The Struggle

Lately I've been wondering about what solidarity with the poor really means for a U.S.-based researcher on an immersion trip in Africa. Feminist theology is a theology of liberation, a theology which seeks to critique systems of oppression and to struggle in solidarity for an end to sexism, racism, classism, and all the other -isms of injustice. In the past two days my fieldwork has taken me to an orphanage for children living with HIV, and to an empowerment project for women in the slums of Kibera. Both site visits enabled me to meet people who are doing what they can to alleviate suffering for women and children, but I also came to a greater understanding of the huge systemic issues they battle against every day. I was especially challenged by the stories of the women I met in Kibera who struggle daily against poverty, disease, and sexual violence. I can't write more now because I am leaving soon for a day of fieldwork in an IDP (Internally Displaced Persons) Camp north of Nairobi. But when I return tonight I will recount some of the stories I have heard from women who have told me about their struggles.