Judithe Registre
Haiti
On hearing that an earthquake had destroyed Haiti, I felt indescribable pain. I’m connected to Haiti like a fetus to its mother. The earthquake shattered me into millions of pieces, and now I am trying to focus my energy on exploring ways I can contribute to reconstructing efforts.
It’s no surprise that this disaster, like so many disasters, has become highly gendered and marked by the divisions of class and age that are intrinsic to Haitian society.  As I grieve, I worry most about the women and children in the …

Tariro Mateko
Zimbabwe
“I tried not to think about it, worse still visualize it. The thought of it scared me and brought tears to my eyes. Before that time I was a happy child, playing ball and passing time with my fellow friends like any ordinary 9 year old until….. that horrible night. It seemed as if my twilight had been blown out, and all I could see was blackness and formless and structureless shadows that seemed not to answer when I called.
I knew him as a family friend for years, …

Mercy Chidi
Kenya
It was a game she was being taught, “chezo wa watoto,” a game of the young children. It was painful but she innocently says she got used to the pain. Having temporarily separated with his wife, her father was left to take care of the young Jackie [not her real name]. He took on all the responsibilities of the mother and father, including bathing the young girl, washing her clothes, cooking for her, and all. The worst is that the girl was forced to play the sexual role of …

Rebiya Kadeer
East Turkestan, China
On Sunday, in the regional capital of Urumchi, Chinese police and paramilitary cracked down on Uyghur demonstrators, killing hundreds and injuring hundreds more in a massacre that is unprecedented in East Turkestan under the rule of the People’s Republic of China. Witnesses have confirmed that demonstrators were shot and beaten to death by Chinese police, and some were even crushed under armored vehicles. We have heard reports that more than 100 people were killed in the southern city of Kashgar, and troops suppressed demonstrations in both Kashgar …