On November 4, our self-funded team of twelve women from Asia and Europe will embark on a twelve-day expedition to visit the Sakuddei and Sararakeit tribal people also called the Flower People. These people live in the Sibeirut island, the largest of the Mentawai Islands, west of Sumatra. These people live in small groups dispersed in the jungle, where they build wooden houses on stilts and eat what the jungle gives them. They don’t know rice, since they principally eat sago paste, fish or shrimp that they catch in the rivers. They love to hunt wild boar and monkeys.
The expedition’s objective is to raise $100,000 SGD for Women for Women International – UK, a charity which provides women survivors of war and conflict with the tools and resources to move from crisis and poverty to stability and self-sufficiency.
WOAM, now in its seventh year of operation, has raised over $1,000,000 Singapore dollars to date, to support organisations that advance the position of women around the world.
In addition to Women for Women International, the team also champions and raises funds for the following Singapore-based charities: AWARE - Singapore’s leading gender equality advocacy group; UN Women; Aidha - a Singapore NGO empowering domestic workers; and Pertapis Home for Women and Girls. The past nine WOAM expeditions have been to regions of the Himalayas, the Middle East, Africa, Mongolia and the Arctic Circle.
Brita Fernandez Schmidt, Executive Director of Women for Women International - UK stated, “The women we work with live in some of the world’s most dangerous places – it can be hard for us to imagine their daily challenges. I find it so inspiring that WOAM push themselves far outside their comfort zone in order to raise money and awareness for women survivors of war. Each trek they take on is just as challenging as the last, and WOAM members truly go the extra mile to leverage their networks and raise incredible sums of money, which make a real difference to the women we serve.”
For this next expedition to Papua, WOAM’s 10th to date, the team will need to cross the thick tropical jungle for the unique opportunity to live with and experience the everyday activities of the Flower People, whose customs will seem very alien in contrast to the lifestyles in the modern world.
Ultimately, WOAM’s objective is to inspire women to want to leave their comfort zone, their families and homes for a certain period of time, while pushing their limits in an effort to rally support for a worthy cause. At the core of their culture is a passion for adventure and a deep respect and love of nature. They seek to travel and explore the world, and as a result make new discoveries, flourish as individuals, but most importantly, contribute to society.
By travelling in such challenging conditions, WOAM hopes to bring international attention to the need for societies, governments and corporations to get involved and help end violence against women.
