loss these women have experienced one would struggle to fathom.
The Mother’s Union we are supporting through Asandé helps these women rebuild their lives through providing for their emotional, medical and psychological needs as well as helping them to create an income through small businesses. Women are taught to create things they can sell in their community. They start to provide for their families and contribute to society in a meaningful way, restoring their dignity and providing a sense of purpose.
We want to share these women’s stories of courage to recognise their immense bravery and resilience in light of terrible hardship. But we also hope these stories might encourage you as well. To continue in the face of the challenges you are currently presented with. That their fortitude, their strength to carry on would give you the inspiration to do the same. Whether your facing grief, infertility, mental health challenges, sickness, whatever it may be, we want you to know you’re not alone. And that in every challenge we face, we can all have courage to walk through it and come out the other side.
Each piece of jewellery is connected to a woman with an amazing story and each story we hope encourages you or the friend you gift it to to keep going and to find courage in the midst of their challenge, just like our Congolese women did.
As you purchase your piece of jewellery, we hope you know that your not only recognising her profound courage your also helping her rebuild her life.
30% of all profits go to The Mother’s Union, DRC to help rebuild the lives of women across the DRC who have been victims of war.
