重新定義農村社區

「農村不等於貧窮和邊緣化 」 -Tony Joy

Tony Joy致力於打破對農村社區相關聯的負面刻板印象。長久以來，這些社區一直被視為貧困、邊緣化和缺乏發展的地方。然而，Tony堅信這些社區內存在著未被發掘的潛力─豐富的歷史、知識和值得與世界分享的賦權故事。因此，她成立了Durian基金會，專注於賦予農村婦女力量，重新塑造社區的故事。

從農村到地球村，從廢物到寶物

Tony Joy的個人經歷塑造了她的信念：沒有任何東西是真正的廢物。她的成長過程與一般人不同，經歷過霸凌，並被強迫相信自己毫無價值。Tony很小的時候就離開家，面臨無家可歸、饑餓和匱乏感的困境，這經歷強化了她的負面自我認知。

在克服這些關於自己的有害敘事時，Tony意識到恢復尊嚴和身份對於農村婦女尤其重要。她成立了Durian基金會，目標透過手工藝培訓、成人教育和農業吸引婦女參與，進而建立公共系統，讓社區看到他們擁有的資源的價值。

擁抱農村社區的力量

Tony的組織透過循環原則，例如將可可廢棄物轉化為非洲黑皂等，展現了社區以積極且永續的方式應對挑戰的能力。社區透過將產品進入市場，建立與全球市場的連結，提升社區的自主性、自我價值與自我實現感。

Tony Joy透過Durian基金會的工作展現了重構敘事的變革力量。她拒絕對農村社區的刻板印象低頭，打破邊緣化和貧困的循環，致力於創建一個讓農村社區被視為充滿活力、具有韌性且對全球社會不可或缺貢獻者的未來。

Tony Joy

Durian基金會創辦人／總監

“Rural does not mean poor and marginalized” Tony Joy

Tony Joy works to challenge the negative stereotypes often associated with rural communities. For far too long, these communities have been unfairly labeled as poverty-stricken, marginalized, and underdeveloped. However, Tony firmly believes that there is untapped potential within these communities – rich histories, knowledge, and empowering stories that deserve to be shared with the world. Through her foundation, Durian, she aims to empower rural women to reshape the narratives surrounding their communities.

From rural to global, from waste to value

Tony Joy’s personal journey shaped her conviction that nothing is truly wasted. Growing up differently from societal norms, she experienced bullying and was made to believe that she was worthless. Tony left her home at a young age, only to face homelessness, hunger, and a sense of lacking that reinforced her negative self-perception.

In overcoming these harmful narratives about herself, Tony recognized how important it is to restore dignity and identity, especially to women in rural communities. She established Durian with the goal of engaging women through craft training, adult education, and agriculture – thereby creating communal systems that allow the communities to see value in the resources available to them.

Embracing the power of rural communities

By applying circularity principles in projects such as transforming cocoa waste into African black soap, Tony’s organization demonstrates the community’s capacity to tackle their own challenges in a positive and sustainable way. Through market access, she establishes rural linkages to global markets, elevating the community‘s sense of agency, self-worth, and self-actualization.

Tony Joy’s work through the Durian Foundation exemplifies the transformative power of reframing narratives. By refusing to bow to the narrative about rural communities, she is breaking the cycle of marginalization and poverty, working towards a future where rural communities are seen as vibrant, resilient, and indispensable contributors to global society.

Tony Joy
Founder/Director, Durian