We are independently building a movement to support the voice of women at the grassroots, funded by the grassroots! Nancy A One Girl Revolution is for all those who want to see change and be part of that change too. I love this way of building our movement, it aligns so well with the way Nancy’s story began. Her story has always been rooted in community, for once she was saved it became her passion to change her tribe. This sparked a movement inspired by the heart. The instant that Nancy pledged in public, all those years ago in 2010, that she would be a role model and lead others, changed both her life and mine forever. It was a decisive moment in both our lives. The fact that I was filming at the time and captured her inspired words sent me on a new course too.
How and why we chose to build a movement through crowd funding!
Back in 2010 I was awed by Nancy’s lion hearted courage and passion. It seemed to me I’d found an extraordinary girl and despite her humble background, living in a mud compound on a far hill, her intention to have real impact as stated whilst just a teenager back in 2010, thrilled me. I believed she would do this too. How? I did not know.
Story has power
It dawned on me that as a storyteller I had the power to help her realise this dream and amplify her impact. I felt that if I could capture her becoming self empowered on film and helping others empower themselves to remain whole it would have an immediate impact !
Things have not been anywhere near so simple or so fast, for whilst my vision has been shared by many, the financial support has been slow to follow, nevertheless over the years my intention has grown deeper and truer. I have understood more and more how Nancy’s story fits into a rising feminine consciousness and worldwide evolutionary impulse for the empowerment of women, and that I am part of that rising consciousness too. Something Jung once said springs to mind about how we are vehicles for something larger than ourselves that speaks through us, for the great feminine impulse behind this movement is not one of competition or a drive for individual success, it is a drive for re-connection and the power of interconnectivity, which are the feminine values.
“The living spirit grows and even outgrows its earlier forms of expression; it freely chooses the men and women in whom it lives and who proclaim it. This living spirit is eternally renewed and pursues its goal in manifold and inconceivable ways throughout the history of mankind. Measured against it, the names and forms which men have given it mean little enough; they are only the changing leaves and blossoms on the stem of the eternal tree.”
When I returned to the UK in early 2011 I knew what I had captured on film was immensely powerful. I began advocating for Nancy’s story to be used as a campaign and educational tool, as well as for Nancy herself to be supported. It seemed to me that supporting opinion leaders within communities is the key. It ensures change is driven from within and is sustainable too.
My expectation of support from the international community for Nancy has been slower than I ever anticipated, but I have realised during this time that we can’t delegate responsibility to them if we want a changed world. The world won’t change if we repeat over and over again what we’ve already done! Blaming others, when our focus could be on what we ourselves are doing and being. We need to choose to make a difference ourselves. Change starts with us.
In my initial excitement about Nancy’s story – particularly after I won a number of awards for the first short film I made about her which was broadcast in 2011 – I imagined people would be falling over themselves to support the impact Nancy is having …. I never imagined that 7 years on I would still be building this support myself, brick by brick, as well as funding the many filming trips with my own money – with the lucky support of one generous and anonymous benefactor and many many other kindnesses along the way for which I am enormously grateful! Each helping hand, or kind word has made an impact for when faced with a stark choice – walk away and have an easy life, holidays and fun, or commit 100 percent and just do it! It is my commitment to you and Nancy that makes my choice. So the crowd funding appeal directly to you, friends of Nancy’s, our community of interest, has been an urgent necessity and continues to be so.
Our greatest hope is each one of you!
Our connection to you, is our greatest hope as well as our greatest potential for impact!
In 2016 my sister and a few other generous supporters helped me launch a crowd funding campaign and website. I soon realised that although I’d been resisting starting this, knowing the enormous amount of work involved, it was time to grab the opportunity! It has proved to be an amazing way to connect to the people who really care about these issues, as I do.
But we have only just begun. I would like to build a community of people to support Nancy’s movement in the field, one by one, connecting to like minded people across the globe who care about women taking their place in the world to help change it and want to be a part of something real – not driven by large institutions but by people at the grassroots taking ownership.
Please help us and get in touch to share ideas, contacts and please do donate if you can.
Relying upon YOU, the public, to vote with your donations for change aligns so well with the way Nancy’s Girl revolution is happening on the ground. A ripple impact. One girl at a time, at grassroots, in a direct relationship built between people motivated by a desire for real change. Donations large or small build intention and even if you have just £1 to give or no money at all but a little time to encourage a friend to help, this is all it takes to build a grassroots movement.
We have often observed how our institutions and system fail us often at great cost to us all. But this is a better way – grassroots to grassroots; heart to heart; we can extend a hand directly to Nancy and the other role models, both men and women on the ground to help!
Support for the voice of the grassroots by the grassroots builds a collective intention and shared commitment. I believe this magnifies the power of what Nancy can do on the ground as she knows you are all there supporting it. So often the women in these remote places are just abstract statistics, but not with Nancy’s campaign. They are real women living, suffering, with stories, loves and desires …and we are helping them step by step.
Support for Nancy’s education
There have been so many, helping hands along the way. First I needed to fund the girls secondary school. CGEF helped me fund Nancy’s (and Gertrudes) education from 2012 but it was not until 2013 that I managed to get funding to return to start to tell her story, thanks to the Commonwealth Broadcasting Association and WorldView who stepped in at the last minute to make it happen! (The Madrinha Trust now supports Nancy’s college)
We have great partners but we no big organisations funding us, no salaries or expenses covered, no big Brand power or labels to help open doors and pull strings to pay our bills. Seven years later, with still no major funder supporting the film or distribution strategy despite Nancy’s international profile and the screening of her film at key events, the penny has well and truly dropped.
We need you – yes you out there who also cares!
We can’t wait for Government or international institutions or NGOs to support the work that needs doing. We have to make the change, and together we can support this to happen. You can see what is authentic, what matters, what is true, what is from the heart. That is the source of our collective power.
It does take longer but even if the journey is long, it will lead to an even greater impact in the end. We do of course want to pay ourselves and survive the process, but our intention is impact and the ability to see this through ! This is for me, for you, for Nancy, for all the women and men in the world who want something different from what we see around us.
Nancy pledged to change her tribe. How can you walk away?
Read on for past news updates from our former Generosity Crowd Funding page, recorded here for posterity!
OCTOBER 2016 PREPERATIONS FOR ELIMINATING VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN
Hi Nancy Supporters, I’ve not been updating you enough! It’s a good sign because I’m busy helping organise The Commonwealth Secretariat’s event on the 25th and starting the edit process…translations, plotting the story arc and building distribution contacts for getting the film out there…We’ve raised 11,419 which is tremendous and I’m grateful to each and every one of you – more news on how I will use that soon. Meanwhile AMAZING news – Baroness Scotland is flying Nancy to the Commonwealth Secretariat for the launch of their initiative: Empowering Girls and Women: the role of Health and Education in Eliminating Violence Against Women. So very soon I shall be showing Nancy the sites of London – Parliament, Big Ben, The Millennium Wheel and the wonderfully glamourous Marlborough House – it will surprise and delight her just like New York did I’m sure! The Commonwealth will be showing a short extract of Nancy A One Girl Revolution immediately followed by a panel discussion. It will be fun! More news as it happens…With thanks to you all.
AUGUST 2016 THE MAHRINHA TRUST SPONSORS NANCY’S COLLEGE
Fabulous! We are approaching 11,000 dollars and The Madrinha Trust have taken Nancy’s college sponsorship over from me – wonderful! It will develop her leadership skills and provide the best support she could have! Please see our updated website with a page on “Role Models”. Big thanks to Miles Timothy for donating a huge amount of time to create this website as a gift! Thank you Miles, for your generosity and talent. The new page explains our vision, Nancy’s awesome achievements and has photos and stories of the girls she has saved – now ambassadors for change too… Coming soon is a highlight of the year for us ( late Nov) when Baroness Scotland & the Commonwealth Secretariat host a screening of an extract with the ‘great and good’ attending.. I’m hoping Nancy will come over….more news soon! Madrinha Trust | Developing Future Leaders of the Developing World http://www.madrinha-trust.org/
JULY 2016 STORYTELLERS CONNECT THE HUFFINGTON POST
Hallo Again, to all Nancy Girl Revolution Supporters! Storytellers Connect to spread the word! Things have slowed down a bit recently – but there is much activity beneath the surface (despite having to focus on personal work for a short while). However we WILL make it. Today, I’ve been heartened by two signs of that. Chika Oduah, a wonderful journalist writing from Nigeria has blogged about Nancy’s story on the Huffington Post. Please post on Facebook or Twitter and spread the word as far and wide as possible! http://http://www.huffingtonpost.com/chika-oduah/when-storytellers-connect_b_11035144.html
Tomorrow The Commonwealth launch their online-FGM debate based on Nancy’s story
http://https://www.thecommonwealth-healthhub.net/community-discussions-2/fgm/
http://eDiscussion – Health and Education’s contribution to FGM – The Health Hub
JUNE 2016 – AMANZI RESTUARANT’S FUND RAISER
Celebrations! We have passed the 10,000 dollar mark thanks to your kind generosity! Huge appreciation to all! A very special thank you (words are inadequate) goes to my amazing sister and her husband for gathering together some of Zimbabwe’s best musical talent and hosting a picnic concert in their beautiful restaurant gardens for Nancy ! (Fyi google – Amanzi restaurant & lodge Harare, Zimbabwe)
Given Zim is facing it’s own challenges this is an act of extraordinary love and selflessness for which I am more than grateful. Thanks also to all those who sang, attended and helped make it happen. See a mini video of it as Gemma Griffiths (a rising star) sings for Nancy at the concert! The film is on our website in the section – How you can help! http://nancysgirlrevolution.com/
We are a now a step closer to being able to deliver the film into the field this winter before “the cutting season” starts – some of the funds raised so far will pay translators but most will be saved to pay an editor to help shape the story and make it shine! My dream is to see Nancy working with it in the field THIS year so there’s a lot still to achieve …. So I still need your help! If everyone can persuaded one other friend to contribute, and perhaps even do the same, we could spread the word exponentially and that would get us closer to the achieving the goal.
The film is also on Amanzi restaurants face book page please like it if you can!
https://www.facebook.com/amanzirestaurant/
MAY 2016 NANCY GETS INVITED TO LONDON TO MARK ELIMINATING VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN
AMAZING PROGRESS…Nancy will be blown away by it when she hears! We are over 6000 dollars and whilst we’ve a steep climb ahead we are making great strides! There’s more exciting news to be announced soon…..Meanwhile this Summer, The Commonwealth Secretariat will host an event around Nancy’s story at Marlborough House. Baroness Scotland (The first female head of the Commonwealth Secretariat) will host a panel discussion about how to promote Female Equality and Education and end abusive practices like FGM, Child Marriage and Bride Price which leads to unspeakable suffering. …invited are some of the most knowledgable people in the UK on the subject in order to brain storm the way forward….. ! Best of all, NANCY is being invited by the Commonwealth Secretariat to London and it will be her first visit to Old Blighty! She’s getting quite jet set now with the United Nations in New York and Zambia under her belt. Nancy wants to end FGM and child marriage by 2020 within her tribe! Please help us make Nancy’s dream a reality and surprise her with your generosity!
MAY 2016 – A CONCERT FOR NANCY IN AFRICA
A CONCERT FOR NANCY! My sister Julia and her husband Andrew are truly amazingly. They have a concert in their beautiful Amanzi Restaurant and Gardens in Zimbabwe on 22nd May! Gemma Griffiths a rising star and singer from Zimbabwe is performing possible with other bands too. Wine, picnic hampers, and song. Inspired! And proves fund raising can be fun ! I’m so sad I can’t be there. Have a look at the setting – it could not be more beautiful as a place for a song or two for Nancy’s cause! Amanzi Restaurant | Harare, Zimbabwe
http://www.amanzi.co.zw/restaurant.php
APRIL 2016 – A GREAT START TO A LONG CAMPAIGN
YEAAHHH ! We’ve hit the 2000 dollar mark and exceeded it already and I know there is more on it’s way…! Fantastic response from my African and British Family who have been so generous! Thanks in particular to my amazing sister for generating such support and my parents who have been unfailingly generous all the way through the filming years (also donating family artefacts for me to sell or when the going got tough! ) and now contributing even more! It has been really heartening to see such support from family and family friends….THANK YOU so much! xxxx More exciting news hopefully to be announced soon!