THE CLOTH AND THE MUD #35

FALL, 2008

NEWS FROM FABULOUS AFRICAN FABRICS

a 501(c) (3) organization

727-946-5322 and This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it

Our mission: to support agencies working with AIDS widows and orphans in Africa, and to educate others about the AIDS crisis in Africa.

FAF has designated October and November as Donation Days for Used Cell Phones. Donate in Michigan during October and Floirda in November. Contact 727-946-5322 to make a donation. Proceeds from this collection will go to buy insecticide impregnated mosquito nets for the Good Samaritan Home.

Don't miss Artists' Attic at the First United Methodist Church, Dunedin, FL on October 18, 2008. FAF will have a booth with many new items. The banners made by the Good Samaritan Home children in cooperation with girls and boys from St Petersburg, FL under Sarah Butz' artistic eye, will be on display.

NEWS FROM AFRICA

Francis, Manager of The Good Samaritan Home, wrote on August 28, We are doing well here in Kenya. All is well with the children. It is encouraging to know that your director [President Christine Coggins] will be coming to Kenya and that she will visit our centre. She is most welcome to spend as much time as she wishes with the children and staff in Good Samaritan Home. On the mosquito netting, I wish to tell you that the nets are very much needed to keep the children out of mosquitoes. Thank you very much and long live FAF.

Once again, Rotary is opening doors for Fabulous African Fabrics. Laura met FAF's friend, Dr. Dennis Hoekstra at Rotary last week. He volunteered to help FAF acquire the mosquito nets for the Good Samaritan Home. Denny was at Rotary to hear Tom Musli talk about Computers for Schools in Kenya.

Tom Musli is a Rotary member of the Nairobi North club and runs the NGO Computers for Schools in Kenya. This group collects out-of-date computers from several countries, including the USA. To date, Computers for Schools has refurbished 20,000 computers and provided computer skills to 750,000 children. The organization provides technical skills for college and university graduates and school administrators. When FAF mentioned acquiring computers for the Good Samaritan Home to Mercy Thuo of the home, she wrote: On computer to schools we have already set a room for the training. I would need to meet Tom to discuss on this now the government is keen on introducing computer to schools. We require some basic furniture including desks as we already have electricity. We are lucky that we have just received a donation of slar and accessories [solar energy] from a friend in US which would be useful in lighting and in powering the computers.

CHRISTMAS SHOPPING

FAF member Dian Zahner will again have a FAF booth at Jubilee Internation Market in Spokane, WA in November. Check local listing for the date.

See Artists' Attic notification above. Sally Banwart would like help with selling. Contact her at This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it . You and your friends will not be disappointed with the new FAF items, including the silk scarves Laura made this summer.

Shop for on the Etsy website, http://mymagicgarden.etsy.com. This site only features Laura's work, but we hope to soon develop new Etsy sites for Lucy Ramshaw and Gina May's pieces. The sales from all of these sites go to Fabulous African Fabrics.

FAF items are also on sale at the Pampered Goddess in Cedar Springs, MI and the Dunedin Arts Center, Dunedin, FL.

And Merry Christmas shopping to all.

THE CLOTH

Vlisco Veritable Hollandais, a Dutch company which is called the most prestigious Wax Print Company in Africa, donated 175 outdated sample pieces to Fabulous African Fabrics. The seven inch squares are brilliant , beautiful, and startling. What wonders will we create? Suggestions appreciated. Company representative Ronald Dijckmans found FAF on our website, proving again that the web works.

Treasurere Constance Jones and Laura Salazar took a Safari to Chicago, through flood in Indiana and dismantled buildings in the Loop. Finally arriving at Chicago Fabrics, they found Buddy Miller across from the Sears Tower surrounded by thousands of rolls and bolts of cloth. Lucy Ramshaw is sewing items from the purchased pieces as you read this.

ORGANIZATIONAL NEWS

FALL BOARD MEETING WILL BE HELD ON OCTOBER 19, AT

1158 KENSINGTON ST NW, GRAND RAPIDS, MI AT 2:00 P.M.

BRING A SNACK TO HELP US THROUGH THE AGENDA

ALL MEMBERS, OFFICERS AND FRIENDS ARE WELCOME

We will discuss the mosquito net drive and the collection of computers for the

Good Samaritan Home, as well as other items of business.

We have sent no money to Kenya this summer, but have collected $1000 for President Coggins' study trip to Nairobi in 2009, and close to $1000 for the mosquito nets for the Good Samaritan Home.

MANY THANKS

For Financial Help to

Jill Hamilton, Tamara Glenn, Betsy Kenas, Walter Petersen, William and Mary Seeger,

Wendy Wenner

For Summer Sales Help to

Margaret Carlson, Christine Coggins, Roger, Rose and Josh Ellis, Connie Jones, Kiri

Salazar

For in-kind help to

The Good Samaritan Home for 100 plus necklaces

Sue Hallack, Char Marculis, Prayers and Squares and United Methodist Women for work on

Crafty Bargains and to the congregation of Faith United Methodist Church who donated

their hall for the sale.

Everyone who donated items to the Summer Garage Sale and Crafty Bargains.

Vlisco Varitable Hollandais for textiles

Lucy Ramshaw who turns out FAF items at the drop of a hat, critter, blouse or apron.

Many thanks to Merrie Pieri-Clark and Lisa Radek who manage the Fulton Street Artisans Market. They have been very helpful to FAF, making sure that our not-for-profit has a high profile at the market, helping us make many connections with the Grand Rapids art scene. These two amazing women are planning a FAF money raiser in spring of 2009. Keep tuned.

We can't do it without you.

MEMBERSHIP

Membership is always important to us. You are important to the children and widows of Kenya. The support of our members keeps up organizational morale and morale at the Good Samaritan Home and Women Fighting AIDS in Africe. Membership pays for office supplies, event fees, state sales taxes in Florida, printing, web fees, and sweing supplies. Your small check allows us to send 100% of our sales proceeds and personal donations to the Kenyan agencies we support. If you are not already a member, please join FAF today. We need your friends and relatives as FAF members. Pass the word.

ANNUAL MEMBERSHIP: INDIVIDUAL $20.00 FAMILY $30.00

Send this form and your check to

Fabulous African Fabrics, 1158 Kensington St. NW, Grand Rapids, MI 49534.

Questions? Call 727-946-5322

NAME ________________________________ PHONE __________________________

ADDRESS ______________________________________________________________

e-mail ______________________________

PREFERRED METHOD OS RECEIVING NEWSLETTER

Web ________________ e-mail _________________ US Mail ____________________

Fabulous African Fabrics has added two new venues

to its summer lineup.

The Pampered Goddess 37 N. Main St., Cedar Springs, MI

Laura's silk painting and silk dyed scarves and watercolors are featured. Cedar

Springs is  a pleasant 25 mile drive north of Grand Rapids. Formerly known as the Red Flannel

City, Cedar Springs is now a destination for antiques, arts and crafts.

The Brocante on East Fulton August 16 and September 20

The Brocante is a French-style flea market located in the parking lot behind 940 and 946

East Fulton, Grand Rapids, MI. FAF will have its full line of items for sale on these dates.

The Brocante features antiques, collectibles, secondhand goods, one-of-a-kind art pieces,

and handcrafted items.

CONTINUING

Fulton Street Artisan's Market

Sales continue at the Art Market each Sunday 11:00 A.M. to 3:00 P.M. through September 21.

FSAM is located on the corner of Fulton and Fuller in Grand Rapids.

We are looking for you at one of these venues.

THE CLOTH AND THE MUD, NUMBER 34

SUMMER, 2008

NEWS FROM FABULOUS AFRICAN FABRICS

A 501c3 organization

616-735-4109 and 727-956-5322

Our Mission: to support agencies working with AIDS widows and orphans in Africa and to educate others about the AIDS crisis in Africa.

IMPORTANT DATES

Sundays 11:00 A.M. to 3:00 P.M. Through September--Fulton Street Artisans Market Grand Rapids, MI

July 30 Opening of Pampered Godess, Cedar Springs, MI

Month of August--2008-9 Memberships due

August 22, 23 and 24, FAF Garage Sale

September Crafty Deals sale at Faith UMC. Date to be announced

ON-GOING

Dunedin Fine Arts Center Gift Shop

www.mymagicgarden.etsy.com

CHANGES AND CORRECTIONS

FAF President, Christine Coggins' e-mail is This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it

Newsletter Editor Laura Salazar's new e-mail is This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it

NEWS FROM AFRICA

There are two big items from the Good Samaritan Home to celebrate. One is the arrival of fifty beds purchased through the Rotary grant. Mercy Thuo wrote on July 3, "The children are fine and sleeping comfortably on the new beds and mattresses." She enclosed pictures confirming their arrival which I hope to have on our website soon.

The pictures from the children from the Good Samaritan Home arrived in time for them to be a part of the Internation Convergence Conference (Weavers' Guild) in Tampa Bay. Laura wrote to the children, "Thank you so much for your inspiring and beautiful pictures."

The Surface Design Guild of Tampa Bay was equally impressed, FAF Board member and curator of the show wrote Sarah Butz wrote: "I have received your many wonderful drawings. Everyone that I have shown them to is so impressed. I am going to hurry and put them together into a banner for the show on Monday night. We have invited the public to come to the big library in Clearwater for a small party to see all of the banners created by children. Thank you for sending your drawings." These images will find there way onto the web soon.

Along with the pictures came photos of the children, and women making baskets, and 80 necklaces for FAF to sell to help support The Good Samaritan Home.

Ms. Thuo noted in the July letter that there is a food shortage in Kenya at this time which is affecting the home. FAF will address this need soon.

THE CLOTH

Laura is making hand painted silk scarves and paintings for FAF. Laura plans to dye 12 scarves this summer--some with African Designs. These will be found at the Fulton Street Artisan's Market and at Pampered Goddess. Sales of watercolors has been good. Laura and Lucy Ramshaw are planning a trip to Chicago this summer to pick out new textiles for fall items. Watch for new cloth and new ideas.

BOARD NEWS

Congratulations and welcome to new Board Member, Nancy Abbott. Nancy lives in Dunedin, FL and has been a devoted volunteer for a year. Along with her husband Andy, Nancy is spending the summer getting her home in Connecticut ready for sale so Andy and Nancy will be full time Floridians.

Reelected unanimously were Pat Callan as Vice-President and Betsy Knox as Secretary.

FUND RAISERS

"FAF Garage Sale North" features all the stuff we need to get out of our garages and closets and into the hands of loving owners. And vice-versa. The sale will be at the home of Roger and Rose Ellis at 238 Morris St. Grand Rapids, 49503 on August 22-24. Drop off day is August 21. Start saving those trashy treasures for the sale now, and collect your pennies and dollars to buy good goods.

"Crafty Deals" features yarn, fabric, paints, frames, all of those over-stocked craft items packing the basement and attics of our homes. This will be a great place for you to get rid of old hobbies and find some new ones. The sale will be held at Faith United Methodist Church in September. Date to be announced.

MEMBERSHIP

It's time to re-up your membership for FAF. The popular media has dropped AIDS orphans to report Hollywood gossip, but we know that you have not forgotten needy ones still struggling to make and keep a meaningful life. Membership dollars pay office expenses, public relations and postage so we can dedicate donations and sales directly to widows and children affected by AIDS. To find out more about how FAF handles its finances, go to our website, www.fabulousafricanfabrics.org. Those of you who already have paid your 08-09 dues will received a card from FAF that your dues are paid.

THANKS FOR THE DONATIONS

FAF raised $80.00 from its Schuler Books and Music Days.

The Surface Design Guild of Tampa Bay donated $50.00 in special appreciation for the beautiful pictures drawn by the children of The Good Samaritan Home.

JOIN OR RENEW MEMBERSHIP

Membership dues are $20.00 per person and $30.00 per family. Please fill the form below and return with your payment to

Fabulous African Fabrics, 1158 Kensington St. NW, Grand Rapids, MI 49534

Name(s) _________________________________________

Address _________________________________________

Phone _______________________ e-mail ______________

I prefer to get my newsletter by ____ e-mail, ____ on web _____ US Mail

THE CLOTH AND THE MUD, NUMBER 33

SPRING, 2008

NEWS FROM FABULOUS AFRICAN FABRICS

a 501 c 3 organization

616-735-4109 and 727-946-5322

Our Mission: to support agencies working with AIDS widows and orphans in Africa and to educate others about the AIDS crisis in Africa

IMPORTANT DATES--APRIL 11, SPRING PARTY IN FLORIDA,

--MAY 4-10 SCHULER BOOKS AND MUSIC DAYS

--MAY 18, ANNUAL MEETING--DETAILS BELOW

In charity there is no excess. Francis Bacon

NEWS FROM AFRICA

Today I received this message from Charles Kaduwa, Program Officer of Women Fighting AIDS in Kenya in answer to my e-mail of last week. Here are excerpts. The support of FAF [$1000], that enabled us to purchase foodstuffs and other sanitary towels for women and young girls is just part of a big pool that we were able to attract. In total we have reached over 4500 women and children with relief foods, blankets, clothing and sanitary towels. In the course of these developments. . . attention has shifted from mere relief supply to recovery. With the peace deal that was signed by our Political leaders, alot has changed in terms of tranquility. We have now realized that our clients require recovery support. . . We have in mind almost 200 women whose small businesses, their only source of livlihoods collapsed. . . These clients now urgently require support to reestablish their small businesses or to till their farms and plant new crops as this is the planting season in Kenya. You mention that you have some funds that would support this course? This is extremely good news. We are able to support at least 100 women to restart their businesses or improve their farm yields by purchasing fertilizers and branded seeds.

On January 22 we received this message from Mercy Thuo of the Good Samaritan Home. In Kenya we have been hit by serious riots, chaos. There is lots of turbulences and tension all around. By Gods grace we have not been affected directly but many Mothers and children are popping in our center for help. Nevertheless we trust that we are going to recover soon. Pray for us and for our country.

The Kenyan Parliament passed laws changing its method of governance, making power shared between the party of President Mwai Kilbaki and his election opponent's, Raila Odinga. To date this compromise seems to be working, although Kofe Annan said, "The journey is far from over. . . Let the spirit of healing begin today. Let it begin now."

ROTARY GRANT APPROVED

Thirteen thousand, eight hundred dollars has been awarded to the Good Samaritan Hom in Nairobi, Kenya. The $6900 was raised by the North Dunedin, FL Rotary along with other clubs in their district. This amount was matched by Rotary International, headquartered in Evanston, IL. With the cooperation of a Nairobi, Kenya club, the Good Samaritan Home will receive $14,000. The funds are earmarked for high school tuition. Public high schools in Kenya require tuition of about $300 per year at a basic school. The orphans of the Good Samaritan Home recieve their elementary education on site. Through hard work and excellent teachers, many children score well enough on their exiting tests to enter high school. Every year it is a scramble to find enougth tuition money to pay for all of the deserving teenagers. Any additional monies will go to food expenses for the orphanage. FAF Executive Director, Laura Salazar, is a member of the Dunedin North Rotary.

That club dipped into their pockets again this February and donated $227.00 for aid to Women Fighting AIDS in Kenya so they could provide displaced clients food and supplies during the riot.

__________________

The December 2007 Rotarian notes that a five-year study of people over age 55 showed that those involved in two or more organizations were 44% less apt to die than those who didn't volunteer. The only other activity more strongly correlated with lower mortality during that five-year period was smoking cessation. (p.64)

February 14 FAF wired $1000 to Women Fighting AIDS in Kenya. They responded with thanks and further information about the situation in that country. The money sent by FAF will be used to provide food to the many women and children in onr of WOFAK's centres in western Kenya. At the time of their response dated the 15th, they had not been able to reach the clients at this time.

Dorothy Onyango, Executive Director of WOFAK went on to say, "We are continuing with efforts to mobilize resources from our partners and we are confident that the responses that we have seen so far, which are quite favorable, will continue to benefit the thousands of women within our membership who have been displaced, raped, disinherited and badly hit by the violence."

Although the violence has lessened, it is estimated that 600,000 Kenyans have been displaced. When asked by Joseph Ndungo, a shopkeeper in the Rift Valley said that he could not go back when it was the men he played soccer with who burned down his shop. Source, New York Times.

Fabulous African Fabrics was able to make this grant through the generosity of its members and friends, The North Dunedin , Florida Rotary, and increased sales of items made of African textiles. The need continues.