Jahajee Sisters 2019 Impact Report

A project of the Center for Transformative Action

2019 Impact Report

Published March 2020

We work for gender justice in our community with the following Indo-Caribbean women, whose lives were ended by femicide in New York, in our hearts:

Rajwantie Baldeo

Rehanna Dojoy

Guiatree Hardat
 Natasha Ramen

Marian Singh

Stacy Singh

All other femicide victims whose names we may never know

We extend our deep gratitude to Taij Kumarie Moteelall for co-authoring this report, and to Umila Singh for designing and bringing it to life.

A rising tide lifts all ships.

Indo-Caribbean women are rising. Indo-Caribbean survivors are rising. And as we rise, so does the entire community. When we are safe and thriving, our families will be too.

Dear Beloved Community,

Brought together thirteen years ago by a shared purpose, and guided by our ancestors, we have been part of shaping Jahajee Sisters since its founding. This work is personal for us. Survivors of gender-based violence ourselves, we do this work because we know what it is like to suffer in silence. We do this out of love for ourselves, for our families, and for our people.

We believe in the radical possibility that Indo-Caribbean people can heal from generations of wounds colonialism, sexism and racism have forced us to carry. We believe in the power of our community to transform into a place where all people are safe, respected, and free to be our authentic selves—a place where power is shared and all people are valued.

Since our founding, we have mourned far too many Indo-Caribbean women in New York City who left this earth due to gender-based violence. We assist survivors escaping the same fate, and regularly support people to emerge from suffering and take charge of their lives.

We want our people to not just survive, but thrive. We want to see liberated people who love themselves and are happy, healthy, and whole. People who chase their dreams and live unencumbered by societal pressure, or what others might say.

We believe we can get there, but we cannot do it alone. For our dream to become reality, we will need to join forces with the many other people and organizations who share the same vision. We are committed to building lasting partnerships and spaces for connection that will increase our collective power to manifest the future we all long for.

Jahajee Sisters has made waves in our community, and we are proud of how far we have come. We also know there is so much more to do. We invite you to join us on our journey.

To the future,

Shivana Jorawar

Simone Jhingoor

Co-Director, Jahajee Sisters

Co-Director, Jahajee Sisters

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Our Mission

Jahajee Sisters is a movement-building organization, led by Indo-Caribbean women, committed to creating a safe and equitable society for women and girls.

We foster solidarity and empowerment through dialogue, healing, the arts, leadership development and grassroots organizing.

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We believe

Survivors are the ones who will win gender justice and we must follow their lead.

Therefore, Jahajee Sisters is survivor-led.

When the most impacted get free, we all get free.

We must strive to center low-income, immigrant, LGBTQ+1, and young people in all we do.

We must uproot the harmful beliefs that cause gender-based violence in order for it to end once and for all.

1 Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transender, queer, and other marginalized sexual and gender identities

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Our Programs

Our programs include: ANNUAL

7-MONTH

Indo-Caribbean

Leadership &

MONTHLY

Empowerment

Sister Circles

Institute (LEI)

Women’s

Emergency

Empowerment

Fund

Summit

In addition, Jahajee Sisters partners with other organizations on events and leads rapid response efforts after gender-based murders. We also offer survivors emotional support, connect them to social services, and help them move out of abusive homes.

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Our Approach

Our programming and activities aim to change our community through empowering people impacted by gender-based violence and shifting culture:

Empowerment

Culture Shift

A community of support that helps people to heal and take charge of their lives

Uprooting the harmful beliefs that allow gender-based violence to be normalized

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Empowerment Many survivors find themselves isolated, being rejected by family and community, or not having anyone who can relate to and support them.

Jahajee Sisters becomes “chosen family” for many of us. It is a place where we are loved and affirmed in our wholeness, and where we cultivate relationships that help us transform and grow. With Jahajee Sisters, survivors know they are not alone. We support people to heal from trauma, which can impact self esteem and prevent people from reaching their true potential. Through guided empowerment practices in community and one-on-one coaching, we support our members to overcome barriers to healthy relationships with themselves and others.

We support them to build confidence and love themselves, supporting them to move toward manifesting their dreams and living into their full dignity. We also offer direct service referrals and financial support to survivors in crisis, dedicating $5,000 on an annual basis for survivors fleeing violence.

“Jahajee Sisters gave me strength and hope. Having survived abuse, these powerful women who are also survivors showed me I am not alone, I’m

not my trauma, and that I am a bold and unstoppable force for change. My sisters supported me

KAREN SONILAL, 25

Grassroots Action Team Co-Chair

to own and tell my story, and to find my voice. Because of Jahajee, there is a flame in my heart that burns for justice.

Being able to do the work in my own community changed my life.”

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Culture Shift To achieve gender justice and end violence based on gender, we must attack the root. At the root are patriarchal and sexist beliefs that have been ingrained in all of us for generations. We aim to end the destructive culture of patriarchy1 in our community and plant seeds that grow into a beautiful new culture, one that embraces feminist2 values and where all people are safe and autonomous regardless of gender. We know we must move hearts and minds for a lasting, permanent solution. We’re disrupting these destructive beliefs through arts activism, educating community members, cultivating feminist leaders, and transforming community institutions.

“Jahajee Sisters helped me understand how the trauma and abuse I witnessed within my family and community continues to affect me everyday.

Jahajee has also empowered me to challenge the limited views society holds about women’s roles.

I am

inspired by the radical vision Jahajee has for our community and I want to be part of that transformation.”

ANITA BAKSH, 38

2018-19 Leadership & Empowerment Institute Alumni & Steering Committee Member

1 A system that insists males are inherently superior and therefore have the right to dominate

2 One who believes in equality across genders and opposes sexism

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Jahajee Stories “Through Jahajee Sisters, I’ve fostered life-long relationships with women devoted to fighting gender injustice and domestic violence. I’ve deeply connected with my Indo-Caribbean ancestry and history and used art and self expression to facilitate healing and social change.

I am grateful for the work that Jahajee does for our women and community. Not only did they help me through emergency funding when I needed it most, but they gave me an incredible opportunity to give back too. The 2020 LEI has offered me a compassionate and open space to learn about and advocate for issues of social, racial, economic and gender justice.”

FATIMA SHABBIR, 29

2019-2020 Leadership and Empowerment Institute

Participant “I joined Jahajee after attending their 2019 Sister Circles at Bhuvaneshwar Mandir. Growing up as an immigrant, I was very aware of being different and I felt like an outsider. I spent so much time navigating, not being disruptive, in my everyday life. Being with my Jahajees, I didn’t have to explain what it was like to be the bridge between two or more cultures, to have to be the quiet, hard-working brown girl. I felt fully accepted and welcomed. I am learning to use my voice to transform how I show up in my community and

POLLY SINGH, 42

for people who are struggling. We need

2019 Sister Circle

movement building organizations like Jahajee to

Participant and Steering

rebuild the elements of belonging, acceptance

Committee Member

and empowerment in our community.”

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“Organizing with Jahajee Sisters as part of their Leadership and Empowerment Institute has been extremely enlightening and healing for me. While I have always known that generational trauma exists and has been passed down in Indo-Caribbean communities, I also now firmly believe that generational resilience, strength, and power has also been passed down. Growing up I never had sisters and am unsure if I ever felt a kinship or sistership like what I felt through this program, and I am so ready to lean into these new connections that this organization has provided me. For the first time in a while I feel fully charged and fully capable of being the person I always wanted to be.”

TANNUJA ROZARIO, 25

2019-20 Leadership and Empowerment Institute Participant

PRIYA DADLANI, 25

2019-20 Leadership &

Empowerment Institute Participant “As a member of Jahajee Sisters, I am now on a journey of healing from my trauma as a survivor and my experiences of ongoing systematic oppression. Prior to my membership, my wounds were open, and my voice was lost as I struggled to cope in a society where white supremacy, capitalism and patriarchy continue to thrive. The Leadership and Empowerment Institute helped me heal through storytelling, art, and transformative tools. I can transform my path of healing to activism and become an organizer to fulfill my vision of reproductive justice for my community.”

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“The toxic behavior and abuse occurred so often that it became a normal and accepted living condition. I became complacent and didn’t see the damage that was occurring killing my soul, because I had become so numb to the pain. I’m thankful for having Jahajee Sisters as a platform to face my fears, to speak and feel my internal torment without judgment. The safe place that was provided empowered me when I couldn’t find strength on my own. Today I live free and happy, I know my worth and value, I know I deserve a good life and I’m not afraid to get up and get it

NAOMI PERUMAL, 48

for myself. Thank you my sisters for holding my hands through that part of

2019 Sister Circle Participant

my journey.”

“Jahajee Sisters helped me heal more in 3 days than I have been able to for the past 23 years. The love, support, and guidance that was offered was incredibly well done.

I went to the leadership institute opening retreat thinking I just wanted to make more Caribbean friends but what happened is intense sisterhood, healing, and education on my background. They are some of the most empathic, ambitious, passionate, and intelligent individuals I have had the privilege to learn from and grow with. As soon as I met them I knew we were going to truly change our community for the better. If these women can do this much in 3 days, I can’t wait to

ALEXIS NARSINGH, 23

see what will happen during the 7

2019-20 Leadership and Empowerment Institute Participant

upcoming months.”

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Our Evolution

2007

2009-2011

Jahajee Sisters began in 2007 with a

In 2009, we began cultivating new leaders

small but mighty, all volunteer-team

and received our first grant for a 10-week

and has recently grown into a staffed

Arts and Empowerment Program (A&E).

organization that is here to stay until

The A&E resulted in our first public event

our work is done. We began as

and publication. Participants put what

volunteers driven by passion and shared

they learned into practice through the

purpose, and we did this work with

launch of monthly Sister Circles. Circles

little to no resources in our formative

were held in the homes of our existing and

years. We relied on in-kind donations of

emerging leaders. We relied on donated

space, food, supplies, and time. While

food, supplies and volunteers.

women we convened asked for monthly gatherings, our capacity only allowed us to carry out annual Summits in 2007-2008.

From 2009 to 2011, we continued our annual Summits and Sister Circles to raise awareness, speak out and build a base. We received small grants to cover programmatic expenses and received a grant for our first week-long Young Women’s Leadership Institute (YWLI). The model used for the YWLI was adapted and used to develop two subsequent Muslim Sisters Leadershp Institutes in 2012 and 2013. In these early years, funding went to space rental, food, transportation, and program supplies. YWLI facilitators received stipends to cover their expenses, and guest presenters received honorariums. We remained volunteer-led.

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2012 In 2012, after five annual Summits, Sister Circles and several leadership institutes, many of our team members were drained and experienced major life changes that required us to pause. We felt the limitations of being an all-volunteer organization. In our community, there is a culture of advocates laboring for free out of a deep commitment to our people. We did this too, until we saw that it was severely limiting our potential. We knew our community deserved more, and that we had to become sustainable.

Ending gender-based violence is an important and herculean mission in our community, and we take the responsibility to fulfill it seriously. There is so much to be done, and it will take more than volunteer changemakers who have full-time jobs, are doing their advocacy work on the side, and are spread too thin to be their most effective—or so stretched that they burn out.

2016-2019 With this in mind, we began planning for sustainability. We listened to our community, deepened our partnerships, and offered joint programs that honored our capacity. In 2016, we developed a 2-year plan to raise funds and visibility, so that we could have staff and build an infrastructure capable of holding our bold vision for change.

In Fall of 2018, after receiving our first major grant, we announced the hire of our first staff—two part-time Co-Directors who would steward the organization into its next phase.

Today, Jahajee Sisters is a small grassroots organization with two staff members, periodic program consultants, and lots of volunteers.

We focus on bringing our bold vision to life and do not currently have the capacity to handle all administrative tasks. Therefore, we are a non-profit that is “fiscally sponsored” by a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt entity. This is a strategic, cost-efficient decision we made to increase our impact. Our sponsor is the Center for Transformative Action (CTA), an organization established in 1972 that supports dozens of groups like ours through administrative and financial services, and oversight to ensure we meet legal requirements. This decision allows us to focus the majority of our time supporting those impacted by gender-based violence to become empowered leaders who transform our culture.

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We celebrate how far we have come, and commit to the long road ahead of us. We are currently engaged in a planning process to map our next 3 years in partnership with our members and community. We hope to continue growing our impact and reach by increasing our leadership capacity—so our community has an unshakable organization dedicated to gender justice that isn’t going anywhere until its mission is fulfilled.

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Impact Impact We are proud to share that 2019 was our most impactful year yet, and our first year as a staffed organization.

In 2019, we:

Held 24 educational sessions and interactive workshops reaching over 300 people

Cultivated 27 new feminist leaders

Supported over 200 people to be in empowering relationships with themselves and others

Reached over 7,000 people with our message of gender justice

Reached 2,478 people through events and speaking engagements

Reached 767 people through email

Reached 3,810 people through social media

Gave over $4,000 to survivors fleeing violence

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Funding Our funding has grown at a rapid pace since 2016, when we committed to sustainability and manifesting abundance so we could increase impact and ensure the longevity and expansion of our presence in our Indo-Caribbean community and beyond. After hiring staff in fall 2018, our programmatic activities increased tremendously and our funding nearly doubled—demonstrating the impact we can have when we invest in a thriving, staffed organization.

In order to make this leap to being a staffed organization, we diligently saved our financial resources until October 2018, when we felt well-resourced and able to invest in staff. Prior to 2018, Jahajee Sisters was largely volunteer-led. We hired our first program consultant in 2017 to manage our Leadership and Empowerment Institute. Other work was done on a volunteer basis. Before 2017, the majority of funding went to programs and we offered small stipends to leaders who developed, managed and implemented our leadership institutes.

Given our history of needing to slow down as a primarily volunteer-led organization, we are deeply committed to Jahajee Sisters being in the best possible position for sustained impact. We have a long term vision and strategy and we must ensure that we are adequately resourced for the journey ahead.

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The following is our income and

impact since 2007:

YEAR

2007

2008

SOURCE $0

Held the first annual Indo-Caribbean Women’s Empowerment Summit. Began meeting with leaders in the Indo-Caribbean and South Asian communities to vision, plan and build partnerships.

$0

Held second annual Summit. Formed a leadership team that began meeting regularly.

Changed name from “Indo-Caribbean Women’s Empowerment Group” to Jahajee Sisters.

Established mission and planned for the future.

Foundations: $10,000

Held third annual Summit. Co-facilitated a 10-week Arts and Empowerment Program to support 15 participants to understand and heal from domestic violence, as well as begin organizing in our community to end domestic violence. Produced first speakout on domestic violence at Queens Museum of Art. Published Bolo Bahen, Speak Sister—a book of poetry centering survivor voices. Began organizing our community through monthly Sister Circles.

Foundations: $18,000

Launched our first Young Women’s Leadership Institute, focused on reproductive justice.

Produced a series of Public Service Announcements. Held fourth annual Summit and monthly Sister Circles.

2009

2010

IMPACT

YEAR 2011

SOURCE Foundations: $5,000

I

MPACT

Held an annual Summit and organized Sister Circles.

Foundations: $5,000

2012

Held a Muslim Sisters Leadership Insitute.

Cancelled annual Summit after Hurricane Sandy and redirected energy to support recovery efforts.

2013

2014

Foundations: $3,000

Held 2nd Muslim Sisters Leadership Insitute.

$0

Experienced burnout as a volunteer-led organization. Paused. Began a community listening and partnership building phase.

2015

2016

$0

Continued community listening and partnership building phase.

Foundations: $4,000

Held a strategic planning retreat to rebirth Jahajee Sisters with a stronger foundation, new leaders, and funding for long term sustainability. Organized a gathering of community leaders to join us in the rebirth of Jahajee Sisters. Held 6th Indo-Caribbean Women’s Empowerment Summit. Began recruiting new leaders to guide our growth.

Foundations: $22,500

Held vigil and healing circle after murder of

2017

Individual donors: $8,919

Rajwantie Baldeo. Began

coalition-building. Launched our Leadership and Empowerment Institute.

7

Held th annual Summit and Sister Circles Saved

$23,952 toward reserve funds*

Hired our first program consultant

.

YEAR

SOURCE

IMPACT Continued the Leadership & Empowerment Institute, organized a Vigil after Stacy Singh’s murder, and deepened into partnership with Indo-Caribbean leaders and organizations.

Held 8th annual Summit where we debuted a new theatre production. Continued building coalition. Established Emergency Fund.

Hosted first Lift Up With Love arts and activism presentation.

Foundations: $92,000

Individual donors: 10,500

Events: $22,408

2018

Earned income: $1,388

Saved $91,616 (accrued) toward reserve funds*

Hired first staff October 2018

Launched 2nd Leadership & Empowerment Institute. Held 9th annual Summit. Held a Vigil & Townhall for Rehanna Dojoy. Organized Divine Feminine Sister Salons and Oral History Sister Circles. Implemented our Emergency Fund. Marched in the Pagwah Parade. Cosponsored Women’s History Event with Councilwoman Adams. Continued building coalition and working in collaboration with partner organizations.

Hosted first speakout on sexual assault in our community.

Foundations: $198,845

Individuals donors: $15,691

Events: $19,604

2019

Earned revenue: $825

Saved $120,342 (accrued) toward reserve funds*

This was our first full year as a staffed organization, and our most impactful. Please see full details in this report.

*

In 2017, we began saving funds in order to build a reserve that will allow us to ensure the financial health,

growth and stability of our organization into the future.

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Total 2019 income:

$234,965

Individuals

Earned revenue

Events

Foundations: 84.6% Events: 8.3% Individuals: 6.7% Earned revenue: .4% Foundations

Note: Does not include accrued reserve funds

Total 2019 expenses:

$198,584

Administrative

Fundraising

Programs: 70%

Administrative 19%

Fundraising 11%

Programs

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2019

HIGHLIGHTS

SISTER CIRCLES Sister Circles, our monthly gatherings, are a key way

we have advanced our Faith Based Campaign to shift norms in our houses of worship. As part of the campaign, in 2019 we held a three-session “Divine Feminine� Sister Salon Series at three Hindu temples with our community partner Sadhana: Coalition of Progressive Hindus. We discussed feminist interpretations of the scriptures and stories of heroines. The campaign emerged from conversations with our 2018-2019 Leadership & Empowerment Institute members, and was built based on input from them as well as community members who attended a Sister Circle dedicated to creating a faith-based strategy for culture shift.

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LIFT UP WITH LOVE SPEAKOUT We held the first ever speak out on sexual violence in our community, attended by 100 people, bringing the #MeToo movement to Richmond Hill, Queens. As more and more of our members were disclosing their experiences of sexual violence, we turned our annual Lift Up With Love speakout into an outlet for survivor stories, rage, and healing—as well as a platform for lifting stigma and shifting culture.

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ORAL HISTORY ARCHIVE Led by our Steering Committee member Arita Balaram, we interviewed over a dozen women for the very first oral history archive for silenced Indo-Caribbean voices, R(ou)ted by Our Stories. This project is a part of our work to use storytelling to change hearts and minds in our community and ultimately uproot the culture of patriarchy.

We co-sponsored a Women’s History Month Awards Ceremony for District 28 with Councilwoman Adrienne Adams:

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VIGIL & TOWNHALL After hearing the tragic news of yet another

Indo-Caribbean sister, Donna Rehanna Dojoy, killed by her husband, we held a Vigil & Townhall in her honor. Her family addressed attendees during the vigil.

The townhall portion, which included a breakout group for men, engaged attendees in brainstorming community-based solutions to address gender-based violence. The community input gleaned at the townhall portion of this vigil will inform our emerging 3-year strategic plan.

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LEADERSHIP AND EMPOWERMENT INSTITUTE (LEI) We

launched our 2019-2020 7-month LEI, a 15-person cohort working on personal transformation, political education, & skill-building for social change. This highly interactive program begins and ends with 2-day retreats, with 5 day-long sessions facilitated by veteran movement leaders in between. Participants

also receive 1-on-1 coaching to support their empowerment journey.

PHAGWAH PARADE We marched with the very first Phagwah Parade social

justice contingent, led by our community partner the Caribbean Equality Project. This action reached thousands of people and was part of our work to shift culture. We got our message out with signs and chants to attendees of the major Hindu festival. We continued to build with our partners and strengthen our ability to work in powerful coalition.

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INDO-CARIBBEAN WOMEN’S EMPOWERMENT SUMMIT

We held our 9th annual Summit, “Can’t Stop We! Jahajees Thriving,” and reached over 200 people. The event raised awareness about gender justice through stories from our leaders and members, celebrated our first year as a staffed organization, honored trailblazing Indo-Caribbean women leaders, raised over $11,500 (after costs), featured a brand new gender justice soca song by Asthon Ramdehal, and more:

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What the future holds We are in deep gratitude for the resources we have been able to welcome in and commit to gender justice for Indo-Caribbeans. Our growth has made way for new possibilities and we are eager to co-create the future of Jahajee Sisters with our members and wider community. We are currently steeped in an intentional strategic planning process to envision and map the next three to five years for Jahajee Sisters.

We are reaching out and listening to our members, partners, and community at large through interviews and feedback forums to inform our future direction.

As we prepare for the future, we are asking ourselves and our community how we can work to center the most impacted (including but not limited to people who are working class, undocumenteed, transgender and gender-expansive), shift culture on a larger scale, have a greater presence in our community, and make sure we are sustainable and thriving.

We hope you will join us in mapping the future of our Jahajee journey and getting us to our destination: the day when all Indo-Caribbeans are safe, autonomous, and thriving, regardless of gender.

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Thank you to our team!

These are the amazing leaders who make the

magic happen at Jahajee Sisters.

STEERING COMMITTEE

Sonya Abadali

Anita Baksh

Arita Balaram

Nadia Bourne

ro chanchall

Polly Singh

Lisa Maria Ramadhar, Nathalie Sarju,

Co-chair

Co-chair

PROGRAM CONSULTANTS

Taij Kumarie Moteelall

Leadership Institute Facilitator & Organizational Development Consultant

Nadia Bourne

Leadership Institute & Sister Circle Facilitator

Shivon Ramadhin

Mental Health Counselor

GRASSROOTS ACTION TEAM CO-LEADS

Umila Singh

Karen Sonilal

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Our Donors

We are grateful to all our supporters,

and to the following philanthropic institutions

for supporting Jahajee Sisters in 2019:

Arch Community Fund

Brooklyn Legal Services

New York City Fund for Girls & Young Women of Color

New York Foundation

New York Women’s Foundation

Northstar Fund

South Asian Bar Association of New York

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