The Northern Initiative for Mama Cash
The Northern Initiative for Mama Cash is an individual fundraising initiative in the Northern provinces of the Netherlands, set up by a group of feminists who support Mama Cash. The driving force behind this initiative, is Lida van den Broek, one of the co-founders of Mama Cash.
‘I am totally committed to, and inspired by, the principles and views of Mama Cash. Mama Cash is unique in that she chooses to support women’s rights groups who have the guts to speak out from the margins of the feminist movements, such as transgender people, lesbian women and sex workers.
When I moved from Amsterdam to a rural village in the North in 2003, in search of a more peaceful lifestyle, I set up a Northern support group for Mama Cash. I felt it was important for me personally to stay involved in women’s rights, and more generally, to raise funds for Mama Cash in the North. Together with seven other feminists, among them two former Mama Cash Board Members, we organise smaller and bigger fundraising activities every year. Over the years we have built up a steady flow of visitors to our events.
We organised a dinner for 100 people, followed by a visit to the theatre play Medea. We hosted a concert and masterclass by world famous soprano Miranda van Kralingen in a charming 19th century concert hall. We did a walking tour through the city of Groningen, followed by a high tea, taking the participants to many spots in the city that are interesting to women, like the house of Aletta Jacobs, the first woman doctor in the Netherlands, and a women’s shelter where women can go if they are experiencing domestic violence. And at our annual book auction we also raise money for Mama Cash.
Following our example, I hope many regional support groups of Mama Cash will mushroom throughout the Netherlands in the future.’