Raising Voices is proud to announce that the GBV Prevention Network has just released the In Her Shoes Toolkit for Reflecting on Violence Against Women in Sub-Saharan Africa. This Toolkit was developed in 2011 in collaboration with over 100 Network members throughout the region using story lines representing the diverse experiences of sub-Saharan African women. It is an interactive, educational tool that raises awareness about the day-to-day reality for women experiencing violence and encourages activism among service providers and community members. By 'walking in the shoes' of survivors, participants gain powerful insight into the many obstacles women face as a result of violence.

To learn more about this exciting new resource, please click here. To download the Toolkit in English or Swahili, please click here.

Please click here to download.

Have you heard of SASA! but you aren't quite sure what it is? Does a four-phased methodology seem complicated to you? Raising Voices is happy to share a new publication, "SASA! Mobilizing Communities to Inspire Social Change" a comprehensive and accessible summary of the SASA! Activist Kit and how it came to be. In this publication, Raising Voices and many partners using SASA! reflect upon the background that brought SASA! to life, explain the contents and phased approach, and share stories of how the approach is currently being used in diverse communities.

To download a copy, please click here. To learn more about SASA!, please click here.

We would like to hear from you about your Community Heroes in Uganda.

Many children in our community experience violence in their day-to-day lives. Do you know of someone who has taken action to help such children? Do you know anyone who has done something to prevent violence against children? It might be a parent, a local leader, a teacher, community member, an elder or even a child helping other children.

Who is that person? What have they done? Whom have they helped? Tell us their story.

Please ensure that the story is true and limited to two pages. Remember to include the Hero's full name, location and telephone contact. Also include your full name, contact information, particularly telephone number (if you have one).

There will be 3 adult winners and 3 child winners who will be awarded various prizes; and the persons who proposed the winning heroes will also be recognized.

Send your stories to Raising Voices, P.O. Box 6770, Kampala, Uganda or by e-mail to communityhero@raisingvoices.org by 11th May 2012.

Winners will be announced in June 2012.

NOTE: Please share this information with others. Ugandan Nationals only may apply.

Will You Ever Forgive Me? documents four stories told from children's perspectives. Each story focuses on a child's struggle to make adults come face to face with the truth - that violence against children degrades everyone, including the perpetrator. As adults struggle to redeem themselves from the guilt of causing so much pain to the children, the children demonstrate that their spirits and imagination are larger than their short years of experience would lead us to believe. This is work of three talented Uganda-based film-makers and is inspired by true stories documented by Raising Voices.

Will You be My Mother? by Cyril Ducottet

Sometimes children pay for the pain adults go through. Deno hoped for a mother and instead got a hurt adult who could not contain her own pain. Deno's step-mother had decided that every time she was abused by her husband, Deno would pay the price. This story is about Deno's struggle to break this destructive chain of violence and how it takes a community to help individuals emerge from such a prison. Click here to download.

Click here for more films.

Will You Be My Mother from Raising Voices on Vimeo.