The move was made to develop the organization into a campus wide group and invite involvement of all disciplines. In February, SWB, along with the Center for Social Justice and the University of Oklahoma Women’s and Gender Studies Program, hosted a talk by 2007 CNN Hero Sister Rosemary Nyirumbe. Nyirumbe spoke to students, faculty and members of the Norman community about her work at the St. Monica Girls Tailoring School in Gulu, Uganda. The purpose of the school is to give shelter to girls and women who were abducted and raped by members of the Lord’s Resistance Army.
The LRA, a once-popular rebel group in northern Uganda, has lost support over the last 21 years of war due to its infamous policy of abducting children and forcing them into servitude as soldiers and “wives.” As a result, these young women are shunned by their families and communities and many now have children. The St. Monica Girls Tailoring School empowers women and teaches them the skills necessary to make a living for themselves and their children as well as providing needed psychological and medical assistance.
To get involved with Sooners Without Borders, E-mail swb AT ou.edu.
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