Last night the Brooklyn Women's Chorus sang director Bev Grant's song "Where Women Rule" for its inspiration: Rebecca Lolosoli, founder of Umoja Village, a safe haven for women in rural Kenya. She wept when we sang; it brought back memories of the 1980s and 90s when more than 1400 Samburu women were raped by British troops stationed on their lands, then rejected by their husbands and forced out of their homes.

In 1995 Rebecca and 15 other women built a safe community for survivors of gender-based violence. Now, with the help of Madre, an international women's rights organization, there are six more villages and a school. Life for them is finally improving.

We sang our hearts out for her and then surrounded her for hugs and kisses. What a joy to meet a real life heroine, someone who has put her life on the line for others and given them the hope and courage to act for themselves!

Below are the lyrics to the song and links to the chorus and Madre websites.

WHERE WOMEN RULE
music and lyrics by Bev Grant

Rebecca Lolosoli took the hand
of a frightened teen-aged girl,
who was being forced to wed
a man three times her age.
"You are a young girl,
come sit here next to me.
I will tell you 'bout Umoja
Underneath the shade."

She said:
"This is a patch of Africa
where women rule.
This is our own village,
no one treates you cruel.
Here your rights are sacred
when you walk through our door.
You won't have to put up
with their nonsense anymore."

Joseph Kukula still remembers
the rage he felt that day,
when his sobbing wife came home,
her body raped and torn.
He pulled a knife on her
and said she'd brought him shame.
She ran to Rebecca, and Umoja Village was born.

They said:
"This is a patch of Africa
where women rule.
This is our own village,
no one treates you cruel.
Here your rights are sacred
when you walk through our door.
You won't have to put up
with their nonsense anymore."

Cheeky woman! Troublemaking lady!

This is a song we sing in honor of the women
who would change the status quo.
On every continent you'll find them
sharing what they know.
When women remain silent
no one thinks that they have anything to say
Rebecca Lolosoli and others show us a different way.

"This is a patch of Africa
where women rule.
This is our own village,
no one treates you cruel.
Here your rights are sacred
when you walk through our door.
You won't have to put up
with their nonsense anymore."

Cheeky woman! Troublemaking lady!


http://www.brooklynwomenschorus.com/
The Brooklyn Women's Chorus is a community chorus that was formed in October 1997 by Park Slope resident and musician Bev Grant. The chorus has a repertoire ranging from South African freedom songs to socially relevant songs by contemporary American songwriters like Garth Brooks, Jackson Browne, Pat Humphries and Bev Grant herself. Topics range from freedom and justice, to peace, resistance, and women's labor history.

There are no auditions necessary to join the Brooklyn Women's Chorus, only a strong desire to sing. It is Bev's contention that everyone can sing, and the proof is in the rousing performances by the chorus.

http://www.madre.org/
MADRE is an international women's human rights organization that works in partnership with community-based women's organizations worldwide to address issues of health and reproductive rights, economic development, education, and other human rights. MADRE provides resources, training, and support to enable our sister organizations to meet concrete needs in their communities while working to shift the balance of power to promote long-term development and social justice.