Justice Rising looking to expand education initiative into Iraq, Syria
Saskatoon’s Cassandra Basnett Lee knew from an early age that she wanted to work in Congo. She left Saskatoon following graduation and after working with a couple of agencies in Africa, ended up in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of Congo. The fact that this is an area of extreme unrest and conflict only heightened Lee’s desire to help make a difference.
About five years ago, she established Justice Rising, a charitable organization that establishes schools in underserved, underreached areas.
“Keeping the children in schools increases the stability of a region and brings some sense of normalcy,” Lee says. “We identify the neediest areas with the fewest organizations in there helping, then work with the Congolese Ministry of Education.”
Funding for school builds comes from individuals, schools and churches, mostly in North America — “people with a passion to make a difference.”
Because Justice Rising is all about empowering the community, local people are hired to work on the building project. The project manager is often a Congolese from the city.
The schools are staffed by local teachers, which sometimes involves Congolese teachers from the city coming to train village teachers.
“Our schools are run with excellence,” Lee says. “They are equalopportunity schools with an equal number of girls and boys. Usually boys are educated and the girls become mothers and work in the fields. We are proud to say that all our schools rank at the top in their district.”
Lee says schools in the cities generally become self-sustaining. In the villages, because of the abject poverty, Justice Rising supports their schools at a cost of $10,000 a year per school. This pays teachers’ wages and educates more than 100 students for an entire year.
Justice Rising currently has five schools operating in and around Goma and plans are in the works to build five more this year.
Now the organization is branching out.
“We’re looking at becoming active in other war-torn regions of the world,” Lee says. “We didn’t have to look far to recognize the need in Iraq and Syria.”
Lee and her team recently travelled to Iraq to scout the area around Mosul that was liberated from ISIL control and is looking for organizations to help with rebuilding schools.
“We’re trying to move slowly,” Lee says. “There’s much groundwork to do finding local partners, connecting with people on the ground already working in education. This first trip was to listen, learn, and hear where they want to go. Iraq is ready for us.
“But it’s trickier in Syria because of recent developments. The situation there is more dire. The children of Syria are suffering TSS or Toxic Stress Syndrome. They are in desperate need of education.”
The overall goal of Justice Rising is to build 40 schools in the next five years. Lee acknowledges it’s an aggressive timetable, “but we have seen the need and the power of education and the change it can bring to a community. We’re responding to that need the best way we can.”
To raise funds for these projects, Justice Rising is holding its annual fundraiser, Fashion Rising, on Friday, May 12, at Rock of Ages Church, 130 Kingsmere Place. The event is a dessert and shopping night for women.
Tickets are $10 in advance or $15 at the door. The ticket gets you dessert and a beverage, plus the opportunity to shop for beautiful gently used or new women’s clothing, jewelry, purses, shoes, hats, scarves, and accessories.
The items are unpriced; shopping is by donation to Justice Rising.
The clothing ‘store’ will also be open on Saturday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. There is open admission; shopping is still by donation.
Unsold clothing will be distributed to various women’s shelters in the city. Says Wendy Basnett, Lee’s mother and organizer of the Fashion Rising event, “We bless Justice Rising with proceeds from the sale and give a blessing to our community, as well.”
Basnett says the volunteers who put on Fashion Rising each year come from a variety of churches and some have no church affiliation. She says they all share a passion for Justice Rising and the poor in our city. “We’re thrilled when we see people in tight seasons of their lives come to our event and be blessed,” she says.
“One year we had a foster mom with a teenage girl come to our sale. The teen was a new charge who came with only the clothes she was wearing. They went away with bags and bags of beautiful clothing for free. I’m sure that girl went to school the following Monday morning feeling like a million bucks.”
To donate clothing to Fashion Rising or purchase advance tickets, call Wendy at 306-975-3745.
It’s trickier in Syria because of recent developments. The situation there is more dire.