By Tammy Hsu
March 8th is International Women’s Day. In celebration, MobileLife Today is highlighting the work of one particular women’s activist group, Reaching Out in Sudan, Africa (R.O.S.A.), located in Columbia, SC.
Reaching Out in Sudan, Africa is a non-profit organization formed in October 2008 by two college students at USC with a vision of building a rehabilitation center for women victimized by the Darfur genocide. Laura Ware and Tammy Hsu, co-founders of R.O.S.A., were high school friends during their days at Bob Jones Academy in Greenville, SC. Now at the University of South Carolina, they have channeled their collective talents, energies and passions as human rights activists into organizing a non-profit corporation that addresses the needs of women in Darfur.
The Darfur genocide has killed over 400,000 and displaced over 2.7 million people. Many women and children have been raped, abused and ostracized. Living in internally displaced persons (IDP) camps, the women constantly live in fear, without any sense of security. The long-term plan for R.O.S.A. is to provide a home for the displaced women where they can live, work and heal in a community complete with resident doctors and therapists. By empowering the women and instilling hope, R.O.S.A. is giving these women a future beyond the IDP camps.
R.O.S.A. plans to begin construction in Sudan by 2011. However, the fledgling non-profit is still in the very beginning of its fundraising phase. In celebration of International Women’s Day, make a contribution to R.O.S.A. and reach out to the women in Darfur. Only when you make an impact changing lives do you have the infinite power to begin changing the world.
All contributions can be made through PayPal from R.O.S.A.’s website, www.rosawomen.org
How You Can Help:

1. Spread awareness of the genocide and femicide (the systematic killing and mutilation of women) in Darfur by joining a local Save Darfur or STAND chapter.
2. Make a contribution to R.O.S.A. and do your part in empowering the Darfur women. Unfortunately, as a young non-profit, we have not received 501(c)3 tax-exemption status.
3. Buy R.O.S.A. products from Café Press at www.cafepress.com/rosawomen. A large percentage of every sale goes directly to R.O.S.A.