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AWM/RAWA Light a Candle of Hope April 20 - 27, 2002 HOW TO HOLD A VIGIL

Tips on Holding Your Own Vigil

You can hold your candlelight vigil anytime during the week of April 20-27. It takes only three or four enthusiastic people to put together a successful event.

Ideas on What to Say/Do

If you have a small group of people, you may choose to let each of your vigil participants say a few words about how they feel linked to the people who suffered in the quake. You can also have a moment of silence and ask everyone to think about those who lost their lives, or their loved ones, their homes, their crops, and their hope in this disaster.

If you have a large event planned, you may consider organizing a speaker, a video, musicians or performers, a poet or group of poets, to express creatively the symbol of this vigil and the hope it will bring to the Afghan people. If you can't come up with a speaker or performer, one easy idea is to simply collect a number of poems or readings on the plight of the Afghan people in particular (see www.rawa.org for true stories about Afghan refugees), or even about the earthquake. We will be posting poetry and other creative work on our web site to inspire you and help you plan your unique event.

Candles

You can buy candles inexpensively at most department stores, bulk-foods stores or on the web. Tea lights, small candles surrounded by aluminum cups, are inexpensive, last a few hours, and are safe to hold in a bare hand. You might even decorate the outside of the cup with stickers or fabric (BEFORE lighting.)

Help with Fundraising

We are asking that each vigil participant donate a dollar, but of course, the more raised the better for the aid effort. Sometimes it is easier to appeal for a set amount at the door rather than simply passing a hat later. Remember to allow a sliding scale for low-income participants.

To provide for a single victim for 30 days costs RAWA just $30. Here is the break-up of how RAWA proposes to spend the money. This is based on previous relief efforts in earthquake areas and also based on current information coming to RAWA regarding needs of the victims.

Cost of Aid Per Person for 30 days: $30

Breakdown:

Food: $8

Clothing: $4

Shelter: $13

First Aid/Medication: $5

If you or your fellow participants can only afford a dollar each – well, that provides for aid relief for one person for one day. If you can afford $30, it pays for aid relief for one person for 30 days.

We make one request: Please try to send us donations of at least $5 if at all possible. It saves us administrative overhead and time. Send donations raised during your vigil to:

The Afghan Women's Mission
260 S. Lake Avenue,
PMB 165 Pasadena, CA 91101 USA

Make check or money order payable to "SEE/Afghan Women's Mission" You will receive a receipt shortly to confirm that we have deposited your donation. You can also make your donation via our web site using your credit card. Afghan Women’s Mission also accepts donation of stock, grants from foundations and other forms of donation such as gifts of estates. Please contact us for more information. Thank you for your kindness, generosity, and humanity.

Some Facts You Should Know

Afghan Women’s Mission (AWM) as a project of its parent organization, SEE (Social and Environmental Entrepreneurs), has 501 (c) (3) US non-profit. SEE's tax identification number is 95-4116679. Please use this number to record your charitable donation. Your donation is tax-deductible to the fullest extent of the law. If you live outside the US however, your donation may not be tax-deductible in the country of your residence.

AWM is a project within SEE of which there are several hundred other projects all managed separately, but connected through the parent organization. AWM is not aligned with any fundamentalist groups. In fact, we oppose fundamentalism and all the problems it has created in Afghanistan and all over the world.

Your money reaches the Afghan earthquake victims through RAWA, The Revolutionary Association of the Women of Afghanistan, a brave group of women who have been struggling against fundamentalism, for freedom, democracy, women's rights and human rights for more than two decades. You can learn more about RAWA at www.rawa.org.

For more information related to donations, AWM, SEE, and RAWA, we request that you first read the Frequently Asked Questions page on our web site: http://www.afghanwomensmission.org/FAQ/

You are most likely to find the answer to most of your questions there – and it will allow us to serve you most effeciently. Of course, if you do not find the answer to your question on the FAQ web page, please email us at info@afghanwomensmission.org.