Wake Up Call: Tamah Murfet - Bujumbura, Burundi

Tamah Murfet

Photo: IRC

From California to Congo, women and girls face unspeakable violence and abuse.  Yet each day women and men are fighting to boldly reimagine a safer world.  Find out what keeps them going despite incredible obstacles — check back each Wednesday for a new story from our recently-launched Web site, The Wake Up Call.

"We've seen a lot of women who have been able to rebuild their lives because of this, because it takes just a small amount of money that they can save every week. It might be five cents or ten cents , but at the end ... these women are able to hold in their hands more money than they've ever seen in their lifetime."

- The International Rescue Committee's Tamah Murfet, who says the IRC's village savings and loan program in Burundi is inspiring and empowering women in unexpected ways — from giving them the courage to discuss money issues with their husbands to allowing them to earn a living for the first time in their lives.

Watch and listen to Tamah's story, and share your own wake up call.