Hi there,

Thank you for visiting my JustGiving page.

I just came back from an expedition with 10 WonderWomen on a Mission, trekking the jungle of Siberut to live with the Mentawai tribe, in the Mentawaian archipelago, West Sumatra, Indonesia.

The expedition was part of an effort to raise funds for women survivors of war in Afghanistan, one of the most dangerous and disempowering countries in which to be female. Women suffer greatly from the consequences of war and conflict. They are often hailed as the fabric of the nation, but in times of war and crisis, women are often the ones being marginalised and overlooked (alongside young children). War destroys their family, livelihood and future. They are greatly affected physically, emotionally and mentally - not to mention being subjected to sexual violence as well. The money we raise for this project seeks to achieve the following objective: Allow marginalised women in Afghanistan have improved livelihoods, rights awareness, and social and economic participation. 

The idea of the expedition was to challenge myself to empower other women and I'm pleased to know that not only do I managed to complete the mission unscathed but I also managed to overcome my fear of stepping into the unknown and out of my comfort zone - living with bare-minimum modern conveniences and most importantly, WIFI!

The Mentawai tribe welcomed us into their Uma (home) perhaps at first with some suspicions but I believe we won them over with our sincerity and friendliness. What was really special about living with them was that they didn’t feel like they needed to give us any special treatment - allowing us to truly immerse ourselves in their way of living.

• Fish in the river - checked
• Do “business” in the bush and at night under the moonlight - checked
• Bath in the river - checked
• Do laundry in the river - checked
• Drink river water - checked
• Being kept awake by “cuckoo” roosters, grunting pigs and mad cows- checked
• Eat sago worms - checked
• “Help” with sago cooking - checked
• Watch how poison was made from tree bark and chilli - checked
• Make my own loincloth - checked
• Monkey hunting - checked (no monkeys were injured during our hunting trip)
• Trudging the lush jungle, across mid-thigh deep river, and mud - checked
• Witness tribal chanting - checked
• Witness chanting to seek permission from the spirits in the forest to bless our hunting trip - checked
• See bilou (Mentawai gibbon) in the wild jumping from tree to tree - checked

Living with the Mentawai tribe also taught me something that I already knew but living in a highly demanding modern society and in my pursuit of material wealth, I sometimes lose sight of the important things that make life meaningful. The Mentawai tribe may live (in my city girl’s eyes) a simple life but they surely are rich - in culture, family values, and community spirit, and their respect of mother earth is something we could all learn from. 

Overall, it was a beautiful and priceless experience - words can’t describe completely how I felt about this trip. It’s one that holds a special place in my heart. Thank you to the Mentawai tribes, our guide, porters and cook, and the 10 WonderWomen I travelled with for making this trip memorable.

I’m still raising funds for women survivors of war in Afghanistan. Hopefully, after reading my story, I’ve inspired you enough to make some donations. Because, together we can lift each other and make our lives a fulfilling and meaningful one.

Love, 
Wati

About the fundraising - We are partnering with Women for Women International UK (WfWI) to help the women survivors of war in Afghanistan. The money we raise for this project seeks to achieve the following objective: Marginalised women in Afghanistan have improved livelihoods, rights awareness, and social and economic participation. This objective will be achieved by providing classes to marginalised women with a 12-month social and economic empowerment programme that will drive change in four key outcome areas - 1) Women earn and save money, 2)  Women improve health and well-being, 3) Women influence decisions in the home and community and 4) Women connect to networks for support.

About WfWI - You can find out more about WfWI via their website at www.womenforwomen.org.uk. Watch this video too if you have some time to spare: hhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iarxgcit0gU.

About Women on a Mission - Women on a Mission (WOAM) organises challenging expeditions, dynamic marketing campaigns and events to raise awareness and funds for women survivors of war, and to support and empower women who have been subjected to violence and abuse. https://www.womenmission.com/