Women of Hope bring hope to Afghan women
03/22/2002

Story: http://www.wvec.com/news/local/wvec_0322_women_of_hope_update.36740b.html

By Kathryn Barrett, 13News Medical Editor

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They call themselves the "Women of Hope" and they're just back from an exciting and sobering trip to Parkistan and Afghanistan.

Teressa Rerras and Betsy Beamon left Norfolk never expecting to get into Afghanistan, but they did. With donations, complimentary airfare and guidance from Operation Blessing and a group called International Foundation of Hope, they set out to help in their small way.

That morning, Rerras and Beamon learned of reporter Daniel Pearl's murder in Pakistan. It brought home the dangers they were headed for. "It was a little unnerving, but I still felt at peace that this was what we were supposed to be doing," Rerras said. Their mission was to help the impoverished widows of Afhghanistan, taking refuge in Pakistan.

Once there, they two bought quilts and supplies made by Afghan refugees. "We went to a tailoring project where the widows were, we bought the clothing from them," said Beamon. They, in return, gave out handmade blankets, flour, sugar, soap and makeup that had been donated.

They never thought they'd get visas to actually get into Afghanistan. "Normally it takes three weeks, ours came through within 24 hours and we were on our way to Kabul," Rerras said. The way was paved with excitement, exhaustion and checkpoints where money and cigarettes changed hands.

The road itself was barely paved. "The road was so bombed out. It's normally a three hour drive -- it took us 12 hours," Beamon recalled Friday.

And along the way, they saw in person what they'd only heard about and seen on t-v.

On the road, there was a young girl, alone. "She's been traumatized, she's been crying, sores all over her mouth, this basically sums us what we saw," Rerras said. They saw the stadium where women under the Taliban were stoned to death and hanged. They saw girls eager to get back to school and women still afraid to take off the suffocating burkahs. They personally delivered their contributions and their message of hope. "We were two ordinary women, but we've been very blessed that we've been able to accomplish something very extraordinary." Rerras said.