The Lynn Bretsynder Women's Centre
At the end of 2021, Terrawatu announced the sad news that our dear friend and Terrawatu USA Board Member, Lynn Bretsynder, of New Smyrna Beach, Florida, passed away on 6 October 2021. Lynn left a portion of her estate to Terrawatu and we decided to honor her by building a Women's Centre in Mkonoo village, Tanzania.
Lynn was a champion for Mother Earth and a long-time believer in empowering women. The Mkonoo Women's Network have asked for assistance for many years to provide them with a clean and secure space for producing their handicrafts and for gathering together to plan how to feed their families and support their future.
Ground was broken on 8-8-2022 and Phase II has already been completed. The whole community is involved in the construction process. Adjacent to the Terrawatu Permaculture Demonstration Farm, the Women's Centre includes a large space for workshops, office space and rooms for volunteers. Terrawatu and the Mkonoo Women's Network will use the space to conduct educational workshops on sustainable agriculture, nutrition, human rights, sanitation and small business development. Women from the surrounding area will be able to visit the Women's Centre, share ideas, and learn from each other.
With the global and local rise in cost of construction materials, completing the centre is now more than anticipated. We are currently fundraising to complete the building.
Click here to make a secure online donation to help complete the Women's Centre.