New Member Introductions (January 7th 2021 - January 20th 2021)

Community Discussions
#1

Welcome new members! :wave:

We are glad you are here. This is a space where you can make new friends from around the world and keep in touch for solidarity, learning, sharing, and collaboration. Kindly note that this is also a civilized space, with guidelines, for the purpose of improving the discussions. Please take some time to go through our community guidelines.

Here in this topic, we bring together new members to celebrate your arrival.

**Please introduce yourself! How did you find us and what prompted you to join? What are you working on right now that you want to share or that you need help with? Just add a reply using the blue Reply button at the bottom.find us and what prompted you to join? What are you working on right now that you want to share or that you need help with? Just add a reply using the blue Reply button at the bottom.

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#3

Hi friends

How are you

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#5

I am Mbali Ngubo. I recently founded a Paralegal practice company in an attempt to breach the gap of unemployment of graduates in South Africa, especially LLB graduates who post their qualifications believe they have only three career paths at their disposal. Quite frankly I also believed that I had to either be an attorney, an advocate or a prosecutor. However after having been called upon to compromise my moral values by my employer and or face dismissal. I did research on all the options available to me that did not require working for someone again. I want this entity to grow and help many other black LLB graduates as well as graduates from other disciplines as we provide accounting and auditing services as well. I do not believe it was fair that I had to lose my job because I would not succumb to desperation but it would be enough for me to know that I am contributing my share into minimising this. I am looking to meet those in the same practice and also for anyone who might be looking for legal advice in South Africa, KZN, Durban to know that we are past the times where access to justice left the violated bankrupt. One of the reason I did not take the matter of my unfair dismissal on was because I believed I did not have the financial means and experience but I will now that I have taken to do something about it and I want to do the same for others.

Mbali Sbahle Gumede| LLB| UNIZULU

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#6

Dear Thin Thin Htet,

Greeting!

My Name is Beruk Gemechu, I’m graduated from Unit University with LLB in Law and International Studies and studying for my master’s degree in Project Planning and Management/PPM/. And I have experience volunteering and working in various Addis Ababa subs - Cities law and justice offices, in various capacities, mainly related to the area of human rights. I have also participated in various human rights, legal empowerment, democracy, and peacebuilding training and workshops. I acquired skills in project management and implementation, monitoring, and evaluation, training manuals preparation, facilitating training, and lobbying and advocacy by working within international organizations like the UN particularly with the UNHCR. Currently, I’m working at Fidel Birhan Charitable Organization as a Co-founder and Executive Director. Our organization Fidel Birhan Charitable Organization (FBCO) is a volunteer-based, not-for-profit, non-governmental charity organization established by seasoned Ethiopian professionals who aspire to contribute their part in the socio-economic and human development of the country. FB aims to improve the socio-economic (legal, environmental, moral, and cultural questions, and to the development) problems of the country thereby designing and implementing innovative, evidence-based, impact-driven, culturally appropriate, and community-based interventions. Education, youth empowerment, access to justice( Legal Empowerment), peace and democracy-building, and environmental Protection are the strategic priorities of the organization. Fidel Birhan Charity Organization refers to each and every objective as a priority because each objective holds a high value of importance to us and the society at large. Our organization needs your support to* increase financial resource mobilization targeted and provide technical assistance through immediate training on the articulation of operational policies and creation of financial operations management systems

I found the Legal Empowerment Network through your website.

Best Regards,

Beruk Gemechu

Executive Director at Fidel Birhan Charitable

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#7

Hello,

I am Gaudence Were, a practicing advocate in Nairobi, Kenya. I am also a certified professional mediator volunteering with FIDA-Kenya. I am also the co-founder of Mvuli Initiative, a community based organization that conducts legal awareness programs in Kenya.

Currently, I have revived Mvuli Initiative’s project that involves training artists in Kibera area on Intellectual property rights.

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#8

am fine and how are you there

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#10

My name is Jacob K Doe, a social worker and an Economics. I’m an advocate for the empowerment of persons with disabilities specifically child Amputees. I found this group through Google search. The mission of LEN and work seems interesting and somehow related to what I do. Desperate to show case the needs to empower child Amputees through legal processes prompted my interest. Currently working to ensure that child Amputees have legal support in that will allow them enjoy their rights.

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#11

Hi @MbaliGumede, thanks for introducing yourself and your work!

We run a growing library of resources that might help you with your Paralegal Practice! You can find hundreds of resources about Paralegal work, and specific issues such as Labor and employment.

Also feel free to explore the Network’s Member Directory and see which organizations working in your country or region are also members of the Network!

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#12

Hi @BerukGemechu, thank you for introducing yourself and welcome the Legal Empowerment Network!

Financial resource mobilization is of course an important priority for many organizations. Opportunities are often shared through the forum, so I suggest you keep a close look at email summaries from the forum and log in regularly, and investigate those opportunities as they come up.

There are two topics: Recurring fundraising & grant opportunities for legal empowerment and Funding opportunities for COVID-19 response and recovery, with good leads for funding too that you can look at, and contribute to with questions or suggestions for other members.

You can always explore our Resource Library ,where you will find helpful training resources or explore topics on socioeconomic issue, education and youth empowerment!

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#13

Hi @GAUDENCE and @Kantey thank you very much for the introduction and sharing with us the work you do!

You can always start by:

  • Exploring the forum and the discussions that are taking place at the moment. In particular, you can check out our #advocacy category!
  • Exploring the Resource Library , where you will find resources about legal empowerment & access to justice, and specific issues such as disability or training resources.
  • Exploring the Network’s Member Directory and see which organizations share similar objective as yours in your country or region and are also members of the Network!
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#15

My name is Johnson Muposhi, Executive Director of Prisoner’s Entrepreneurial Development Zimbabwe. A private and voluntary organization working with prisoner’s and exprisoners in provide psycho-social support, design and create income generating projects and programs for self-sustaininabity after release from prison. What prompted me to join is the desire to belong to a global networking, learning and sharing experience s and challenges., Currently we are working flat out to assist inmates, Officers and Community members with PPE’S to fight and prevent the spread of Covid 19 in Prisons and our Communities. Covid 19 affected the majority of Zimbabwean population who are not formally employed and are in the informal sector. In as far as we complement the government for imposing lockdown, at the sametime hanger could be killing people more than Covid., We looking for assistance financially to provide basic requirements for I inmates during this hard and trying times. Als

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#16

Hello everyone, It’s great to be here.

I am a Public Health/Development Worker. I work as IMSAFER Instructor with Center for Clinical Care and Clinical Research Nigeria. I train Adolescent girls on Empowerment Self Defense for prevention of Sexual Violence, including rape. I am also a gender equality and Child Rights Advocate. I love working with women and girls and helping them achieve their full potentials.

I believe that empowered girls, grow into independent women capable of protecting and fending for themselves, which ultimately reduces their vulnerability to sexual and domestic abuse.

I learned about this network from a colleague who mentioned I could join since I have passion for working with women and girls. I also researched about the network’s mission and vision online and saw that it aligned with my passion and career goals.

I’m glad to be here to impact and also to learn from seasoned professionals to improve my work.

Thank you so much for all the great work you do for humanity.:pray:

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#17

Hi @JohnsonMuposhi welcome to the Legal Empowerment Network and thank you very much for introducing yourself and your work!

Here are two topics that might be of interest to you: Recurring fundraising & grant opportunities for legal empowerment and Funding opportunities for COVID-19 response and recovery, with good leads for funding too. You can always contribute with questions or suggestions for other members.

Opportunities are often shared through the forum. So it’s always a good idea to log in regularly, and investigate those opportunities as they come up.

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#18

Hi @ChiomaUzorIsiugo, welcome to the network and thank you for introducing yourself and your work! Always feel free to check out our #gender category and join a discussion with fellow professionals or start one yourself! You can also explore our resource Resource Library on topics of women empowerment to help with your work.

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#19

Noted, and thank you so much ThinThinHtet.

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#20

Hi! :slightly_smiling_face:

Firstly, thank you so much for allowing me to be part of this group.

I found out about your organisation after attending the Justice Based Approach training conducted by United Edge. Matt and Dan, wonderful people, encouraged me to get in touch with you after I told them about my desire to effect change in communities through legal empowerment. The majority of our population lack very basic information about laws and their rights therefore they cannot participate fully in decisions that concern their livelihood. I really want to set up an NGO that will address this gap and I am looking forward to learning more from everyone on how I can go about helping my people. I know what I am passionate about and I know my intentions however I have never ventured out of my comfort zone, that is, I am working in the public service with no experience in running an NGO. Thank you.

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#21

Hi @Teisi thank you very much for joining and sharing with us your passion and work. Legal literacy is a big part of legal empowerment so we always make sure we prioritize sharing of information and knowledge to our network members to help them further their objective. Thus, the Resource Library might be helpful for you to explore documents on access to justice and other practitioners resources and guides. Always feel free to connect with other network members Member Directory from your region who might be interested as well!

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#22

Thank you very Thin Thin Htet.

I am definitely doing alot of reading and reaching out.

I am very grateful to be part of all these.

Kind Regards, Teisi

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#23

Rogers Ochieng, Support Community in Democracy Alliance- SCODA, I am a member for along time but got a little bit lost during covid- 19. We are essential service providers during the pandemic. SCODA has been busy mediating domestic problems, rescuing survivors of S/GBV within Kenya without financial support.
How do we benefit from the Grassroots Justice Fund?

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#24

Hi @Rogersscoda thanks for reaching out to the network. There are two topics of interest: Recurring fundraising & grant opportunities for legal empowerment and Funding opportunities for COVID-19 response and recovery, with good leads for funding too that you can look at, and contribute to with questions or suggestions for other members.

It is always a good idea to monitor your email summaries from the forum and also log in frequently as we would often share opportunities through the forum as they come up.

1 Like