Women in War Zones Party

When a couple of Temple graduates recently traveled to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the tragedy they found in the war-tattered country was unspeakable: Take Sifa, a woman who was attacked by soldiers when she was 12, saw nine family members killed, was raped, and then, after finally escaping the armed forces, ate clay and mud for weeks to survive. Scott Blanding and Brad LaBriola made a film, Women in War Zones, to tell these people's stories. Since then, they've started the Wamu Center, a literacy program in the Congo, which is geared toward women and young girls who've suffered sexual violence. This fundraiser goes toward transforming the Wamu Center into a self-sustaining juggernaut that will provide job training and counseling to women, too. There'll be music and photos, and the organizers encourage everyone to wear "loud" clothing. Finally, those hot pants will have a raison d'être