Meeting of the minds

Several weeks ago, we were faced with one of those realizations that is at once daunting and yet necessary to address.

When this program first started to come together, we envisioned weekly sessions with the women where we would teach a new jewelry or craft technique while giving the women an opportunity to spend time together doing something they enjoyed. The reality, though, showed us that the women have such diverse family situations that getting the group together was no small feat of logisitics. Transportation, childcare, Saturday errands...It put a big challenge before us.

The women have been working at home, honing skills and technique, but not engaging in the collaboration we had originally envisioned. To further complicate things, we caught wind of a brewing schism within the Somali Bantu community, and we felt that it was time to articulate once again what this project was intended to do. We also thought it would be a good idea to have all of the Bantu women together in one room so they could compare their creations and help each other with techniques that were giving them trouble.

Now that A Little Something is becoming...something...it seemed that the time had come to reiterate the explanation of what we were doing and try to work through any conflicts that might affect the success of the project or the women's willingness to be a part of it. It is the Somali Bantu way to talk, to discuss, to build consensus. Simmering resentments are not something we want to leave unacknowledged within the community of Beadwomen. So the meeting was convened.

Between us, we were able to pick up all those who didn't have a ride to the meeting location. Once we were together in the room, each woman spread out her finished work, and resumed work on creations in progress. There was a lot of discussion about the jewelry, and a bit of chaos as we handed out bead boxes to the newest members, replenished supplies for the others, demonstrated and gave refresher lessons on crimping, attaching clasps, opening and closing ear wires, and showed how to adjust wire length on bracelets and necklaces. We always speak as we teach, whether our words are understood or not. So far, it seems to be working.

As the women became absorbed in the morning's activities, the atmosphere became more relaxed. The noise level rose noticeably, and we teachers were kept busy in the happy chaos.

Eventually, the time was right to bring up the business of the day. We had a 15-year-old translator who tried her best, but we had two languages represented, which meant Hajia had to translate English to Kizigua, and then Mama Moumina translated Kizigua to May May. We're pretty sure things got lost in the translation.

Jaime, Susan, Anna, and I each took our turn explainaing what we wanted for the women in this program. We emphasized that it's not our program--it's theirs. We asked the women what they wanted. We explained that although we are managing things at this time, the ultimate goal is for the women themselves to acquire the skills and knowledge to do this themselves. We told them that we will always want to hear what they have to say, for better or for worse. We humbly explained that we might make mistakes since we are learning, too. We expressed with true sincerity that we could always be trusted to work in the best interests of these women, we would not take advantage of them, and we would not exploit them as others may have done.

The Bantu have long been marginalized, and within their own culture, women have had a particularly hard time of it. We told the women that we have been diligent about educating people about the Bantu people, their culture, and their plight. This news was very well received and the women expressed gratitude that we wanted to advocate for them. I also told them that if we could look past culture and race, in the end, we are all women, and as such, we share common concerns and goals. Women should help women. Nods all around.

Toward the end of our discussion, Mama stood up and addressed us directly. She assured us that no one in the Bantu community believes we would ever do anything harmful or dishonest. We have the trust and respect of the community. At this point, Mama M spoke to us passionately and at length. I was pretty sure we weren't being admonished, but whatever she was saying was snapping like a spark in her eyes.

Other than telling some of the women it was disrespectful to speak when we were speaking (...because we were putting in all of this time and effort on their behalf, they should show some courtesy and listen--just like a Mama), MM had a special message for us. The short version is this: The women are content with the current program setup. They are eager to learn more, including how to knit hats and scarves like those that Htee makes. The women are grateful that we are helping them to make money for themselves and doing so in a way they find enjoyable. They thanked us for telling people about the Bantu. And there was one more thing...

They wanted to thank you for taking an interest in them and for sharing your beads with us.

Tune In!

Tune in on Tuesday, February 12th at 10:00am and 7:00pm on 1340AM in Denver or listen on the Internet-- and hear Haiffaa!!!(we're so proud)

Hear the story of one of Denver's newest arriving community members on NPR/CPR's Colorado Matters. Zuhal, an Iraqi refugee, arrived three weeks ago by way of Jordan. Interviews with a case manager, Our very own Haiffaa!!, and the director of the state refugee office are also interviewed.

If you miss the show or you don't live in Colorado, you can listen to it online via the station's Website by clicking here. Scroll down to select the February 12 program.

This 20-minute program provides an excellent overview of the refugee resettlement process and the isues that refugees face both abroad and in the U.S. This story is well worth the 20 minutes it takes to listen. Enjoy!

Busy, busy

I know that lately we haven't posted as much as we did before the start of this year, but it's not due to waning interest. We've been busy. Anna has a new job, I'm totally overwhelmed with my "real" job, and there just aren't enough hours in the day.

That doesn't mean we've been taking any breaks, though. Anna continues to be out and about going into the homes of The Bead Women. I've been doing my administrative duties, as well as sorting, sorting, sorting donated beads and supplies, plus doing other things for the project that seem small but add up to a lot. I continue to be amazed by the sheer variety of beautiful things that have been donated. Unfortunately, they are dwindling quickly because our beaders are prolific.

Anna has been learning Arabic, and I hear she's an excellent student. I continue to not speak Arabic, Somali, Mai Mai, Karen, or Kizigua. My Spanish is pretty good, but it does me no good these days. Oh well...

We had a monumental day today meeting with the Somali women only. I'll post more about that in a day or two. I'm just waiting for Anna's pictures so you can see what it looks like when we're all together sharing our super sister power. Stay tuned!
--SM

We are not alone

Some time ago, Anna, Sharon, Jaime, and Susan had the brilliant idea to seek out other projects like ours. We figured that since we had a lot to learn, we should learn from those who have already "been there, done that." When the learning curve is steep and you need to maximize your limited funds (and time), it helps if you can see where, exactly, others have been before you.

We're learning a lot from the incredibly helpful people at these organizations and we're probably avoiding some terribly deep pitfalls in the process. Conference calls are our new best friend! So many people have expressed curiosity about our project, it seems only fair that we tell you about some of these other projects that might be going on right in your area. If you see a local program on this list, please show your support, even if it's just with some encouragement. We know firsthand how valuable moral support really is.

Just click on the program's name to view its Website.

Raleigh Refugee Women's Microenterprise Initiative
Raleigh, NC
blog: http://rwmi.blogspot.com/







Our Story Together...The Refugee Experience
Rochester, NY








The New Hope Women's Sewing Cooperative
Chicago, IL










African Women's Coalition
Portland, OR







Somali Bantu Women's Cooperative
San Diego, CA

Growing into the New Year

The year is coming to an end, but for A Little Something, the last day of the year brought us more new beginnings.

A few weeks ago, Sharon and Anna met Mama Moumina, the undisputed doyenne of the Bantu community. Mama M is a force to be reckoned with. In a community where major decisions are made among the council of elders, it is Mama who often determines the outcome of those decisions. And she is wonderful. Her commanding presence is softened by her mischievous sense of humor and her theatrical expression. Mama M is a comedian, a diva, and a little bit intimidating. And so it was we were honored and maybe a little bit nervous when Mama M said she wanted to join the crafts group and try her hand at making jewelry.

Today was Mama M's first lesson. When I arrived, I walked into a curtained off bedroom where Anna, Bakhara, and Moumina were seated on the floor, a pile of beads and jewelry-making supplies spread on the floor between them. Bakhara's two-year-old daughter was peeking around the curtain, trying to decide whether or not to come in or just launch an ambush on Anna from behind the curtain (it was the latter). The heat was cranked up high and the windows had long since steamed over.

I settled in to watch the lesson. Bakhara was patiently showing Mama M how to make earrings. Bakhara went through the first steps again and again, demonstrating the procedures and then assisting Mama M. The language was Mai-Mai, but the tone was that of an encouraging teacher. Mama M was a serious pupil but relaxed enough to shrug off her mistakes and move on. She really wanted to get it right, though--no false praise would do. I wondered: Would I risk learning something so unfamiliar (so publicly) at her age and station in life?

I looked at these women and thought about how it had been only a few weeks ago that Anna took a picture of Haiffaa teaching Bakhara, and as has been the way of things in this project, the newly-acquired knowledge was passed on to another woman almost immediately. I was struck by how Mama M, this respected woman of status in her community, patiently took instruction from a 20-year-old.


When Mama finished her first earring, she modeled it with more than a bit of sass. I took her picture, but it didn't really capture the playful showing off, the raised eyebrow, the hand on hip, the tilted chin and the flair that came with the pride one can only feel after finally figuring out how to do something that has been a challenge. When I thought about it, I realized that although Mama is known for her fiery personality, on this afternoon she was actually somewhat reserved and totally absorbed with the intricacies of turning a headpin.

The afternoon drew to a close after what seemed like just minutes. As we prepared to leave, Mama M asked for our phone numbers--in case she were to need further consultations. She smiled and in eloquent Mai-Mai, thanked us for our help. Anna responded quite competently in Mai-Mai. As we stepped past the curtain, I glanced back and saw Mama was still busily sorting beads. The curtain fell back into place, and Anna, Bakhara, her girls and I bundled ourselves up, said our goodbyes, and trundled out into the cold, snowy twilight.

It was a fine finish to a pretty good year.

--SM

Out and about with the Bead Women

After a brief break in the action, it was a good day to be out and about with the Bead Women to see what they've been up to.

Jaime and Sharon started the day with a visit to Sharifo to drop off supplies. Sharifo had six necklace and earring sets ready to go. She was happy to receive a new batch of beads--probably enough to last her at least a month. She needed a brief refresher lesson on using the crimp tool and attaching the dangle on to an earring. Sharon was happy to oblige.

Next, Jaime and Sharon met up with Anna over at Bakhara's apartment across town. Bakhara continues to be adamant about making her jewelry from seed beads in traditional African colors. She has started to integrate some more "western" beads into her designs which may increase their saleability among American buyers. Actually, her jewelry has a unique and original flair. In addition to helping Bakhara with her jewelery, Anna also stepped in to diaper Bakhara's daughter who had pretty happily started running around mid-change.

Next it was off to see Htee Ku Paw to deliver the money she earned from her most recent work. What a lovely reason to visit! Htee was busy weaving some beautiful fabric for a traditional Karen school bag. Two of her children were eager to meet the visitors and pose (and pose and pose) for pictures. Who knew the little screen on a digital camera could be so entertaining?

The final stop was a surprise visit to Haiffaa who was busy...relaxing. She was luxuriating in having the time to just hang out and do nothing on a Sunday. We dropped off a New Year gift for her: A wonderful Bead-Project-A-Day calendar. Haiffaa is always eager to learn new jewelry techniques and to get creative inspiration, so this seemed like a very appropriate gift.

Jaime is somewhat new to A Little Something, but not to working in the world of refugee resettlement. She will be working on details related to nonprofit business development and getting us connected and networked with similar programs around the U.S. Of course, Jaime will be involved with some jewelry making, too! This was her first opportunity to do the rounds and meet some of the women in the project--you know, the fun part of getting a program like this off the ground (although we may already be hovering).

It looks like the New Year will be off to an enthusiastic and productive start for the A Little Something gang. Stay tuned...

It's Christmas!

On behalf of the entire community of Bead Women, we'd like to wish all of you a beautiful and Merry Christmas on this very snowy day!
















The best gift we received this year came early. It was the tremendous generosity, encouragement, and support we received from so many people around the world. We feel very blessed this holiday season!

Best wishes for day that surrounds you with love and abundance.

Sharon & Anna
and all of the women who are creating A Little Something

A Little Pause

Sorry we haven't posted for a little while. The Bead Women are busy celebrating Eid-ul-Adha or are getting ready to celebrate Christmas and the New Year. Anna's in California for the holidays, but Sharon and Jaime are in town and off from work until the New Year, so they'll do their darndest to fill Anna's shoes doing home visits for the next couple of weeks.

We'll keep you posted just as soon as we finish our holiday preparations!

Doing our thing

I missed posting pictures from the long-postponed class we had on December 1. It was a little hectic due to a lack of teachers, but our first-time students had a proper introduction to the joy of jewelry making. A few photos:
Anna explains, "You start over here at zero, then count, one right, one left..."

Sharon helps Madina with some design encouragement.
























It was an effort of epic proportions, but in the end, we had a bracelet--crimps and all!




Look what my mom made for me!

Putting a face on the work

In anticipation of our holiday craft sales participation, Anna created little price tags to go with each piece of jewelry. Each tag shows the name, country, and photo of the woman who crafted the piece. The price goes on the back. This picture is a little less than ideal, but it will still give you the idea of what Anna created. These tags were a highlight of the sales display and of the day in general. Good job, Bead Woman Anna--the only person I know who does graphic design in Excel!

It's all about the picture

When Anna sent me the pictures from the Regis University visit, there was one that really caught my attention. I have no idea what the story is, but because it's such a fabulously funny picture, I thought I'd share. Does this mean we have a mascot? --Sharon

A Little Something Goes to School

Update on the project with the marketing class students at Regis University

Our project has been the case study for some wonderfully creative and business-minded college students. Today Haiffaa, Khadiga and I went to Regis University to see the research presentation the marketing class put together for A Little Something. It was fantastic. The students did a great job of explaining the basic elements of building a business while being sure to keep the integrity of the women intact. I was very proud of the students.

Here is a picture of the class with Haiffaa and Khadiga. I just want to thank them all for their hard work.
--Anna

Take a deep breath and go for it...

The Bead Women have had what can surely be described as a whirlwind first few months. We didn't know if this project would actually work, and we had no idea what to expect as we went along.

The project has been a challenge for every woman involved. We are all learning--and there is a lot to learn. Sometimes that presents huge obstacles, and sometimes it's fascinating. It has been a blessing to know that we have a lot supporters, some far away, some here at home, but all are enthusiastic.

Today we held our first big crafts sale. It was at Opportunity School, where some of the refugee women attend English classes or have in the past. Doing an event like this is sort of like throwing a party when you don't really know if anyone will show up. Well, our party was well attended. Sales were excellent, and although the financial end of things was exciting, there was something else about today that will be memorable far longer than the excitement of healthy sales.

Our room was busy almost nonstop for the four hours of the sale. Not everyone who came was a customer. We saw a lot of people from the school, students and staff alike. Quite a few people from the refugee network here took time from their busy day (and they are busy) to visit, as did other people from the larger community who have heard about this project. Haiffaa and Khadiga were on hand to meet their public, and they were fine ambassadors for their project.

Over and over we were praised for our hard work. Plenty of folks asked, "How can I help?" Words of encouragement surrounded us all day. The money was a very good thing, but we can never assign a value to the outpouring of support and kind words we received today.

All of us who work on this project have been working very, very hard. Sometimes our efforts are rewarding, and sometimes we come away from the day very frustrated. After months of pouring most of our energy and all of our spare time into trying to get the crafts project off the ground, it looks like we're really on our way. Up until now, these blog posts have been a reflection of our focus: How is this working for the refugee women involved? Today I stood in the middle of the room, surrounded by colleagues, students, and visitors and watched their smiles and facial expressions of curiosity and delight. I listened to a shower of kind words full of enthusiasm and encouragement. I watched people marvel over Anna's fabulous product tags that put the women's faces and names with the things they had made. "This is great" was something we heard over and over.

Personally, I've been exhausted lately, but today was a very good day and energizing in its own way. When I realized just how much community support we have, it was like having a refreshing glass of water on a hot day. I think that all of us who have been putting our hearts into this project forget to take time to appreciate all we've accomplished. It's nice that others are taking the time to remind us that our time has been well spent. We're not in this for the "thank you," but standing in a room full of happy people who are excited about what we're trying to do, seeing that they are filled with enthusiasm and encouragement, felt like a big hug and an A+ rolled up in one.

It was a good day.

--Sharon

Show your support!

Just in time for the holidays, A Little Something is coming to a T-shirt, hat, or tote bag near you! Check out our shop at CafePress: www.cafepress.com/refugeecrafts.

The shop has T-shirts for men, women, juniors, and plus sizes, plus a tote bag, sticker, hat, and totally fabulous coffee mug all announcing your support of The Denver Refugee Women's Crafts Initiative, a.k.a, A Little Something.

Because CafePress doesn't print items until they are ordered, we don't pay up-front setup charges. However, we don't get a huge commission on sales, either. That being said, every dollar we make from our CafePress sales will be put toward the purchase of jewelry and craft supplies for the women in our program.

Shop soon--Christmas is just around the corner!

Out and about...

It seems like it's almost every day that we find out about another woman in the refugee community who wants to join the crafts group. Word is spreading, and that's a very good thing! Since many women can't join us on Saturday lesson days, home visits are the best way (for now) to get these women started. A first visit includes delivery of a bead box (a partitioned box filled with a selection of beads), a design board and mat, tools, and a custom one-on-one lesson. It's like this:

Thanks for the kindness!

The Bead Women would like to extend our deepest thanks to Kate Goodspeed and the members of the Park Hill Congregational Church in Denver.

Kate graciously offered to include us in the church's annual Alternative Gift Market, a craft sale for fair trade groups. We didn't even have to be there--Kate and her congregation took care of everything for us.

The Bead Women made some money, but more important, a wider circle of people in our community learned about our project, our mission, and our artisans.

Thanks Kate! Thanks PHCC!! We truly appreciate your thoughtfulness in including us in such a special event.

A universal language?

Not from the same country. Not from the same continent. Different cultures. They speak with different words. Some moments transcend language and create a connection in spite of differences. Teachers, students, sisters, friends. Community beyond commonality.

A shopping we will go!

In the past few weeks, Haiffaa was determined that we would find carbon paper for her to use for her embroidery projects. It's not all that easy to find. Anna took Haiffaa on a shopping trip the other day, and they went to the most magical place of all...Hobby Lobby. Haiffaa was very impressed by the crafts supply buffet before her. She was even introduced to the joys of the "40% off any regular priced item" coupon that is well-known to any savvy Hobby Lobby shopper.

It was a good learning experience for one of our students to see where the rest of us get our supplies and what retail prices look like. By the way, they found carbon paper. Next field trip: Michaels.

Like ripples in a pond...

Anna isn't much for putting her thoughts on paper (or in Cyberspace), but I want to take the liberty of sharing excerpts from an email message she sent to Susan and me today. Her day included visits with Haiffa from Iraq, Khadiga from Sudan, Htee from Burma, and Angelique from Democratic Republic of the Congo. I was at a conference, so no crafts fun for me! Glad to see that Anna did enough work for both of us. --SM

Busy, busy, busy. Susan, I feel like you must everyday. Nearly every minute of my day from 8-4:30 was jam packed...I dropped off my sewing machine with Haiffaa today. I brought so much stuff with me this morning I looked like a pack horse. I am going to go over to Haiffaa's tomorrow and we are going to do a small lesson on how to sew small gift bags for the jewelry.

Khadiga also showed me her sewing machine that she brought with her from Sudan. It is a Singer... a very good vintage Singer. She just recently got it fixed. Tomorrow I will be bringing her some material and patterns that were donated to me by my mom. I have been waiting and waiting for this point... Khadiga said she makes skirts and dresses, so I am excited to see what she comes up with.

And the new development of the day.... I gave Angelique a beginner's jewery kit today. I went over to her house around 2pm and we had a very short one-on-one lesson on how to make braclets, necklaces and earrings. I have attached the photos from today. It was easy to see that she has had very little experience with using tools. It was very hard for her, but she was very happy to make something beautiful. Her daughters were very intrigued too. So intrigued in fact, the younger one kept trying to sit in my lap and be a part of the action.

Ohhh... I forgot about Htee... How could I? I brought her a bunch of yarn, and she had a whole new bag full of woven scarves and a bag. I didn't have time to look through the whole bag, but I am sure there is a lot more great stuff in there. I will be visiting her tomorrow after I see Haiffaa.

Just in case you were wondering, I made sure to let Khadiga know that Angelique was just starting out with the jewelry making, and Khadiga automatically said "She come to Khadiga's house. We do same." Which, in my book, translates to "she can come over and I can help her." I made sure Angelique knew that too. They only have English to communicate with each other, so that will be interesting for them. They both seemed happy to get together, though.

Building community ladies... It is hard work.

Prolific!

The pre-holiday craft fair season is upon us! The women have been busy, busy, busy making things to sell. Considering that they only work with a hodge-podge of donated this-and-that, their finished pieces come together quite well, actually. Whatever would we do without the donated findings and stringing wire?

Here are some pictures of some of the many pieces we've been sorting, bagging, and pricing this week: