The women are working on their skills.
Thursday, August 27, 2009
A Prayer of Blessing
The women say a prayer of blessing over their quilts for the person who will receive it.
Ruth
Ruth blesses her quilt before basting. Recently, Ruth was hospitalized with two of her children. One of her little twins died. During this time, her husband deserted the family, and never even returned for the child's funeral.
Rose...a fine quilter
Rose, getting ready to do her basting. She is one of our finest quilters. She was really pleased today when I told her that her stitches were better than mine.
Lydia...a natural leader
Lydia is not only an excellent seamstress, but she a natural leader for the group. She is always the first to step in and do anything that needs doing. She had a quiet strength. Her husband was the only one in the family pictures.
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
What could be better than a good day at the Quilting Cottage? I can't begin to tell you how much I enjoy working with the women of Mashaka. They come into the cottage every morning neat and clean and with big smiles on their faces. You can just tell they're really glad to be there. Today we began by basting our project to get it ready for hand quilting. There were not enough tables for everyone to tape down their project at the same time, so those who couldn't find room to baste, were the first ones to be working with Jeffrey on the sewing machines. The morning just flew by, with everyone so busy, they didn't even want to stop at tea time. Half of the women completed their basting, and the other half got their project taped to the table so they will be ready to begin tomorrow. Those who finished today, will work with Jeffrey on the machines tomorrow. Margie, I taught them to use your "spoon trick" when basting, and they all say "Thank you, Margie!"
Monday, August 24, 2009
Announcing...Sean Daniel Fitts
Sean was born at 2:45pm on Aug. 19th. He weighed 8lbs. 2.5oz. and was about 19.5 inches long. We are all glad he is doing well and so am I. Thank you for all your thoughts, prayers and welcome gifts. Hope all is well with you and yours.
Love,
Kim
Thank God It's Monday!
I was so happy to be getting back to the Quilting Cottage this morning! It made me feel more "normal", which is what quilting does for me. The women were all smiles when Gerald's trusty blue truck arrived with me,. They had already begun cleaning out the cottage from the mess left by the carpenters. I had hoped that the strips of wood put up for hanging quilts would be flat against the wall, but only the one at the front of the room was put up that way. It is hard when I can't be there when they are working to be sure it is being done correctly. I must not be communicating clearly. Perhaps it can be changed.
We worked very hard on our projects today, and I was pleased with how carefully the women are stitching. Each smart decision, or good choice or neatly stitched piece was pointed out to the group as an example of how it should be done. I pointed out to them that when customers looks at hand work to buy it, they are looking at the colors, design and neatness of work. The more carefully you do your work, your cutting, stitching and pressing, the better price you will get, and the more pieces you will sell.
Jeffrey came later in the morning and replaced our ironing board cover. He had a piece of linen (I think it is) and we taped the ends, and tracked it to the underside of the board. I was pleased it held up quite nicely with our hot irons. Then he began working with the women on the sewing machines. So far we're not using any thread, but he did have his polyester thread with him. The women are very excited about working the machines. They are getting the rhythm down, but they will also need to practice putting fabric through, and following the 1/4" seam allowance.
In this area, they are beginning to do a census tonight. There has been a lot of debate about the census, because they are spending lots of money to have this done, and people are starving. They think the money would have been better spent on buying food. Denis, the son here, is one of the census workers. There have been threats of violence so the workers have had to hire security to be safe......spending even more money. Some people have said they will refuse to answer the questions. I will even be questioned since I am living at this home now. So tomorrow has been declared a national holiday, so people would be at home to meet with the census takers. I guess if the people knew that the result of the census would help them in any way, they might be more cooperative. But the government seems to be too busy fighting to do anything to help the poor people in this area. The government's main concern seems to be to retain their power, rather than use their power to do anything helpful. Sounds a lot like home, doesn't it?
Today, on the way to the Quilting Cottage, I noticed that a fresh pile of dirt had been put on the circle of ashes. Sticks and branches were put on top, with a small, red piece of fabric attached to a branch. This afternoon on the way home, another branch of pink/purple flowers had been placed on top. I was glad to see that flowers had been put there. We will pass this place twice daily for the rest of the time I am working here. Each time I will say a prayer for the poor soul who perished and the people who are mourning his loss.
Thank all of your dear people for your prayers. Please say a prayer for the village of Murinya, where I am staying. They have suffered a trauma, and need God's healing.
Love and a big hug,
Kitty
We worked very hard on our projects today, and I was pleased with how carefully the women are stitching. Each smart decision, or good choice or neatly stitched piece was pointed out to the group as an example of how it should be done. I pointed out to them that when customers looks at hand work to buy it, they are looking at the colors, design and neatness of work. The more carefully you do your work, your cutting, stitching and pressing, the better price you will get, and the more pieces you will sell.
Jeffrey came later in the morning and replaced our ironing board cover. He had a piece of linen (I think it is) and we taped the ends, and tracked it to the underside of the board. I was pleased it held up quite nicely with our hot irons. Then he began working with the women on the sewing machines. So far we're not using any thread, but he did have his polyester thread with him. The women are very excited about working the machines. They are getting the rhythm down, but they will also need to practice putting fabric through, and following the 1/4" seam allowance.
In this area, they are beginning to do a census tonight. There has been a lot of debate about the census, because they are spending lots of money to have this done, and people are starving. They think the money would have been better spent on buying food. Denis, the son here, is one of the census workers. There have been threats of violence so the workers have had to hire security to be safe......spending even more money. Some people have said they will refuse to answer the questions. I will even be questioned since I am living at this home now. So tomorrow has been declared a national holiday, so people would be at home to meet with the census takers. I guess if the people knew that the result of the census would help them in any way, they might be more cooperative. But the government seems to be too busy fighting to do anything to help the poor people in this area. The government's main concern seems to be to retain their power, rather than use their power to do anything helpful. Sounds a lot like home, doesn't it?
Today, on the way to the Quilting Cottage, I noticed that a fresh pile of dirt had been put on the circle of ashes. Sticks and branches were put on top, with a small, red piece of fabric attached to a branch. This afternoon on the way home, another branch of pink/purple flowers had been placed on top. I was glad to see that flowers had been put there. We will pass this place twice daily for the rest of the time I am working here. Each time I will say a prayer for the poor soul who perished and the people who are mourning his loss.
Thank all of your dear people for your prayers. Please say a prayer for the village of Murinya, where I am staying. They have suffered a trauma, and need God's healing.
Love and a big hug,
Kitty
Sunday, August 23, 2009
Sunday
I have just returned from a 4+ hour church service..........and have a splitting headache! Four local churches had come together to worship, so the building was packed. They had loud speakers up even on the outside, and the music was blaring when we arrived. Rose led us down to the very front of the church so we were very close to all the action.......and the noise! The singing and dancing were a joy to watch although very loud, being so close. Then we had a good half hour of prayers, with the preacher screaming over a microphone, and everyone in the congregation yelling at the top of their voice....all at the same time. It is like they have to yell to get God to hear them in heaven. After that, a woman got up to preach on the text. She yelled in English while a man screamed the translation in the mother tongue...whatever that is. Next came the offering, more singing, more praying and then two more preachers took the stage. One preached for over an hour in English, every phrase being yelled by the other in the local language. The wooden bench I was sitting on became harder as the service progressed. If it weren't for the little children who came to gaze into my white face, and touch my white hands, it would have been unbearable. After the sermon there was an alter call, with more praying (screaming) and then it was over.. Even Rose and Gerald, my hosts, complained about the length of the service. We had gotten there at 10:30....a half hour late, and didn't leave til after 2:30. They are holding a revival service this afternoon up near where the "punishment" took place this week. I think I'll pass! Someone had placed a log in the center of a circle of ashes. I didn't ask any questions.
I'm thinking of all you dear people this afternoon. Knowing you're "out there" gives me a lot of strength. Thank you so much for your kind emails. They really keep me going.
Love and a big hug,
Kitty
I'm thinking of all you dear people this afternoon. Knowing you're "out there" gives me a lot of strength. Thank you so much for your kind emails. They really keep me going.
Love and a big hug,
Kitty
Friday, August 21, 2009
Home Visits
Jill visited each woman's that is part of the Mashaka Quilting Project at her home. Her visits were such a blessing! The women proudly showed off their newly completed quilt pieces. Jill took family pictures and each will be given one. They have never had family pictures.
Livestock
This is the town adjacent to Mashaka. At the end of the day the livestock are driven home from the Mt. Kenya forest where they graze.
Life in Mashaka
Men lounge around when they can't find work and play this traditional game. (Mancala?)
****
A young man fetching water from the well.
Pied Piper
Walking through Mashaka, I felt like the Pied Piper. This is only a handful of the kids who followed me.
Today, I'm a Happy Teacher!
Yesterday was a difficult day for many reasons. It was very sad for everyone to see Jill leave. You should have heard the sobbing in the Quilting Cottage! Women had their heads buried in their laps while they sobbed. There wasn't a dry eye in the room. Jill had left her mark on each and every heart. They were so very honored by her home visits, and how in each home, she found something to compliment, whether it was a color they had used in something, the loveliness of their children, the tidiness of the home, or how the woman had made her feel welcome. She had said many things that did not I hated to see her go as well. It has been so wonderful to be able to share this adventure with Jill. She is a great traveling companion, and "goes with the flow", which is so necessary when traveling to this part of the world.. She was able to make the best of any situation we encountered, and didn't complain about anything. Even if the situation wasn't as we would have preferred, both of us realize that we are being given "the BEST" these folks have to offer, and it is appreciated. Tonight Jill will leave Nairobi for London, and on Sunday she will head home to Seattle. I will be very happy when I know that Andy had picked her up and she's back with her family.
Today however, was a GREAT day. Deciding to go back to the basics, and give the women another opportunity to do a hand project since we still don't have the women trained on the sewing machines, was a good move. We spent time this morning handing out the new project fabric and they got to use what they had learned in yesterday's lesson on color and design, to choose their coordinating fabrics. They had learned to have their fabrics "talk" to each other! We spent time drawing each 1/4" seam so they would have the correct seam allowance. What a difference in their work! I was very pleased! I "Oood" and "Awwwd" over each piece getting beaming smiles in response. When I found exceptional work, I showed it off to everyone. They were really "getting it"!!! The women were so pleased and proud of themselves! And to top off a very good day, the women got paid their stipend for the training by Oasis Africa! Talk about "Happy Campers"! So everyone went home, happy for the weekend, but ready and excited to return on Monday.
Thank you so much for your kind prayers and emails of encouragement. There are definitely "highs" and " lows" for me here, but the contacts from home keep me going.....plus a lot of blessings from God. Just seeing the confidence growing in these precious women, the willingness to keep working hard, and persevere through each new thing, inspires me. I am in such awe of their spirit.
Love and a big hug,
Kitty
Today however, was a GREAT day. Deciding to go back to the basics, and give the women another opportunity to do a hand project since we still don't have the women trained on the sewing machines, was a good move. We spent time this morning handing out the new project fabric and they got to use what they had learned in yesterday's lesson on color and design, to choose their coordinating fabrics. They had learned to have their fabrics "talk" to each other! We spent time drawing each 1/4" seam so they would have the correct seam allowance. What a difference in their work! I was very pleased! I "Oood" and "Awwwd" over each piece getting beaming smiles in response. When I found exceptional work, I showed it off to everyone. They were really "getting it"!!! The women were so pleased and proud of themselves! And to top off a very good day, the women got paid their stipend for the training by Oasis Africa! Talk about "Happy Campers"! So everyone went home, happy for the weekend, but ready and excited to return on Monday.
Thank you so much for your kind prayers and emails of encouragement. There are definitely "highs" and " lows" for me here, but the contacts from home keep me going.....plus a lot of blessings from God. Just seeing the confidence growing in these precious women, the willingness to keep working hard, and persevere through each new thing, inspires me. I am in such awe of their spirit.
Love and a big hug,
Kitty
Making Baby Steps
Today we're going to concentrate on our 1/4" seam allowance, and fabrics "right sides together" and edges even. Since we will not begin the training on the sewing machines until Monday when Jeffrey can come again, I have another hand project for the ladies. When I was still at home, I ordered some beautiful fabric prints by Keith Mallett, which can not be used for commercial projects without getting a license. So each woman will choose one of these prints for her new project. Since their work is not yet up to standards to sell, doing another small project for themselves, while increasing their skills, seems the way to go. This project will also give me the opportunity to teach them hand basting which they will need to know for future projects.
I am having a little challenge communicating with Jeffrey about the thread to use on the sewing machines. He says the cotton thread is too weak, and has suggested polyester thread since it is stronger. The poly thread he is suggesting isn't even cotton covered, and I am afraid it will melt when it meets our very hot irons which are heated over the cook's open fire outside. I showed him where someone set the hot iron down on the polyester ironing board cover, and the hole it melted through the cloth and also the poly batting underneath. However, he insists we must use the polyester thread. Since he's a tailor he is sure he knows best. Well, we'll see. I hope he's right, and the thread we use in our quilt doesn't melt so the quilts fall apart.
Take good care, Dear friends. I am missing Jill this morning.
Love and a big hug to each of you,
Kitty
I am having a little challenge communicating with Jeffrey about the thread to use on the sewing machines. He says the cotton thread is too weak, and has suggested polyester thread since it is stronger. The poly thread he is suggesting isn't even cotton covered, and I am afraid it will melt when it meets our very hot irons which are heated over the cook's open fire outside. I showed him where someone set the hot iron down on the polyester ironing board cover, and the hole it melted through the cloth and also the poly batting underneath. However, he insists we must use the polyester thread. Since he's a tailor he is sure he knows best. Well, we'll see. I hope he's right, and the thread we use in our quilt doesn't melt so the quilts fall apart.
Take good care, Dear friends. I am missing Jill this morning.
Love and a big hug to each of you,
Kitty
A Letter from Gladys at Oasis Africa
Kitty's Diary/Journal must read like a story from Mars!
I've not been in this conversation for a little bit, but I am always on the know from Jesse, Edith, and so on, thanking God for the resiliency of these wonderful women. We shall continue to do all we can to make sure that Kitty remains strong and safe until the job is done. All we need now is prayer and participation because this Quilting Project as with all Oasis Africa programs, is a faith journey with all participants holding hands and doing it the Ha Harambee way. Harambeee is Kenya's development slogan where each one pulls the weight on their side of a huge log to be moved from one spot to another. Kitty holds on and we help her as you all out there partner with us.
Gershon and me have been busy last week first speaking at the one-week long Methodist Church Annual East Africa Conference with Bishops, Clergy and Laity from Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, and the Congo. The theme:
Transformational Leadership. This week was speaking at AFREG 2 - The second conference of Africa Forum for Religion and Government with selected Church and Government leaders from all over Africa. We had the President of Burundi, Kenya's Vice President, several Cabinet Ministers from Nigeria, Kenya, and so on; as well as Kenya's Anglican Archbishop, Bishops and other Christian leaders. I spoke yesterday on the Private Life of a Leader:
Integrity for Africa's Transformation. Next week, I'll be Master of Ceremonies at the Juliette Low Seminar held in Kenya for the first time.
Juliette Low Seminar is an international meeting organized by Kenya Girl Guides Association and the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts to honor this founder of Girl Scouts of USA. The Guest of Honor will be His Excellency Michael Rannenberger, USA Ambassador to Kenya. If Kitty was closer to Nairobi, I'd have taken her with me but I hope to take Serena, our Intern from Berkeley's First Presbyterian Church. I've been a Girl Gide since Grade School and am the outgoing Deputy Chief Commissioner, Kenya Girl Guides Association.
So, while Kitty quilts away, laying the foundation for this quilting cottage, we work hard with training, counseling, and planting the seed in the community wherever we find ourselves. It's a busy meeting season in Kenya right now with many tourists but we pray so for rain. There hasn't been rain for several years and animals, both wild and domestic are dying of thirst. You hear about red dust in Kitty's Quilting Cottage. The whole country is so dry that water is being rationed for the first time in Kenya and electricity too, cause most of our power is hydro.
As we pray for Kitty and the Quilting Project, join us also in praying for rain in this nation. So many are hungry.
Blessings and thank you for standing with us. Kitty, you're planting a lasting seed in Mashaka, and god of the Harvest will bless the seed and the sower to His Glory.
Thank you all. Keep us in prayer constantly and plan to come sometime.
Gladys
I've not been in this conversation for a little bit, but I am always on the know from Jesse, Edith, and so on, thanking God for the resiliency of these wonderful women. We shall continue to do all we can to make sure that Kitty remains strong and safe until the job is done. All we need now is prayer and participation because this Quilting Project as with all Oasis Africa programs, is a faith journey with all participants holding hands and doing it the Ha Harambee way. Harambeee is Kenya's development slogan where each one pulls the weight on their side of a huge log to be moved from one spot to another. Kitty holds on and we help her as you all out there partner with us.
Gershon and me have been busy last week first speaking at the one-week long Methodist Church Annual East Africa Conference with Bishops, Clergy and Laity from Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, and the Congo. The theme:
Transformational Leadership. This week was speaking at AFREG 2 - The second conference of Africa Forum for Religion and Government with selected Church and Government leaders from all over Africa. We had the President of Burundi, Kenya's Vice President, several Cabinet Ministers from Nigeria, Kenya, and so on; as well as Kenya's Anglican Archbishop, Bishops and other Christian leaders. I spoke yesterday on the Private Life of a Leader:
Integrity for Africa's Transformation. Next week, I'll be Master of Ceremonies at the Juliette Low Seminar held in Kenya for the first time.
Juliette Low Seminar is an international meeting organized by Kenya Girl Guides Association and the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts to honor this founder of Girl Scouts of USA. The Guest of Honor will be His Excellency Michael Rannenberger, USA Ambassador to Kenya. If Kitty was closer to Nairobi, I'd have taken her with me but I hope to take Serena, our Intern from Berkeley's First Presbyterian Church. I've been a Girl Gide since Grade School and am the outgoing Deputy Chief Commissioner, Kenya Girl Guides Association.
So, while Kitty quilts away, laying the foundation for this quilting cottage, we work hard with training, counseling, and planting the seed in the community wherever we find ourselves. It's a busy meeting season in Kenya right now with many tourists but we pray so for rain. There hasn't been rain for several years and animals, both wild and domestic are dying of thirst. You hear about red dust in Kitty's Quilting Cottage. The whole country is so dry that water is being rationed for the first time in Kenya and electricity too, cause most of our power is hydro.
As we pray for Kitty and the Quilting Project, join us also in praying for rain in this nation. So many are hungry.
Blessings and thank you for standing with us. Kitty, you're planting a lasting seed in Mashaka, and god of the Harvest will bless the seed and the sower to His Glory.
Thank you all. Keep us in prayer constantly and plan to come sometime.
Gladys
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
A MUCH better day! :)
Dear Friends,
How thankful I am for each one of you! I can't tell you how much it has meant to me to hear from so many of you today. Each email brought encouragement and blessed things I needed to hear and remember. It was like so many of you were helping me carry a very heavy load, and I am so grateful for your help.
Today was a MUCH better day. The women were already gathered when I arrived this morning and had opened with some songs and a prayer, which they do every day. The eldest quilter was telling them a Bible story and relating it to our quilting project. So when I arrived, we got straight to work, hand sewing our bindings. I LOVE sewing bindings, and once the ladies got the hang of the new stitch, they settled down and began enjoying it too. And how proud they were went it was finished! You should have seen all the beaming faces! They are so excited that today when they return home, they will carry their completed project with them to show their family and friends.
I thanked the women for so graciously inviting Jill into their homes yesterday. After our hard day, she walked to the Mashaka Village (probably a couple of miles) and visited 15 homes. She didn't arrive back at Rose's until after 6pm! Needless to say, she was exhausted. She was impressed with how orderly some of the homes were. Some of the women had even changed into a fresh dress to greet her. The houses are tiny. Some of the homes have the kitchen out in the yard where all the cooking is done. Jill said all the kitchens were smokey and she came home with a sore throat because of breathing it all in. In one of the homes in a tiny room, was one small bed, where the mom and three children slept, and the eldest son, slept on the rocky floor beside. In the living room of the same house, was a small couch with a coffee table pulled right up to it, with no room for your legs, because the room wasn't big enough to pull the table out. The entire house was not as big as Rose's kitchen.
So today, Jill is visiting the last 8 homes. While she did that Jesse took me in to Meru so I could get some cash from the ATM. Jill will be leaving for Nairobi tomorrow afternoon, so I wanted to be sure to have some money when she left. She will spend one day in Nairobi, and then take a night flight to London, where she will overnight before her flight to Seattle the next day. By the time she gets home, she will have been gone for three weeks. The time has passed very quickly, and I'm so thankful she has been here with me. We have enjoyed our time together and sharing this amazing experience. She has been incredibly helpful to me plus doing most of the filming for the video she hopes to put together, and interviewing the women. I will miss her when she leaves.
Thank you again, for "being there" for me! It means more to me than I can say.
Love and a big hug,
Kitty
How thankful I am for each one of you! I can't tell you how much it has meant to me to hear from so many of you today. Each email brought encouragement and blessed things I needed to hear and remember. It was like so many of you were helping me carry a very heavy load, and I am so grateful for your help.
Today was a MUCH better day. The women were already gathered when I arrived this morning and had opened with some songs and a prayer, which they do every day. The eldest quilter was telling them a Bible story and relating it to our quilting project. So when I arrived, we got straight to work, hand sewing our bindings. I LOVE sewing bindings, and once the ladies got the hang of the new stitch, they settled down and began enjoying it too. And how proud they were went it was finished! You should have seen all the beaming faces! They are so excited that today when they return home, they will carry their completed project with them to show their family and friends.
I thanked the women for so graciously inviting Jill into their homes yesterday. After our hard day, she walked to the Mashaka Village (probably a couple of miles) and visited 15 homes. She didn't arrive back at Rose's until after 6pm! Needless to say, she was exhausted. She was impressed with how orderly some of the homes were. Some of the women had even changed into a fresh dress to greet her. The houses are tiny. Some of the homes have the kitchen out in the yard where all the cooking is done. Jill said all the kitchens were smokey and she came home with a sore throat because of breathing it all in. In one of the homes in a tiny room, was one small bed, where the mom and three children slept, and the eldest son, slept on the rocky floor beside. In the living room of the same house, was a small couch with a coffee table pulled right up to it, with no room for your legs, because the room wasn't big enough to pull the table out. The entire house was not as big as Rose's kitchen.
So today, Jill is visiting the last 8 homes. While she did that Jesse took me in to Meru so I could get some cash from the ATM. Jill will be leaving for Nairobi tomorrow afternoon, so I wanted to be sure to have some money when she left. She will spend one day in Nairobi, and then take a night flight to London, where she will overnight before her flight to Seattle the next day. By the time she gets home, she will have been gone for three weeks. The time has passed very quickly, and I'm so thankful she has been here with me. We have enjoyed our time together and sharing this amazing experience. She has been incredibly helpful to me plus doing most of the filming for the video she hopes to put together, and interviewing the women. I will miss her when she leaves.
Thank you again, for "being there" for me! It means more to me than I can say.
Love and a big hug,
Kitty
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Busy Day
Today was another busy day at the Quilting Cottage. We began the day with working on hand stitching our bindings to our little quilts. Even for experienced quilters, this would be a challenge, and for these beginning quilters, it was their most difficult task yet. They needed a lot of "one on one" attention from me, so I was kept very busy trying to get around to everyone in the group. Rose was there to assist me since Judy was away today, but since she had never sewn a binding before, this was all new to her too, so it became very challenging all the way around. Sewing through a double binding, and three layers of a quilt by hand is not easy, and although we brought out the thimbles, I'm sure there were many sore fingers today.
After tea break, Jeffrey arrived to give us a demonstration on the sewing machines. He was able to get three of them to work, but one will need to be returned, because something was wrong with it. He also brought belts from home, so with three machines working, many of the women got to have a turn trying them out. You should have heard the chatter in the room when they were on the machines!
When the women left for lunch, I got a ride home with Gerald, and Jill stayed behind with Rose. The two of them would walk home with the women to Mashaka. There they would visit several homes and Jill would do some interviews. I'm sure they're going to be very tired and dirty when they get back home. The wind has been blowing since noon, and the red dirt is flying. It is very difficult to keep our Quilting Cottage clean. Each morning we arrive, there is dirt on all the tables and chairs what has fallen from the rock walls and corrugated tin roof during the night. It must be very discouraging to have to keep house in this environment.
I am finding the teaching of 23 women at one time to be quite challenging. I had thought they spoke English, but most of them speak Kiswahili, or Kimeru, neither of which I understand. So it's necessary that I have a translator, and both Judy and Rose do an excellent job at that. But it does slow the process down and I find I'm able to cover much less material than I had anticipated. And to get around to all the women with each new thing, takes a lot of time, so we are not moving as quickly as I had hoped. I can definitely see that I will have to adjust my expectations. The women are very happy with their projects, but I can see many areas where we will need to put more emphasis in order to get the quality of the items up to what is expected. Some are still having trouble with their quarter inch seams, and we may be drawing many more seam lines on the fabrics. This too will slow our progress, but they must "get" that 1/4" seam for everything to fit properly.
Can you feel my frustration? I'm sure glad I'm staying two months, and not leaving this week, like Jill.
Big hugs to you all!
Kitty
After tea break, Jeffrey arrived to give us a demonstration on the sewing machines. He was able to get three of them to work, but one will need to be returned, because something was wrong with it. He also brought belts from home, so with three machines working, many of the women got to have a turn trying them out. You should have heard the chatter in the room when they were on the machines!
When the women left for lunch, I got a ride home with Gerald, and Jill stayed behind with Rose. The two of them would walk home with the women to Mashaka. There they would visit several homes and Jill would do some interviews. I'm sure they're going to be very tired and dirty when they get back home. The wind has been blowing since noon, and the red dirt is flying. It is very difficult to keep our Quilting Cottage clean. Each morning we arrive, there is dirt on all the tables and chairs what has fallen from the rock walls and corrugated tin roof during the night. It must be very discouraging to have to keep house in this environment.
I am finding the teaching of 23 women at one time to be quite challenging. I had thought they spoke English, but most of them speak Kiswahili, or Kimeru, neither of which I understand. So it's necessary that I have a translator, and both Judy and Rose do an excellent job at that. But it does slow the process down and I find I'm able to cover much less material than I had anticipated. And to get around to all the women with each new thing, takes a lot of time, so we are not moving as quickly as I had hoped. I can definitely see that I will have to adjust my expectations. The women are very happy with their projects, but I can see many areas where we will need to put more emphasis in order to get the quality of the items up to what is expected. Some are still having trouble with their quarter inch seams, and we may be drawing many more seam lines on the fabrics. This too will slow our progress, but they must "get" that 1/4" seam for everything to fit properly.
Can you feel my frustration? I'm sure glad I'm staying two months, and not leaving this week, like Jill.
Big hugs to you all!
Kitty
Monday, August 17, 2009
More Sunday News
When writing about church yesterday, I failed to mention one of the most amusing aspects of the service. During the offering, we all filed to the front to drop our offering into two baskets set in front of the alter. If one did not have any shillings to give, they would place what they did have on the floor........some cabbages, a bag of fruit, a liter of milk or a LIVE chicken. These would then be auctioned off to the congregation, and the money earned from the auction placed in the baskets. Someone in the congregation "bought" the milk and bag of fruit for us, "the visitors". Such generosity! Sometime later in the service, the live chicken escaped its bag, and there was some commotion trying to catch it and get it back into the bag.
Last evening, Rose's daughter Hildah arrived home. She's been working in the desert among the Muslim population, trying to convince the people to let the girls be educated. Most of the young girls are promised in marriage as young as 6 yr old, and are never educated. The cows among this population are what are valued, but now the cows are dying because of the 3 yr drought, so they are trying to teach them that their daughters are more valuable than cows, and deserve an education so their life can be better. Such a concept!
Thanks for all your kind thoughts and prayers, and emails. We love hearing from home.
Big hug,
Kitty
Last evening, Rose's daughter Hildah arrived home. She's been working in the desert among the Muslim population, trying to convince the people to let the girls be educated. Most of the young girls are promised in marriage as young as 6 yr old, and are never educated. The cows among this population are what are valued, but now the cows are dying because of the 3 yr drought, so they are trying to teach them that their daughters are more valuable than cows, and deserve an education so their life can be better. Such a concept!
Thanks for all your kind thoughts and prayers, and emails. We love hearing from home.
Big hug,
Kitty
Sunday, August 16, 2009
Rose has gone off to another home in the community, for an afternoon of prayers for the thieves who, earlier this week, broke into several homes in the area. So Jill and I are left here to catch up on some computer work and do some writing.
This morning we took off for the local community church in Gerald's trusty truck. How thankful I am for that "blue monster"! I don't think I have ever seen such a road as we were one......except maybe yesterday in Mashaka. In places the ruts down the center or side of the road are a foot drop-off! There are huge rocks throughout the road, and most than once the bottom of the truck was scraped by the unevenness and rockiness of the road. None of the roads in this area are paved, except for the main road that just passes by. All the secondary roads are merely wide paths that have been worn down into a "road". The lucky ones have a layer of dirt on top, but the one today hadn't seen any dirt in a long time. At this time of year they are extremely dusty, and since it is windy here, the air is filled with the smell and taste of that red dust. In the wet seasons, the roads become slippery, muddy messes. The dust is bad, but I think the mud would be worse. Plus, here, the latrines, wells and graves are all in the same area, so when the rain comes, all the water and waste and remains gets mixed together, making for very unhealthy conditions. I would not want to be here in the wet season.
The church service was three hours long and the church was nearly full. The service was very lively and everyone loved it when Jill got up to dance along with the other women there. When she wasn't dancing, Jill was taking video and soon we had many kids around us wanting to watch the camera. Their curiosity overcame their apprehension of our whiteness, and soon they were even sitting on our laps, and spent the rest of the service staying by us. We were asked to introduce ourselves to the congregation, and address them as to the purpose of our visit. We told them how happy we were to be with them, and thanked them for making us feel so welcomed. I had a couple of samples of the quilts and they were very interested in what we were doing in Mashaka.
Yesterday, was Saturday, so both Jill and I got to sleep in. Those of you who know me well, know how much I loved that! After breakfast, Jill and Rose when shopping into Meru, while I stayed at home. My stomach was still giving me fits, so I decided to stay home. When Jill got back, she said I hadn't missed a thing, and I would not like Meru. She did not feel safe there, and she also hadn't liked the ride to town on the matatu, which is the local van which carries folks around in the area. They are usually 15 passenger vehicles, but always carry more than that. People are crammed inside and often on top of each other, and often with animals too. Jill said she tried not to breathe except when they stopped to pick someone up or drop someone off.
After lunch Rose and Gerald took us out to the orphanage in Mashaka. The squalor of that place is hard to describe. The roads are like the one we were on to church, and are shared by folks and animals alike. The wind was blowing so the dust was swirling everywhere. As we pulled up to the orphanage gate, our vehicle was surrounded by many, many children all yelling "Monica, Monica!" Monica was here last Feb-April, and did much to help the people. Many of the kids from the school live in Mashaka, and so knew Monica from the school. Monica was the first white person the people here had seen, so when they saw me, they thought she had returned.
At the orphanage, we were first taken in to where the nuns stayed, and they were having a party for some new postulates. Have you ever "crashed" a nuns' party? Well, Jill and I have! When we were finally able to pull away from the party, we got to go back to visit the children. I was immediately "adopted" by a little boy, named George. George is 2 1/2 and such a charmer. He insisted that I carry him, and when I tried to put him down, he cried. I finally got him to hold my hand, and then he was happy to lead me around, and "show" me everything. He talked constantly, not minding that I didn't understand a word he said. He was very curious about me, and kept putting his nose to mine, and looking deep into my eyes. What a darling! He stole my heart!
When George was out of my presence, I got to hold several of the other children, but not when he was around. He claimed me for himself. It was so hard to say "goodbye", but without a doubt, I will go back there before I leave this place.
This morning we took off for the local community church in Gerald's trusty truck. How thankful I am for that "blue monster"! I don't think I have ever seen such a road as we were one......except maybe yesterday in Mashaka. In places the ruts down the center or side of the road are a foot drop-off! There are huge rocks throughout the road, and most than once the bottom of the truck was scraped by the unevenness and rockiness of the road. None of the roads in this area are paved, except for the main road that just passes by. All the secondary roads are merely wide paths that have been worn down into a "road". The lucky ones have a layer of dirt on top, but the one today hadn't seen any dirt in a long time. At this time of year they are extremely dusty, and since it is windy here, the air is filled with the smell and taste of that red dust. In the wet seasons, the roads become slippery, muddy messes. The dust is bad, but I think the mud would be worse. Plus, here, the latrines, wells and graves are all in the same area, so when the rain comes, all the water and waste and remains gets mixed together, making for very unhealthy conditions. I would not want to be here in the wet season.
The church service was three hours long and the church was nearly full. The service was very lively and everyone loved it when Jill got up to dance along with the other women there. When she wasn't dancing, Jill was taking video and soon we had many kids around us wanting to watch the camera. Their curiosity overcame their apprehension of our whiteness, and soon they were even sitting on our laps, and spent the rest of the service staying by us. We were asked to introduce ourselves to the congregation, and address them as to the purpose of our visit. We told them how happy we were to be with them, and thanked them for making us feel so welcomed. I had a couple of samples of the quilts and they were very interested in what we were doing in Mashaka.
Yesterday, was Saturday, so both Jill and I got to sleep in. Those of you who know me well, know how much I loved that! After breakfast, Jill and Rose when shopping into Meru, while I stayed at home. My stomach was still giving me fits, so I decided to stay home. When Jill got back, she said I hadn't missed a thing, and I would not like Meru. She did not feel safe there, and she also hadn't liked the ride to town on the matatu, which is the local van which carries folks around in the area. They are usually 15 passenger vehicles, but always carry more than that. People are crammed inside and often on top of each other, and often with animals too. Jill said she tried not to breathe except when they stopped to pick someone up or drop someone off.
After lunch Rose and Gerald took us out to the orphanage in Mashaka. The squalor of that place is hard to describe. The roads are like the one we were on to church, and are shared by folks and animals alike. The wind was blowing so the dust was swirling everywhere. As we pulled up to the orphanage gate, our vehicle was surrounded by many, many children all yelling "Monica, Monica!" Monica was here last Feb-April, and did much to help the people. Many of the kids from the school live in Mashaka, and so knew Monica from the school. Monica was the first white person the people here had seen, so when they saw me, they thought she had returned.
At the orphanage, we were first taken in to where the nuns stayed, and they were having a party for some new postulates. Have you ever "crashed" a nuns' party? Well, Jill and I have! When we were finally able to pull away from the party, we got to go back to visit the children. I was immediately "adopted" by a little boy, named George. George is 2 1/2 and such a charmer. He insisted that I carry him, and when I tried to put him down, he cried. I finally got him to hold my hand, and then he was happy to lead me around, and "show" me everything. He talked constantly, not minding that I didn't understand a word he said. He was very curious about me, and kept putting his nose to mine, and looking deep into my eyes. What a darling! He stole my heart!
When George was out of my presence, I got to hold several of the other children, but not when he was around. He claimed me for himself. It was so hard to say "goodbye", but without a doubt, I will go back there before I leave this place.
Saturday, August 15, 2009
Matutus
Matatus are a mode of public transportation in Kenya. They are 15-passenger vans, most of which are in worse condition than any of our charming “island” vehicles—and that’s saying something. When you get on a matatu you want one that is filling up because it only leaves when filled to capacity. If you are unfortunate enough to find a matatu with plenty of seats you will spend your time waiting in a hot vehicle until it is so full that strangers are practically sitting on your lap. So, when catching a matatu, look for one that has no room left, and climb aboard. On our ride into Meru this morning I counted twenty-two people plus two babies in the matatu.
Each matatu is unique. Drivers put their own stamp on the vehicle by putting up stickers inside, painting the outside, hanging curtains. For some reason I felt much more comfortable approaching the matatu with the painted Jesus on the rear window than I did approaching the matatu with scantily clad women and male rappers.
The smells are unique as well.
On the ride to town, our matatu smelled of moldy, dirty socks, liquor from the man behind me, and another smell that I couldn’t quite put my finger on—and probably wouldn’t want to. The ride home permeated my nostrils with body odor, ash trays, and a smoldering campfire. However, the ride was much more comfortable; there were only nineteen people in the van.
Jill
Each matatu is unique. Drivers put their own stamp on the vehicle by putting up stickers inside, painting the outside, hanging curtains. For some reason I felt much more comfortable approaching the matatu with the painted Jesus on the rear window than I did approaching the matatu with scantily clad women and male rappers.
The smells are unique as well.
On the ride to town, our matatu smelled of moldy, dirty socks, liquor from the man behind me, and another smell that I couldn’t quite put my finger on—and probably wouldn’t want to. The ride home permeated my nostrils with body odor, ash trays, and a smoldering campfire. However, the ride was much more comfortable; there were only nineteen people in the van.
Jill
Jill the videographer
The women are now used to Jill taking pictures, using the video camera and even helping with Gracie, the 4 month baby of one of the quilters. True multitasking!
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