Heart and Hand Fund

Letter from Marta, November 2008

For 10 years my annual trips to the Balkans have been part of the rhythm of my life. Every fall—and often in the spring, too—I would look forward to visiting Heart & Hand grantees, many of whom have become close friends. But by early summer this year, I knew that my pesky back problems would prohibit my traveling anywhere, let alone taking a long flight overseas. In October I succumbed to the pain and agreed to have major back surgery. The surgeon is pleased with the results and, after a couple of months of physical therapy, I should be returning to my regular routine. Thanks so much to everyone who sent me love and good wishes; your cards and messages sustained me through the worst of days.

Fortunately, many activists from the Balkans were in the States in 2008; I was able to meet with them and fulfill Heart and Hand's funding commitments for 2008. After years and years of hard work in the trenches, it's great to see these activists taking a role in international leadership.

In February, I did a presentation on socially responsible investing at a conference in New Orleans. While there, I met up with three activists: Rada Boric, director of the Centre for Women's Studies in Zagreb, Croatia; Danijela Dugandzic, co-director of CURE in Sarajevo, Bosnia; and Sandra Ljubinkovic, co-director of the Anti Trafficking Center in Belgrade, Serbia. They were guests at Eve Ensler's 10th anniversary celebration of Vagina Monologues.  We spent one rainy night laughing together, walking the cobblestone streets of New Orleans, and catching up with one another.

As part of the its 20th anniversary celebration, the Global Fund for Women brought five of its international grantees to New York City in June, including Heart and Hand grantee, Taida Horozivic, founder and co-director of CURE in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH). Taida later visited San Francisco where she gave a stirring presentation about CURE's work at the Global Fund’s offices. One Heart  & Hand funder was so moved by Taida's presentation that she doubled her grant to Heart & Hand. And, afterwards, another donor sent me a note saying, "Had CURE created just one of the list of
programs Taida described, I would have been impressed. How her team of three has accomplished so much in such a short time is a tribute to their skills and determination. Are Balkan women more intelligent than Americans, or only the ones you fund?"

The following week Lepa Mladjenovic and Tijana Popivoda, lesbian Serbian activists, were invited to be the keynote speakers at the San Francisco Dyke March. They met with donors of Heart  & Hand and the Global Fund for Women at a private home to talk about their work. It was an evening of firsts for them: sitting with donors, asking questions back and forth, and learning a bit more about the strange art of US fundraising.

Then, in September, Jelena Djordjevic, co- director of the Anti Trafficking Center in Belgrade, Serbia, stopped in San Francisco on her way to a board meeting in Boulder, Colorado for The Urgent Action Fund. She gave a workshop for staff members of The Global Fund for Women on how activists can nurture themselves. As a lifelong networker, it was refreshing for me to watch this young woman walk through a day in San Francisco, making connections more rapidly than one could imagine.

There’s hope ahead of us. Now, more than ever, these groups need our support.

Letter from Marta, November 2007

Overshadowing the news from the Balkans is the December 10 deadline that will determine the status of Kosovo. Early this year the United Nations envoy presented a plan that would grant Kosovo limited independence leading to statehood. Kosovo would continue under international supervision, and the ethnic Serbian minority would receive protection and a degree of autonomy. Serbia, backed by Russia, however, fiercely opposes the plan and has threatened reprisals that could destabilize the region.

The Kosovars have demanded independence from Serbia since the end of the war, and they are fed up waiting for others to give them what they believe is theirs. The buildup of emotion is reflected in the Kosovan media. Every television station has a ticking box in the corner of the screen showing the countdown to December 10 in days, hours, and minutes.

Once again, the fragile peace in the Balkans hangs in the balance. Should Kosovo be granted independence or declare it unilaterally, the Kosovars may enjoy only a brief euphoria before Serbia carries out its threats. Should Kosovo not get independence, the frustration and rage of the people will likely erupt in violence.

Against this potentially explosive background, our stalwart grantees continue to amaze me with their creativity, bravery, and determination. This past October I visited Kosovo, Serbia, and Croatia. Usually I spend most of my time meeting with grantees in the cities.

On this trip I wanted to visit two grantees located in rural areas, and I was finally ready to tackle driving on the country roads. The Balkan signage system is confusing to American drivers, so I set two rules for myself: no driving at night or in big cities. Nonetheless, I managed to get ticketed in the middle of nowhere by a Croatian cop. My violation? Driving without headlights in the middle of the day. He fined me 300 Kuna ($60) and ordered me to pay him on the spot. Returning my international driver’s license he said, “You’re from California. That’s in Canada, isn’t it?”

Letter from Marta, November 2006

I spent three weeks in the Balkans this past month visiting Croatia, Serbia, Macedonia, Kosova and, for the first time, Albania. I had heard many stories about the devastation of Albania under the 35-year rule of its insane dictator, Enver Hoxha. To my surprise I discovered a country of great natural beauty with tall mountains, white-sand beaches and a capital city, Tirana, ablaze with brightly painted multicolored buildings. (Just as surprising was discovering that my cell phone worked perfectly in the Albanian countryside when I can’t get reception at home in Half Moon Bay.)

Albania is still desperately poor, but awakening from its long, imposed slumber. The eagerness to build a democratic society was evident in my meeting with 13 women’s groups in Tirana, held back only by scarce funding. I left the meeting more determined than ever to expand Heart and Hand’s funding base to include women’s groups in Albania and to increase support to grantees in Croatia.

In previous newsletters I’ve mentioned that international donors have been leaving the Balkans, despite the need for continued funding. Now, the spigot is all but turned off. To be fair, generous donors poured billions into the Balkans, much of it in large, one-time grants. Regrettably, a lot of the money did not benefit organizations that benefit women and children – those most affected by the years at war.

Heart and Hand is proud of its funding record in the Balkans. We give general operating grants to groups we know well and to activists whose intelligence, judgment, and hearts we trust, and we marvel at what they accomplish with minimal financial resources. We know they could do so much more if adequately funded. Grantees everywhere exist at the whim of what donors find trendy.

Heart and Hand remains steadfast in its long-term commitment to supporting women’s groups in the Balkans. Please help us ensure that they receive the steady stream of funding they need to build sturdy and vital organizations.

One hundred percent of your tax-deductible donation to Heart and Hand goes directly to grantees. Write checks today to The Agape Foundation with a note that it is for the Heart and Hand Fund. Mail to: Marta Drury, Box 3070, Half Moon Bay, CA 94019.

Yours,

Marta Drury