| Sarah Davison-T... 的个人资料Seeds of Exchange照片日志列表 |  工具  帮助 |
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4月2日 NEW WEBSITE!Check out our new website: www.seedsofexchange.org. Also, my new e-mail: sarah@seedsofexchange.org.
As I work out the remaining kinks, please drop me a note and let me know what I can add or change to make it better! :) NEW WEBSITE!Check out our new website: www.seedsofexchange.org. Also, my new e-mail: sarah@seedsofexchange.org.
As I work out the remaining kinks, please drop me a note and let me know what I can add or change to make it better! :) 10月30日 Seeds' Update & Uganda Trip PicturesGreetings, dear friends and family! We hope that you are enjoying this season of autumn and fall. As with many seasons, our Soph makes this one even more fun…she LOVES going for leaf-crunching walks and is going to be a ballerina-tiger (her own creative combo) for Halloween tomorrow – fun days, to be sure! The last time that I sent an update about Seeds of Exchange was in May, just before we left for our trip to Uganda, which was a most remarkable time! In this note, I’ll include a brief update as to our journey in the days since you’ve last heard from us and let you know what we will be doing with Seeds of Exchange in the coming months.
Our Sophia had more fun and did better than we could have ever imagined! She rested and enjoyed the nearly 20 hours of plane flights each way, was relaxed and fun during a 15-hour bus-ride during which our bus got a flat tire, and loved the food and rhythm of life in Uganda. I LOVED travelling with a larger team of folks (nearly 20 people from Denver) – Sophia had so many laps on which to sit and lots of aunties & uncles to entertain her! :) Soph and I delighted in spending most of our working days with my sister, Liz, and our dear friend, Sweta & her mom, Anju – we were in the Bar Ogal Pre-school or St. Jude’s Orphanage most of the time. Brandon spent days in several hospitals and returned home exhausted, overwhelmed, and in awe at the skill of the doctors and strength of the people of Uganda. But, the days went ever so quickly! Most assuredly, we returned home far more impacted than we ourselves impacted those we met and with whom we worked in Uganda. I have a journal full of musings, questions, struggles, delights, and experiences of our trip – and, after four months of being home, we are all still “unpacking” the richness and depth of our journey to Uganda. A few musings that stand out… - One thing that I was struck by was the way in which life seemed to be a bit more cohesive and less fragmented… - I felt more relaxed and able to go with the flow of life, which inevitably did not conform to the schedule for each day… - I loved living in a community-context – traveling, working, eating each day with our team… - My “work” was inextricably linked with Sophia – it didn’t begin when I had someone else to take care of her or she went down for a nap – this was very refreshing and wonderful… - It struck me with fresh power that though I hoped to give and share a lot – I received far more than I gave, to be sure!… - The message that we heard reiterated from our Ugandan brothers and sisters was that there were two vital things about us being there: first, our presence (particularly Sophia’s) extended to them a sense of hope, and second, they asked us to tell their stories when we got back home. Indeed, their story needs to be told and heard. This is largely why we have decided to tell our family’s story via pictures, videos, and music. What an honor, indeed! You can click here to view our slideshow from Uganda – if the link doesn’t work, try copying & pasting (www.seedsofexchange.phanfare.com/album/360391) it into your browser. A few suggestions for viewing our slideshow: - You can click on individual “chapters” of our story and then watch as a slideshow or start at the very beginning. - At the bottom of each picture during the slideshow, there are arrows that you can use to skip to the next picture if you want to “move things along” a bit faster. :) This will be useful during some of the video clips, no doubt. - Brandon’s pictures of his days in the hospital are not yet fully edited and don’t yet have captions on them – but, I thought I’d include them nonetheless. The stories are amazing! If you want me to send you an updated version when he gets his captions & stories in, let me know & I’ll do it. Please drop me a note or call me if you have any questions about our trip, the pictures, the work we did, etc. “A picture is worth a thousand words,” but it is sometimes great fun to HEAR the words, too! :) - Seeds of Exchange Markets & Community Gatherings - I LOVE the markets that we host in our home, meeting and engaging with some remarkable folks in Denver, as well as connecting with many folks outside of Denver and sharing about the vision, work, and beautiful goods of SOE. However, throughout the summer and early fall, I have sensed with increasing clarity, that I need to put a “pause” on the markets for this holiday season. Thus, we will not be hosting any markets for the rest of this year. I know that it is not logical or strategic to do so in the season during which many people are most eager to buy gifts – but, I’m learning with increasing surety, that it is wise and essential to listen to these “nudgings” – for, great (and often unexpected) things come as a result of doing so. :) However, if you want to purchase holiday cards,
journals, and other gifts, you still
can! Drop a note to my friend & sister, Christy Graham (Christy.Graham.1973@alum.bu.edu).
She just returned to the U.S.
from India, after living there for 12
years, and is endeavoring to develop a fair trade organization and partner with
SOE during this season. She actually connected us with the artisans in
India and she has some incredible
stories about our friends there…so, if you have time, ask her to tell you some
stories when you place your order. :) She’s received some new and cool
products, as well. She, like me, is just getting this organization off the
ground, so give her a bit of time to respond to your request.
:) - Cool Opportunities - One thing that I plan to continue to do is to update our SOE website with opportunities this season to learn from, engage with, and give to some amazing folks. I am a student of fair trade and am seeking to have our lives become more compassionately responsive to and engaged with the lives of those in our community and world. If I come across things about which I think you may be interested, I’ll post them on our website. Also, there are so many amazing opportunities to engage with folks who are doing quite courageous and transformative work. A few such postings in the past month include:
You can read more about each of these people and projects, and if you so desire, find out how to collaborate with them on our website - scroll down or click on archives.
We hope to continue to post opportunities such as these on our website – many folks have found them to be fantastic ways to give gifts in honor or celebration of those they love, such as birthdays, anniversaries, & memorials. The power of people, of community, of community coming together is just extraordinary! - E-mail Communication - During this season of “pause,” I’m minimizing the quantity of time that I’m spending on the computer as a bit of an experiment. Though there is so much that I love about technology and the opportunities it provides to connect us with one another (for example, I can wire money directly from the SOE bank account into the account of Malika in India with the click of a button!), it seems that it is often a time-vacuum, adding one more level of busyness to our already fragmented days. I’m wondering how it will work and feel to utilize this tool less often. :) In general, I’m going to spend just one day each week checking and responding to e-mail. So, if you want to be in touch with me about a time-sensitive matter, give me a call instead of e-mailing me (303.355.5241 – home or 720.301.1510 – cell). I’ll not be checking e-mail at all during the month of December. If you are not able to call me and need to get in touch during December, please feel free to e-mail my husband, Brandon (drbrandon@stapletonpeds.com), and he will make sure that I get your message. :) - In Closing - I hope that you are being expanded, grown, delighted, challenged, loved, nourished, and rejuvenated in this season of life…that you have a few treasured companions with whom you can walk, run, or rest… I’d like to share two readings that have come to mind during this season and as I’ve written this note to you…
To everything there is a season,
Friends, all for now – may you
and those you love be abundantly filled with joy, peace, and love this day. 10月16日 Guide to Fair Trade...Oder it for Free!This is a GREAT (and free) tool that is helpful to understand more about fair trade: The Guide to Fair Trade. Check it out! -Sarah D-T Finding Fair Trade resources has never been easier! Want to know where to get the latest Fair Trade products? Need organizing material for your business or organization? Discover all the possibilities of Fair Trade in Co-op America’s new full color Guide to Fair Trade! Inside you'll find descriptions of dozens of national and international Fair Trade products. Learn
where to find them using our extensive directory of almost 200 Fair
Trade businesses and organizations. Take action in the Fair Trade
movement by following the step-by-step plan for mobilizing your
organization and local producers. This Guide is perfect to educate
yourself, help with your Fair Trade campaign, and spread to other Fair
Traders. And best of all it’s FREE! You can download it or request free hard copies mailed directly to you. Order one for yourself or enough to pass out to other Fair Traders. Make a Difference this Halloween with this Fair Trade Trick or Treat KitWhat a fantastic idea for this Halloween...check it out! For $15, it seems to be a cool way to inform our kids, neighbors, and ourselves! :) -Sarah D-T The first of its kind, this Fair Trade Trick or Treat Kit has everything you need to make Halloween 2007 something special. Give more than candy this year...give knowledge about the importance of Fair Trade! First launched in 2005, our Fair Trade Trick or Treat Kit in 2007 includes:
Postcard Contents: A list of how you can help Fair Trade succeed, information about Fair Trade, contact information and a pre-written detachable postcard. Attention: Due to popular demand, we will be shipping the chocolate minis out the week of October 22nd, for guaranteed delivery by October 31st. 9月27日 Blankets for our brothers and sisters?Erin Efaw is a dear and treasured friend of ours. She works with the African Community Center and she recently sent us this note. –Sarah D-T As the weather is getting colder, blankets for our new arrivals from across the globe are increasingly important. At the moment, the African Community Center is really short on blankets and bedcovers. If you have any extra on hand that you could donate, please take them Safari Seconds at 4th and Broadway, drop them off at my office at 1201 E. Colfax Avenue (at Colfax and Marion), or contact me (303-399-4500). With Great Gratitude, Erin Efaw A bit about the African Community Center… The African Community Center is Denver's newest Refugee Resettlement program which welcomes newcomers who have had to flee persecution within their home country. Many of our clients arrive in the United States with little but possess great hope about their lives in America. The African Community center conducts educational and social service programs that help newcomers resettle in their new communities and acculturate, recover from past trauma, gain personal independence and economic self-sufficiency, and quickly become able participants and productive, contributing members of American society. In addition, our agency works with African community-based organizations to provide technical assistance in developing the leadership capacity to serve their respective communities. Our community outreach also promotes awareness about refugee issues and the challenges faced by newcomers as they move through the resettlement and cultural adjustment process. The African Community Center engages newcomers and members of the wider community to enhance cross-cultural communication.
East High School Papua New Guinea ProjectUPDATE (October 24, 2007) - I spoke with Elisha, the co-director of this program, and she said that the fundraiser below raised nearly $4,500! There is still a need for more funds for the team's program, so if you want to make a tax-deductible donation, kindly make your check out to the East Angel Foundation (in the memo, please write PNG Project) and send it to Elisha Roberts at 2605 E. 14th Ave., Denver, CO 80206. Also, the team is open and excited to hear ideas about fundraising opportunities - feel free to give Elisha a call (720.941.6238) with your thoughts. Thanks! I would like to share a fun and remarkable project with which some kids from East High School in Denver are involved. The exciting part is that we can join in on the fun! See the details below. -Sarah D-T
You are invited...
Friday October 12, 2007 Strings Restaurant 1700 Humboldt Street - Denver - 80218 Help to fund the East High School Papau New Guinea Project! 10% of all restaurant proceeds on October 12 will go towards this exciting endeavor! *Call Strings at 303-831-7310 for a dinner reservation to help support the kids* The East High School Papau New Guinea project is a community service effort spearheaded by East High School graduate Elisha Roberts and co-sponsored by teacher Matt Murphy. The project involves a study of cultural awareness at East and culminates in a trip to Papau New Guinea during spring break in 2008 to help create and build a community center. Here is a description about the project from one of the students: “This past spring I applied and was accepted into an exceptional program that will allow me to travel to one of the most unheard of places in the world, Papua New Guinea in the spring of 2008. A pilot program, it will eventually involve the exchanging of students, allowing us to see life outside of our cultures. While there, we will help create and build an Inter-cultural Community Center, which will be service to many village communities, giving them access to computers, internet, film, books and information from all over the world. Not only will we be traveling to Papua New Guinea, but also reflect on our own community here at East; beginning to address some of the cultural differences that affect us here. Speaking on issues that may make us uncomfortable, but ones so vital to the advancement of us as a whole. We as a group will learn about power and privilege in society through discussions of our own educational and social experiences at East high in a multicultural / Anti- oppression training over the next year.” Thank you for your
help and support. 9月21日 For the love of a sister...October 16, 2007 - UPDATE! :) A fun update for the invitation below. As a fantastic demonstration of the POWER of community, Gladness ("Glady" is her nickname) generated around $3,500 to help her sister, Deli, care for her kids and obtain the anti-virals that she needs for treatment in Tanzania. Community rallied so powerfully behind and with Glady in support of Deli that she is now going to have these dinners on a regular basis. (It was SUCH a fun - and delicious! - evening!) If you're interested in collaborating further with Glady, feel free to call or e-mail her: (720) 941-0968 or msumanje@hotmail.com. There are pictures below of our dinner (the last 3 pictures - Glady is the beautiful woman in the pink shirt in the last picture) and of Deli and her kids, Sifa and France (the first 2 pictures). Here is a note of thanks that Glady wrote to those who gave a gift to her sister... It's a friend who reaches out And the sun is bright again And all the hearts sing and clap For the light that has come back and its energy Thank you for feeling my pain and my cry inside you Thank you for making my sister and her son smile and feel the power of love Thank you for making her feel united and not alone Thank you for the togetherness of sisters and mothers and families For now we can see hope and touch it with our hands I am filling this paper with my hand and fingers To mark my words to you I want you to know that your help is a golden life Which you have given to me and my sister and my nephew We love you all *** I want to share this story and opportunity to help a friend and sister of ours in Denver and HER sister in Tanzania. A dear friend of
mine in our neighborhood, Peg, is partnering to help a good friend of hers,
Gladness. Gladness lives in our neighborhood and has a sister who lives in
Tanzania. Gladness is putting
together a very special community-dinner-fundraiser for her sister in
Tanzania. Not only is the story
pretty amazing as is, but there is a pretty cool small-world factor that makes
it even more fun! Gladness is married to one of my favorite and most treasured,
challenging, and dynamic professors at University of Denver. He really became a mentor of mine
while I was in school and his influence in my thinking about Africa, international development, and culture has
continued to be imprinted in my thinking. So, it makes me even more excited to
share this story and community-opportunity with you. The details for the dinner gathering are below – so, check ‘em out! Again, the impact of community coming together and sharing what they are able to is always quite extraordinary! If a group of us share what we can – whether it is $1…or $100, it is powerful – together, we can impact our community and world. And, it seems we are always gifted with more than we give – for, we will be powerfully impacted through the ways in which we engage with, learn from, and share with one another. If you cannot make the dinner and you would like to pitch in some funds to help, you can just write a check to Gladness Msumanje. You can send it to me (2095 Cherry Street, Denver, Colorado - 80207) and I’ll bring it to the dinner on the 29th, or you can mail it directly to Gladness: 3208 Niagara, Denver, Colorado - 80207. Feel free to pass this invitation onto your friends – the more, the merrier, aye? A few musings to share with you in closing…have a most fantastic day, friends! “When
we approach others with gentle reverence, we bring gifts and share theirs with
us.” “To
show great love for God and our neighbor we need not do great things. It is how
much love we put in the doing that makes our offering something beautiful for
God.” *** Join us… Gladness
Msumanje’s 28 year old sister, Delphena is newly diagnosed with AIDS.Delphena
is divorced. Her ex-husband is not supporting the family. Their 4 year old
son, France, is HIV positive. Delphena
and France both live in Arusha, Tanzania. Delphena is also raising
her younger sister’s 7 year old daughter. The
household of 3 live on the income that Delphena makes working in the city market
selling fish and potatoes. She makes about $10 a day. As
you might know, the little one, could develop AIDS if he is not well-nourished.
Food is expensive. The
health of this young family is essential in keeping them from opportunistic
infections. Want to hear more about this young family? Want to help? Gladness is having a fundraiser dinner on: SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 2007 AT 3:30 P.M. at Gladness
will share more about Delphena’s story and the situation in Tanzania. She
will be cooking delicious African fare for dinner. 5月30日 JUNE 2007 - SEEDS OF EXCHANGE UPDATEIn this newsletter… Our “Seeds” are growing! (Thanks to YOUR help!) We leave for Uganda this Friday, June 1!
***
Our “Seeds” are growing! (Thanks to YOU all!)
I would like to share a few stories from a handful of the friends that we have raised funds for… …Malika
and Meena, the two women who
were the recipients of our second and third Seeds of Exchange collaborations
have paid their loans back (half of the money they received was this
no-interest loan and the other half was a pure gift!). Their loan repayment together totaled $500!
They
are therefore empowering these two projects and themselves by giving a gift of
grace and hope to others! …Little Quinn, Jon, Ben, & Hannah…There were donations from kids in two families who shared with Seeds of Exchange their pennies, nickels, dimes, and quarters that accumulated to a total of $44.63 – this is such a treasured gift from these dear ones! …And there was a generous amount of money that came from my dear family as a gift in memory of my dear Gram Ellie Tracy. Talk about a remarkable and honorable gift! VERY cool, aye? …Over $800 has been raised by friends who helped put together 2 community dinners in Denver with Sister Nasreen of Pakistan. These gatherings were treasured times for families (the kids LOVED hearing about the kids’ lives in Pakistan!) and friends to come together and learn through the power of story about Sister Nasreen and her work with women and children in Pakistan. Shannon, one of the hosts of the community meals, found some great books to pass on to you guys. A cookbook: Jasmine in her Hair: Culture and Cuisine from Pakistan, by Huma Siddiqui. From this cookbook, she made (and folks LOVED) samosas (savory potato-wrapped pastries), raita (yogurt sauce), and sooji halwa (semolina dessert). They also read these two books to the kids: Everybody Cooks Rice, by Norah Dooley and Silly Chicken, by Rukhsana Khan. Again, the diverse and amazing ways in which these folks have come together helps to demonstrate the dynamic power that we all have when we give out of what we have been given – be it small penny jars, honorable memorials, or extending the table of our homes to others. *** We leave for Uganda this Friday, June 1! After many, many shots, and dutifully going through
our long to-do list of preparations, we will be heading off on this great
adventure! We hope to share
(internet connection permitting) our
stories & pictures, expanding perspectives & experiences, and people we
meet along the way with you. So, when
you hop online, if you have a moment, go to our website and see if there is
anything new from us!
Before we get into the details of our trip, we want to say that we hope that this will be more than just one family’s adventure of service in Uganda. It is our great dream that this serves as a bridge to connect us more deeply to each of you and invites all of us to embrace life – in its ordinary and extraordinary seasons – with hope, peace, and love for each other. May we invite one another into a posture of asking how we can each thoughtfully and meaningfully engage with life as we are beckoned and called to live it each moment and each day. *** What will we do? Click here for a map of Uganda with its districts to get us
started. We will be in the district of
Gulu. Why are we going? Our work with Seeds of Exchange has continued to expand and enrich our family’s lives. At our SOE February Community Gathering, Kaitlin & Audrey, our two dear and brilliant teenage-neighbors, honored us by sharing a bit about a passionate project of theirs. Their middle-school class had watched the film, Invisible Children and they wanted to do something in response to the recent practice that the rebel group has utilized in abducting young Ugandan children and forcing them to become child soldiers. The power of story and community is that these dear young women were catalysts for us to consider joining Marcellina Otii and her team of 12 folks from Denver go to Uganda. We are going with a group composed of remarkable humanitarian activists…lawyers, teachers, sisters (nuns) :), and civil servants. What are we going to do? Most of the rest of the team has been undergoing training themselves for the past year in order to facilitate trauma & conflict training for Ugandan leaders. This is a critical piece of the continuing great need for healing and restoration for the people of northern Uganda – it has been a very violent and painful 20 years. The culture and the people have been greatly and profoundly devastated. When able, we will help and learn from what the rest of the team will be doing. However, though we have some ideas of what we will do, we humbly acknowledge that this trip is very short, and we know we will receive much more than we will give. We will share more about this once we get there, for much of it will unfold upon our arrival in Uganda. In brief, here is what we plan to do… …MEDICAL WORK in clinics, hospitals, and in the
internally displaced people’s (IDP)/refugee camps. We hope to do as much as possible as a family, for we believe that part of our work is to learn how to do this together, not as separate (albeit passionate) individuals. It takes patience and willingness to move more slowly, but we believe it is truly part of our work. With this in mind, we have decided to travel with our Sophia, who is just 2 years old. As are most two year olds, she is very independent and strong-minded, and doesn’t take kindly to being told what to do. Thus, we know that at any given time, Brandon will be in charge of being with our Sophia while I “work” and vice-versa. It will mean that our work, our “doings”, will be lessened in some ways – and expanded in others. She will, no doubt, be a bridge to our work with other children, will lighten the load of the team, and will remind us that we are BEings in our DOings. *** Our Itinerary Friday & Saturday, June 1 & 2…we’re off to Uganda! After arriving in London shortly after noon on Saturday, the 2nd, we’ll head to our dear friend, Sweta’s sister’s house for the night…what fun! We’ll eat delicious Indian food, Soph will play with Sweta’s niece, Monica (who is 3), and we’ll have some time to explore London, hopefully minimizing our jet-lag by walking around a bit! Sunday-Monday, June 3-4…Mid-afternoon, we’ll head back to the airport and board our flight for Uganda, where we’ll arrive at about 8 a.m. on Monday, the 4th. We’ll have the afternoon & evening to explore Kampala (although, I wonder how energized we’ll feel at this point…Hmmmm!). We’ll be staying at the Namirembe Guest House. Tuesday, June 5, we’ll hop on a bus and head north
for 6 hours to Gulu, where we’ll be staying for most of our time in Uganda. We will be staying in the St. Mary’s Hospital
Lacor grounds at a guesthouse. Background
about the hospital and Gulu can be found at the St. Mary’s Hospital Lacor website. ...Almost one fifth of the population of Uganda lives in this area. Northern Uganda has undergone almost twenty years of civil strife and has therefore not benefited from the social and economic growth that has characterized the rest of the country. Gulu district has an estimated population of nearly 500,000 and a surface area of more than 7,000 miles. The only large town is Gulu, which is residence of the Minister for the North and of the Region Military Command.”
I found the following information from the writing of a doctor who was staying in the same guesthouse as we will be. ...Gulu is “230 miles north of Kampala, the capital of Uganda, and not far from the border with Sudan. This distance is an important 230 miles, as stark contrasts exists between the Uganda of the South and the Uganda of the North. The South boasts of progressive economic development, a great reduction in HIV prevalence, and a peaceful countryside. The North shudders under the history of an 18-year war, nearly 2 million people crowded into internally displaced people’s (IDP) camps without adequate education, food or and healthcare, the continued spread of HIV, farmland vacated and unused to stem malnutrition ravaging children here, and [the history of] thousands of kids who must commute nightly into safer spaces for sleeping for fear of abduction into a rebel army.”
Wednesday, Thursday, & Friday, June 6-8, we’ll be doing our medical work and spending time with kids at the orphanage and surrounding schools. More stories and details to come! Saturday, June 9, is the Peace Jam. Oh, we are excited about this! The goal is to increase awareness about coping with the impact of war-induced trauma and to introduce peaceful ways of re-integrating kids into their communities. Building their capacity for regaining peace is a vital part of the rehabilitation of the children and youth of this region. The music concert will focus on peace themes, the arts, and radio telecasts of the children’s voices for peace. This event will bring together thousands of kids – it will be an amazing event in which we are honored to be a part! Sunday, June 10, is a day of rest. We will be free to sleep and read (Sophia permitting!), walk, explore Gulu…whatever we need to do to recharge for the next week. Monday, Tuesday, & Wednesday, June 11-13…Likely more medical days, fun with kids, & Plumpy’Nut support work. (We’ll tell ya more when we’re there!) Wednesday & Thursday, June 13 & 14…We may head out from Gulu for a grand adventure. We’ll take a boatride on the River Nile and spend the night in the National Park, catching a short safari the following morning. The “Motel Six” is composed of thatch-roofed huts and the animals roam free around them. (Fun…and, just a bit scary? Mom & Dad…yes, we’ll keep a CLOSE hold on our Sophia!) Thursday-Sunday, June 14-17…Back to Kampala, where we’ll have a day to explore the capital city before our early morning departure on Saturday, June 16. Our flight returns late in the day on Sunday, June 17. There is a slight possibility that my sister, Liz,
Sophia, and I will stay in Uganda
an extra 2-3 weeks. We’re waiting until
we get to Gulu and we all get a sense of whether or not this seems like a wise
idea – we also need to be able to change our plane tickets, which may not be an
option. So, it’s an adventure and a
mystery! (We'll keep ya posted...keep checking back here!) 5月21日 Exciting Happenings in May!May 2007 - Seeds of Exchange Update
What Fun! A Pakistani Family Dinner Invite GREAT Gift Ideas (mothers in Uganda & kids in Pakistan) We are going to Uganda in June!
What Fun! A Pakistani Dinner Invite… Join us… …eat deliciously simple Pakistani food, …hear a bit about the this remarkable school-construction project, …meet some cool folks in the city, …look at & purchase some beautiful shawls made by women in Pakistan, & … enjoy a fantastic afternoon/evening! She is in Denver for about a month, working on her doctoral dissertation, connecting with friends in the States, & is hoping to raise some money for the construction of an elementary school in Pakistan. She & her organization have obtained the land (VERY difficult in Pakistan) have hired & trained the teachers & now need to raise a bit more money (about $20,000) for the construction of the school. Cost: $20 per
person (kids are free! ) If you cannot make
one of these mealtimes, but you would like to make a tax-deductible donation to
the project, that would be wonderful! See details below…
Christine &
Dave Vazquez – Northwest Denver Adrienne, Jason, & Quinn Shimkos - Central Denver Neena, Dano, & Solace Massey - Highlands Ranch Shannon Campbell
& Cindy Fall – Northwest Denver Here is a bit of background about the organization that Sister Nasreen works with in Pakistan and that is building the school. SOIL stands for “Social Organization for Integral Life”. SOIL works to improve the living standard of families in their community. Restoring women’s self-worth & confidence, we make them able to earn their living through skillful activities. In the most desperate cases, we try to be the voice of the voiceless. Furthermore, we are determined to create a defense mechanism against the dangers to human health. Lectures, seminars & dramas are conducted in this regard. We struggle to fortify human life by providing the necessary know-how before disasters take place. Education is an essential piece of empowering, building hope in, & opportunities for the young generation & future leaders of our country. We do not fly for people. Instead, we love to fly with them. Our mission is to help people realize that they can do it! GREAT Gift Ideas (mothers in Uganda & kids in Pakistan) "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it's the only thing that ever has." - Margaret Mead
We all have such a great number of things to celebrate in one another’s lives. Right now, Mother’s Day & Father’s Day are just around the corner, & no doubt you have birthdays, anniversaries, & graduations that you plan to honor. As your celebratory gift, how about honoring them by partnering with us in collaboration with several dear friends in their endeavors. You can join us in our work in Uganda with the Hope Plumpy’nut Cooperative or with Sister Nasreen in the school construction project in Pakistan. Both are important and dynamic projects with which we are honored and proud to be working.
I would be happy to e-mail you an insert to include in a greeting card if you will be giving a donation in honor or celebration of someone. Please send me an e-mail with their name & the occasion that you are celebrating. If you would please mail your tax-deductible donation by Monday, May 28, I will be share the final collection of funds with our partners shortly thereafter. The funds you give will be doubled. Seeds of Exchange will match each donation, to a maximum of $1,000. So, your $1 will become $2! And, those dollars WILL make a difference, my friends! What we have found in this past year of remarkable work is that there is POWER in communities coming together: collaborating, exchanging, giving, receiving…we have seen such extraordinary things happen! The gift of giving need not be available only to the “rich” – we can give what we have available & feel moved to give today & join hands with others who are also doing the same thing…together, we can make a difference!
Donation Details.
Uganda’s Hope Plumpy’nut Cooperative. Please make your checks, which are tax-deductible, out to: Friends for Peace in Africa. Pakistan’s School Construction project. Please make your checks, which are tax-deductible, out to: Sisters of Loretto. Kindly mail them to us at: Seeds of Exchange, 2095 Cherry Street, Denver, CO 80207.
I got to know Marcellina Otii several years ago when she & her daughter, Ageno, shared their stories (& delicious cooking!) with Reverie. She has become a dear friend & elder to our family in the recent years. I esteem & am inspired by her vision & way she navigates her full life as a mother, wife, an educator and the current chair of Friends for Peace in Africa as well as the chair for Team Africa in Denver. She & her husband, Albert, are returning to their country of Uganda this June with a team of committed friends & family. Several of their fantastic projects are referenced below, but the primary focus that we would like to share with you is their development of the Hope Plumpy’Nut Cooperative. (This is the project to which any funds we receive will be directed.) The Hope Plumpy’Nut Cooperative is designed to work alongside UNICEF, NGOs & other local non-profits to fight the after-effects of the 20-year civil war in Uganda. This self-sustaining micro-enterprise program offers an innovative approach to combating the enormous challenge of unemployment among the 1.6 million refugees in northern Uganda. While providing employment opportunities, the cooperative also creates a consistent demand for locally-produced peanuts. The finished product is then sold in Kampala to NGOs working to fight malnutrition all over Africa. A portion of the proceeds are reinvested in the project, with the employees taking home the remainder – often the first salary they have ever earned. What is Plumpy’nut? It is said to be “Africa’s Miracle Food.” Plumpy'nut, more commonly known as Plumpy, is a peanut-based food for use in famine relief which was formulated by André Briend, a French scientist in 1999. It is a high protein & high energy peanut-based paste in a foil wrapper that can be distributed to children at home rather than in specialist feeding stations & can be eaten without any preparation. It tastes like a slightly sweeter kind of peanut butter. Beyond their work developing the Hope Plumpy’Nut Cooperative, they are impassioned in their efforts to engage in “capacity building” of local leaders, & facilitating four days of trauma & conflict training. They will also sponsor an event called the Peace Jam, to which they will invite the children in the community to come, eat, play, relax, & dialogue through art about their experiences as child soldiers, orphans, caretakers for their siblings… There has been over 20 years of violent civil war – the children, women, men, & elders of Uganda have been profoundly wounded. But, Marcellina, Albert, & their team are looking to do their part in bringing hope, healing, & peace to these dear people. I’ll send more information in the coming weeks, but in brief, I want to share with you that our family will be going to Uganda in June with our dear friend, Marcellina and a team of remarkable people from Denver. Indeed, we are deeply honored and privileged to be a part of this team! Brandon will do some pediatric-medical work in the clinics and refugee camps and Sophia and I will spend lots of time with kids, the Plumpy’nut cooperative, and will do our best to share with you the different perspectives that each of us have during our days of travel and life in Uganda. ‘Tis an adventure! We hope to bring you along with us, share our stories, and see how our lives might, collectively & reciprocally impact one other through this extraordinary journey. 4月25日 What Can We Do?"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it's the only thing that ever has." - Margaret Mead
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Beth McWhirter
(303) 808-7538
e-mail: beth@themissionwear.org
We are honored to introduce & share with you our friend & sister, Beth McWhirter, founder of Mission Wear. Mission Wear is a non-profit 501 (c)(3) that is excited about creating an opportunity for everyone to do “a little something” personal for the environment. Their vision is three-fold. First, to provide jobs for women in Denver who are having difficulty getting into mainstream employment due to a history of prostitution or felony. Then, they want to help increase awareness about the importance of individuals incorporating reusable products into their daily lives; everyone can do something to make a difference!! Thirdly, Mission Wear provides reusable shopping bags & recycled jean products for those who want to take personal action to be more environmentally conscious.
Would you like to help Beth & Mission Wear? Here’s what you can do…
…Volunteer. Would you like to sew with us, cultivate relationships with other women, help us coordinate events, make phone calls, work on the computer? We’d love to work with you! J
…Donate Stuff. Do you have any Sewing items, fabric, thread, sewing machines, or any used jeans.
…Donate Money. All tax-deductible donations can be sent to the address above. Thank you!
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Marcellina Otii
(303) 618-2627
e-mail: motii@comcast.net
Would you like to help Marcellina in her work with the people of Uganda?
…Volunteer. There are lots of opportunities – call us, tell us what you LOVE to do & we’ll delight in finding a place for you to join us.
…Grant-writer? We could use a person who has experience writing grants or is a gifted writer – we have a list of grants for which we would like to apply.
…Donate Money. Mail your tax-deductible donation with your check payable to Friends for Peace in Africa. Please send it to Seeds of Exchange, 2095 Cherry Street, Denver, CO 80207. Remember, all of the funds generated for this endeavor will be matched, up to $1,000 by Seeds of Exchange! Your dollars are doubled! (See the information sheet with the details about this collaboration.)
…Advocate. See the “What to Do” sheet by Friends for Peace in Africa. Write a letter, sign an online petition…learn!
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Seeds of Exchange
(720) 301-1510
e-mail: sarah_jdt@msn.com
Would you like to help us in our development of Seeds of Exchange?
…Volunteer. (Oh, my! Where to start…? J) Take pictures of our new products to post on our website, help with inventory (opening each box is like a big, huge Christmas present!), come play with Sophia so that Sarah can work a bit more on SOE, come early or stay late to help with the SOE events, help during the events (writing invoices, serving tea, greeting folks).
…Connect with our Artisan Friends. Write a letter or e-mail to one of your favorite SOE artisan friends, share some pictures of your family, art of your children’s….They delight in hearing from us!
…Give a Gift of Collaboration & Partnership. We all have such a great number of things to celebrate in one another’s lives. Right now, Mother’s Day & Father’s Day are just around the corner, & no doubt you have birthdays, anniversaries, & graduations that you plan to honor. As your celebratory gift, how about honoring them by partnering with us in collaboration with our friends…We always have remarkable people & communities with whom we are partnering. We would be happy to e-mail you an insert to include in a greeting card if you will be giving a donation in honor or celebration of someone. Please send Sarah an e-mail with their name & the occasion that you are celebrating. The deadline for donations for our current collaboration with Marcellina & the Hope Plumpy’Nut Cooperative is May 1 – see the information sheet about this for more details.
…Help us grow. Would you help expand & create a more sustainable market for our friends in India, Pakistan, Indonesia, Ethiopia, Nepal, & Uganda? There are lots of ways that you could join us – but here are just a few ideas…sell some of these beautiful works of art at your next book club, school fundraiser, women’s retreat – or, mention our organization to your favorite boutique or flower shop. This is the way that our community will expand & grow in remarkable & meaningful ways!
…Sophia, Brandon, & I are going to Uganda in June with Marcellina! We will post pictures, videos, & stories of our time on the Seeds of Exchange website. Join us in this remarkable adventure & collaboration with our dear friends. Building Bridges in Mussoorie, India!This story was written by Christy Graham, our dear partner in Mussoorie, India, who has been our bridge-builder and partner, connecting us with our sister, Annamma, with whom many of you came together to start Chhaya Café. Christy has also helped us to collaborate with our artisan-sisters, Malika (pen & ink greeting cards & journals, as well as jewelry), Meena (pressed flower greeting cards), and Asha (beautiful knitted crafts). The story below is demonstrating the delights and power of the interconnectedness of life lived in connection and community.
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I was in Chhaya Café this morning and a young American mother of two little girls came in. I already know her a bit, and I could see that she was really struggling with adjustments....they've been in India since November. Before coming here, they worked in inner-city Memphis. She feels isolated and alone because the people they work with are all young single American Engineers and Architects in their twenties.
I suggested that she would probably do much better if she could connect with some local women, especially other mothers of young children. Her three year old, Sophia, goes to the same nursery school as Asha's daughter, Astha!!! So I suggested that she and Asha spend time together, and at the same time the two little girls can make friends, and can mutually learn Hindi and English!! So, I'm going to help them meet this week. She and Asha can both really help each other!! Asha's feeling very lonely, too, because everyone who lives around her has gone out for 2 months of summer work.
I'm taking this friend to Sitara's tomorrow, too. It’s so fun…connecting people who I know will really like each other and can become good friends!! This is what it's about, eh? I have always loved building bridges between people! A Day of SynchronicityBelow is an excerpt from an e-mail that a dear friend of mine sent me last week. She recently left her high-powered corporate job and is now courageously searching for the next work that she is called to in life, ideally in the arena of international women’s issues.
As part of the story-exchange aspect of Seeds of Exchange, here is a remarkable story about one of her days last week. May it inspire you to keep walking in the direction that you feel destined to walk this day, within all of the delightful possibilities and fearful unknowns. Enjoy!
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I wanted to share something that happened to me this afternoon with you. I had decided to go out and read for a while and grab a bite of lunch. There is a small Mexican restaurant not very far from me that a friend had taken me to last week. I really liked the ambiance so decided to go back. I went to read with specific purpose...to focus on and learn more about deep conversation/deep listening...the concept of circle and council. Margaret Wheatley had quoted two sources extensively: Calling the Circle by Christina Baldwin and Pedagogy of the Oppressed Paulo Freire.
I began reading Calling the Circle and kept thinking, yes, yes, yes!!! Loved everything I was reading. After a bit a woman came over and said she noticed the Freire book and wanted to know what I thought of it. It had been a foundational text for her in her anthropology studies. I told her that I hadn't started it yet, explained about Wheatley, leaving Corporate America and beginning the search for how to realize my calling. She was incredibly excited for me. We ended the conversation and she went back to her lunch and I went back to my reading with an incredible smile in my heart.
Probably 30 minutes later, an older man approached me and also asked me about the Freire book. He is a pastor at the Open Door Community Center and practices liberation theology and the Freire book is the foundational text for what the center espouses. We talked for about 20 minutes and I told him of my career change and the exploratory phase I was in. I could tell that he was genuinely excited for me. He (Eduard) introduced me to his colleague Sarah, who is a lawyer that helps out at the center, works with women prisoners and women's issues. It was just one of those conversations that is wonderful in its unexpectedness and in its richness. He went back to lunch and I went back to reading again. Probably 10 minutes went by and Eduard approaches me again and asks if he can buy my lunch to celebrate the decision I have made and the journey that lies ahead of me. I started to say no and then realized that he truly did want to celebrate with me so I ended up accepting with a huge smile. It really was quite amazing.
I told Eduard and Sarah that I thought it was so interesting, a mere 3 weeks until I will be moving away from Atlanta that I am now meeting the people/community that I have felt so missing from my life in this city. It clearly says much about where my heart is and receptivity.... and I am very thankful.
So I thought I would share this lovely moment of synchronicity with two dear, amazing women.
4月4日 You are Invited: April 14, 2007, from noon to 4 p.m.Join us for our upcoming
Seeds of Exchange Community Gathering & World Market
The Davison-Tracy’s
2095 Cherry Street - Denver
Saturday, April 14, 2007
Noon-4 p.m.
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Come & listen to some remarkable women’s stories.
Eat tasty samosas &drink delicious Ugandan tea.
Meet people in our community who are interested in building bridges of friendship,
creating sustainable livelihoods , & living rich & full lives in everyday-ordinary & extraordinary ways.
Bring your children, spouses, friends, & family…the more, the merrier!
The afternoon is completely open for you to come & go as you wish.
Pop by for a few minutes to peruse the exquisite goods we have available that were crafted by our global sisters,
stay for the afternoon to shop, talk, & listen to stories, or
just stop in for the fabulous company – you need not buy a thing!
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Noon-1:00 p.m. …Seeds of Exchange World Market - OPEN
Look at & purchase beautiful fair trade items crafted by women who live in
Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Nepal, Pakistan, Uganda, & the U.S. (Denver!)
1:00 p.m.-2:30 p.m.… Women’s Stories
(!NEW! Please note that during this window of time, the “SOE World Market” will not be open.)
We have several women’s stories this month for you to share in…you will have such an incredible time!
Marziya, Shaqaiq, & Tabassum are dear friends of ours.
Each is a strong, powerful, & diverse Muslim woman who will share snippets of her story with you.
Marcellina is a mother, wife, an educator &the current chair of Friends for Peace in Africa as well as the chair for Team Africa in Denver & a treasured friend of ours. She will talk about her experience as a Ugandan-American, her passion for & work on behalf of her people, & will share how we can partner with her organization’s endeavor this summer, developing a women’s micro-enterprise program in Uganda.
(For more information about how you can join SOE’s partnership with her, please read below &/or e-mail us.)
Beth will talk about her vision & passion that led her to create Mission Wear, a non profit based in Denver. Esther, one of their talented artisans will share her remarkable story.
Look at & purchase beautiful fair trade items crafted by women who live in
Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Nepal, Pakistan, Uganda, & the U.S. (Denver!)
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Silent Auction of "Oh, Sweet Baby" Photograph, by Linda Sorrento
Please see the beautiful photo below - it will be on display & for sale at the April 14 gathering.
(If you would like to put in a bid for this photograph via e-mail, feel free to do so: sarah_jdt@msn.com.)
It is an 8- by 10-inch photograph that is framed & matted.
"Some years ago, when I saw images of a woman photographer’s journey to Central America, I left her exhibit saying, 'I want to do that!' Almost 30 years later, with several stops along the way, I am now traveling and taking photos. My digital camera, though, has made all the difference. The LCD screen is the best translator of languages. I have many images of people who had never before seen a photo of themselves. My recent trips have been to Machu Picchu, Peru, the Galapagos Islands in Ecuador, and Southeast Asia: Cambodia, Vietnam, and Thailand. I am happy to share these images of the faces & places from the other side of the world." - Linda Sorrento
At Linda's request, 100% of the proceeds of the sale of this exquisite photograph will go to the
Hope Plumpy'Nut Cooperative in Uganda.
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(If you would like to place an order, we’ll mail your beautiful items to you.
We’d be ever so delighted to do so! Contact us at: sarah_jdt@msn.com or 720.301.1510.) Our Next Collaboration: The Hope Plumpy'Nut Cooperative in UgandaAs I have been preparing a few stories & updates for you, I came across the first letter I wrote to our friends in family of May last year (it is listed on this website in the “archives” section to the right – in the lower section of November 2006), as we were just starting this organization. My, how you have all helped us to expand – & it has been such fun to grow with you!
As I mentioned in that first letter, we all have such a great number of things to celebrate in one another’s lives. Right now, Mother’s Day & Father’s Day are just around the corner, & no doubt you have birthdays, anniversaries, & graduations that you plan to honor. As your celebratory gift, how about honoring them by partnering with us in collaboration with several dear friends in their endeavor to create the Hope Plumpy’Nut Cooperative in Uganda? This cooperative is a dynamic micro-enterprise for women – see the details below…
I would be happy to e-mail you an insert to include in a greeting card if you will be giving a donation in honor or celebration of someone. Please send me an e-mail with their name & the occasion that you are celebrating. If you would please mail your tax-deductible donation by Tuesday, May 1, I will be share the final collection of funds with the cooperative shortly thereafter.
The funds you give will be doubled. Seeds of Exchange will match each donation, to a maximum of $1,000. So, your $1 will become $2! And, those dollars WILL make a difference, my friends! What we have found in this past year of remarkable work is that there is POWER in communities coming together: collaborating, exchanging, giving, receiving…we have seen such extraordinary things happen! The gift of giving need not be available only to the rich – we can give what we have available & feel moved to give today & join hands with others who are also doing the same thing…together, we can make a difference!
Donation Details. Please make your checks, which are tax-deductible, out to: Friends for Peace in Africa.
Kindly mail them to us at: Seeds of Exchange, 2095 Cherry Street, Denver, CO 80207.
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Here are some details of our remarkable collaboration with The Hope Plumpy’Nut Cooperative…
I got to know Marcellina Otii several years ago when she & her daughter, Ageno, shared their stories (& delicious cooking!) with Reverie. She has become a dear friend & elder to our family in the recent years. I esteem & am inspired by her vision & way she navigates her full life as a mother, wife, an educator and the current chair of Friends for Peace in Africa as well as the chair for Team Africa in Denver. She & her husband, Albert, are returning to their country of Uganda this June with a team of committed friends & family. Several of their fantastic projects are referenced below, but the primary focus that we would like to share with you is their development of the Hope Plumpy’Nut Cooperative. (This is the project to which any funds we receive will be directed.)
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The Hope Plumpy’Nut Cooperative is designed to work alongside UNICEF, NGOs & other local non-profits to fight the after-effects of the 20-year civil war in Uganda. This self-sustaining micro-enterprise program offers an innovative approach to combating the enormous challenge of unemployment among the 1.6 million refugees in northern Uganda.
While providing employment opportunities, the cooperative also creates a consistent demand for locally-produced peanuts. The finished product is then sold in Kampala to NGOs working to fight malnutrition all over Africa. A portion of the proceeds are reinvested in the project, with the employees taking home the remainder – often the first salary they have ever earned.
What is Plumpy’nut? It is said to be “Africa’s Miracle Food.” Plumpy'nut, more commonly known as Plumpy, is a peanut-based food for use in famine relief which was formulated by André Briend, a French scientist in 1999. It is a high protein & high energy peanut-based paste in a foil wrapper that can be distributed to children at home rather than in specialist feeding stations & can be eaten without any preparation. It tastes like a slightly sweeter kind of peanut butter.
Beyond their work developing the Hope Plumpy’Nut Cooperative, they are impassioned in their efforts to engage in “capacity building” of local leaders, & facilitating four days of trauma & conflict training. They will also sponsor an event called the Peace Jam, to which they will invite the children in the community to come, eat, play, relax, & dialogue through art about their experiences as child soldiers, orphans, caretakers for their siblings… There has been over 20 years of violent civil war – the children, women, men, & elders of Uganda have been profoundly wounded. But, Marcellina, Albert, & their team are looking to do their part in bringing hope, healing, & peace to these dear people.
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In closing, I’d like to share a story with you. Marcellina was over the other day & we were talking about this upcoming trip & their work in Uganda. She said she had thought of the“starfish story” that morning - I'd like to share it with you, too. Though there are A LOT of versions of this story, here is one:
A small boy lived by the ocean. He loved the creatures of the sea, especially the starfish, & spent much of his time exploring the seashore. One day he learned there would be a low tide that would leave the starfish stranded on the sand. The day of the tide he went down to the beach & began picking up the starfish & began tossing them back into the sea. An elderly man who lived next door came down to the beach to see what he was doing. "I’m saving the starfish," the boy proudly declared. When the neighbor saw all of the stranded starfish, he shook his head & said, "I’m sorry to disappoint you young man, but if you look down the beach one way, there are stranded starfish as far as the eye can see. And if you look down the beach the other way, it’s the same. One little boy like you is not going to make a difference." The boy thought about this for a moment, then he reached his small hand down to the sand, picked up a starfish, tossed it into the ocean & said, "I sure made a difference to that one."
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If you have any questions, please feel free to e-mail me: sarah_jdt@msn.com or call (720.301.1510).
The Mission and Vision of Seeds of Exchange...Seeds of Exchange creates partnerships between women of diverse cultures and provides the opportunity to purchase goods that help foster women’s business endeavors in the developing world.
An important element is the establishment of a partnership with a woman who has a business enterprise that she would like to develop, and with which she needs some collaboration. The foundation of the partnership is based on friendship that is developed through the exchange of personal stories about family, culture, spirituality, and vision for the future.
The funds shared with women to date have been comprised of two elements: the grace of a GIFT and the empowerment of a LOAN. Each recipient will receive half of the monies as a gift and half as a loan. Over time, they will repay this loan to Seeds of Exchange. As of April, 2007, we have received 2 full loan repayments from Meena and Malika in India, artisans who craft greeting cards. The remarkable and exhilarating thing about this cycle is that within 2 months, their monies are going to be helping women in Uganda, as part of the Plumpy’Nut Cooperative!
Through our emphasis on relationships and the power of grass-roots efforts, we have raised over $6,500 for women’s enterprises in India, thereby partnering to start a café & helping to expand three women’s businesses & artisan collectives. We are also currently working with a micro-enterprise in Uganda, called the Hope Plumpy’Nut Cooperative.
When at all possible, we then partner with our artisan friends to help create a more sustainable market for them and their families. SOE will provide opportunities to purchase fair trade products that have been handcrafted by women in the developing world through community gatherings and e-mail orders. The more opportunities to sell their goods that we can generate, the better – we welcome any ideas you may have for doing so. Join us in our vision to enhance our friends’ livelihoods & tell your family & friends, school fundraiser, church bazaar, local café, florist &/or gift shop about SOE.
We believe this is an idea that is particularly important right now. With the global media conveying a steady stream of news about wars, genocides, famine, and natural disasters, the needs of those living in developing countries often seem so immense and overwhelming that people don’t know where to start and it is tempting to avert our eyes from such hardships. SOE provides a way to personally make a meaningful difference in the lives of those in need.
Thank you for collaborating with us & these dear women so that their lives can become even more sustainable & successful. Indeed, it takes a great village to live a full & rich life! 3月6日 Our Community Gathering and Market - February 2007Highlights from our February 10 Community Gathering & Market…
If you’re interested in ordering any gifts before our next Market, please let us know. For those of you in Denver, you are most welcome to have a cup of tea & take a look at what we have. For those who live too far away to come over or don't have time to do so, feel free to e-mail me with your order &/or questions. We just received two big boxes of beautiful goods from India – scarves, exquisite beaded jewelry, journals, & cards! The videos are a bit "shaky"...but, fun, nonetheless! :) 2月13日 The Seeds of Exchange World Market Artisans (Pictures to the right...)Meet the Seeds of Exchange World Market Artisans...
Ethiopia…Silk scarves - Sabahar is an Ethiopian textile company that employs African artisans to produce handmade silk products such as scarves, table runners, wraps & ponchos. Each product is hand woven on traditional looms from silk that has been hand spun using the drop spindle method. The unique color of each piece is achieved by natural dyes from flowers, leaves, roots, berries & bark. For pictures and prices, kindly view the photos to the right.
!NEW! India…Handmade cards, jewelry, & journals - Meena & Malika are the two women artisans who craft the greeting cards. (Though their card-work is not new, this month, Malika has shared with us two new lines of products – jewelry & journals!) Malika & Meena are deeply passionate about their work & provide for their families needs through their business earnings. They both employ other women in the community & they each hope to expand this aspect of their business in the future. For pictures and prices, kindly view the photos to the right.
Mailka’s story: I live in Saharanpur, India. I am married to Lima and have a little girl named Sarah. When Sarah was born, the doctors told us that she would not live more than a few days, because she had a lot of fluid in her brain. But, she is now over 1 year old – what a miracle! Though her head is about 3 times larger than her body and she cannot see or hear us, we still have our own special way of communicating. We love her so very, very much! She LOVES her daddy – she prefers sleeping on his chest all night! Several years ago, I organized a collective of women in our North Indian city and taught them how to make cards. When Sarah was born, all of my time and attention went to caring for her, and I was no longer able to direct the collective. I do the drawings and the women come to my home to do the painting using plant and vegetable dyes.
!NEW! Jewelry & Journals are now available that have been crafted by our talented friend & sister, Malika. Malika has started TWO new lines of products, with the support of her husband, Lima, and the fantastic partnership of the women in her community. (Yes, she IS incredible!)
Meena’s story: I live in the North Indian Himalayas. My husband, Gopal, and I have 2 children. We have worked hard, but our lives have not been easy. We both lost our parents when we were young, and I was never able to go to school. We gave our children the education that we missed, but the cost of their schooling put us deep into debt. Now all of Gopal’s salary pays off our debt, and we live on what I can earn in my small greeting card business. To make these cards, my husband helps me collect foliage from the mountainsides and valleys, where there are often snakes and wild animals! I continue to craft these cards, I hope to teach other women friends, who are also in financial need, how to make them. I am so grateful to be able to provide for my family and friends in this way!
India…Handmade scarves – Asha has a 3-year old daughter named Astha. Though she has worked hard, Asha has encountered immense difficulties in life. Her childhood was painful, as she was unwanted & abandoned by her parents. She was raised by her grandparents & they were very, very poor. Though she loves her husband, her married life has had moments of great pain & she has suffered deep & profound abuse by her husband’s parents. Asha is in school right now. She make these scarves in the evenings, after she has cooked dinner for her family, cared for her dear Asta, & made sure her household is in order. What a challenge – but, she is honored & delighted to do this work! Custom-made scarves, cozy & soft blankets, & children’s sets (blanket, hat, & socks) are going to be available soon! Contact us for more details. For pictures and prices, kindly view the photos to the right.
India…Journals, photo frames, jewelry, & more! These items have been sent by our dear friend, Jaimala, founder of Vatsalya. Vatsalya is working to create and promote women’s fair trade collectives. In addition, Vatsalya has created a remarkable children’s home, called Udayan, which provides a safe & loving home, as well as education, for children who were once living on the streets of India. In April of 2007, SOE’s sales partnered to help Udayan’s dream come to fruition, as they met their funding goal for the construction of a separate dorm unit for the boys! What a fantastic community you have all helped us to build with our dear Jaimala! For pictures and prices, please view the photos to the right.
Indonesia…Handbags - Lynn Meckley, founder of Aliran Imports, has been working in Indonesia for 10 years & started Aliran Imports in 2002. She wanted to help the men & women whom she had been living alongside for many years, as they were in the midst of a brutal civil war. For years, they have been crafting these exquisite handbags in the province of Aceh, Indonesia, the epicenter of the tsunami. Marketing the handbags is part of their community livelihood recovery effort. For pictures and prices of some of the bags we have in stock, kindly view the photos to the right.
Nepal, Thailand, & Cambodia…Rainbow Craft. Rainbow Craft is committed to provide employment for single mothers and other women in need. They desire to improve the conditions of both the women and their children. Today, they are reaching out to more than thirty women and their families. Education is relatively expensive in Nepal which exhausts a great deal of families’ income. Single mothers face tremendous difficulty in providing for the educational needs of their children. Rainbow Craft helps to subsidize 25% to 100% of their children’s fees. Currently, we are supporting 15 children in school, ranging in age from 5 to 19 years old. Our products are made by talented artisans from the Akha Tribe in Thailand, Tsunami survivors in southern Thailand, young entrepreneurs and widowed mothers in Nepal, & by former prostitutes in Cambodia. By buying these products you help empower local indigenous communities. Come & see the lovely work of Rainbow Craft!
!NEW! Pakistan…Pashmina shawls. SOIL stands for “Social Organisation for Integral Life” and is based in Pakistan. SOIL works to improve the living standard of families in their community. Restoring women’s self-worth and confidence, they are endeavoring to partner with women so that they can earn their living through skillful activities. In the most helpless cases (court complications and prison hardships), we try to be the voice of the voiceless. Furthermore, we are determined to create a defense mechanism against the dangers to human health. Lectures, seminars and dramas are conducted in this regard. We struggle to fortify human life by providing the necessary know-how before disasters take place. We do not fly for people. Instead, we love to fly with them. Our mission is to help people realize that they can do it!
Pakistan…Soccer, football, volleyball, rugby balls, tee-shirts, & waterbottles – These sports balls from Fair Trade Sports are certified to be stitched by adult workers paid fair wages & ensured healthy working conditions. Prices for the items are typically within $5 of average internet retailers. If you or your children play on athletic teams, would you consider asking them to use these balls in their practices &/or games? These things make a difference, my friends! All of their after-tax profits are donated to children's charities.
!NEW! The United States (Denver, Colorado)…Reusable shopping Bags - For this Market, we are honored to introduce and share with you our friend & sister, Beth McWhirter, founder of Mission Wear. Mission Wear is a non-profit 501 (c)(3) that is excited about creating an opportunity for everyone to do “a little something” personal for the environment. Their vision is three-fold. First, to provide jobs for women in Denver who are having difficulty getting into mainstream employment due to a history of prostitution or felony. Then, they want to help increase awareness about the importance of individuals incorporating reusable products into their daily lives; everyone can do something to make a difference!! Thirdly, Mission Wear provides reusable shopping bags and recycled jean products for those who want to take personal action to be more environmentally conscious.
!NEW! Global Fair Trade Co-ops & the U.S. (Seattle, Washington)…Orange Box Jewelry is handcrafted using fair trade sterling silver clasps and earwires and reusing chandelier crystals, vintage beads, & repurposing natural objects. Founder Krissy Maier created Orange Box with two lofty goals for the company: 1. Make beautiful jewelry that everybody wants to wear 2. Do it while making the world a better place than when she got here. To meet these goals, she is passionate about creating beautiful jewelry while helping artisans from around the globe by purchasing fairly traded materials whenever possible.
Krissy is also the creative partner with our friend, Malika. She is generously lending a hand & is endeavoring to help Malika’s work to become more sustainable & marketable! Our Seeds of Exchange community is growing & expanding…the soil is rich indeed! 1月30日 SOE Community Exchange & Market - February 10, 2007Join us for our upcoming
Seeds of Exchange Community Gathering & World Market
The Davison-Tracy’s
2095 Cherry Street - Denver
Saturday, February 10, 2007
1:00-4:00 p.m.
Come , drink chai, listen to Fatouma’s story, & meet some amazing people in our community who are interested in building bridges of friendship, creating sustainable livelihoods , & living rich & full lives in everyday-ordinary & extraordinary ways.
Bring your children, spouses, friends, & family…the more, the merrier!
If you want to stop in for the fabulous company
please do – you need not buy a thing!
1-2:30 pm… Seeds of Exchange
World Market
Look at & purchase beautiful items crafted by women in
India, Ethiopia, Indonesia, & Pakistan.
2:30-4 pm… Women’s Stories
The SOE World Market will be “open” & Fatouma Ahmed, from Ethiopia, will be telling her extraordinary story (there will be a movie made about her life one day!) & will share a coffee-roasting ceremony with us.
(If you are not able to make this event, but would to place an order, we’ll mail your beautiful items to you. We’d be ever so delighted to do so! Contact us at: sarah_jdt@msn.com or 720.301.1510.) 1月3日 You are Invited - January 13, 2007 - SOE's World Market & Community GatheringJoin us for our upcoming Seeds of Exchange World Market & Community Gathering
The Davison-Tracy’s
2095 Cherry Street - Denver
Saturday, January 13
1:00-4:30 p.m.**
1-2:30 pm… Seeds of Exchange
World Market
Look at & purchase beautiful items crafted by women in
India, Ethiopia, Indonesia, & Pakistan.
2:30-4:30 pm**… Women’s Stories
We will be screening the film, Chasing Freedom.
This is a remarkable story about one Afghan woman’s quest for freedom from the Taliban.
**Because we will be watching a film during this event,
the Women’s Stories time will be extended until 4:30 p.m.
(If you are not able to make this event, but would to place an order, we’ll mail your beautiful items to you. We’d be ever so delighted to do so! Contact us at: sarah_jdt@msn.com or 720.301.1510.)
Come , drink chai, watch a remarkable film, & meet some amazing people in our community who are interested in building bridges of friendship, creating sustainable livelihoods , & living rich & full lives in everyday-ordinary & extraordinary ways.
Bring your children, spouses, friends, & family…the more, the merrier!
If you want to stop in for the fabulous company
please do – you need not buy a thing!
Seeds of Exchange World Market
1-2:30 p.m.
2:30-4:30 pm… Women’s Stories We will be screening the film, Chasing Freedom, a story about one Afghan woman’s quest for freedom from the Taliban. This film explores important issues facing refugees & those seeking asylum & “safe harbor” in the United States today. The topic of political asylum has grown increasingly critical in recent years, as the United States grapples with the need to keep its citizens safe yet also provide refuge to immigrants who are in danger in their own homelands.
Inspired by true events, this film depicts the horrors of life under the Taliban in Afghanistan & a young woman’s attempt to seek political asylum in the United States. Oscar nominee Juliette Lewis stars as an ambitious New York lawyer who takes on the pro-bono case of Meena, a 26-year old Afghan woman portrayed by Layla Alizada, who flees the Taliban because of their opposition to her teaching young girls to read & write. This is a film about friendship, transformation, & the understanding that can come from the simple act of listening to another’s story.
Seeds’ Second Saturday’s! These gatherings will continue on the 2nd Saturday of each month, from 1-4 p.m. Each month, you will have the opportunity to purchase unique & meaningful fair trade gifts & learn from an incredible woman as she shares her story. Our next gathering will be on February 10, 2007…hope you can come! |
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