THE CLOTH AND THE MUD #40

WINTER, 2010

NEWS FROM FABULOUS AFRICAN FABRICS

A 501 (c) (3) ORGANIZATION

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

Laura Gardner Salazar, editor

Our Mission:  to support agencies working with AIDS widows and orphans in Kenya

and  to educate others about the AIDS crisis in Kenya.

COMING EVENTS

   December & January The Anthony Salazar Fund Drive

   March 6—Garage Sale at Pat and Art Callan’s 1151 Idlewild Dr. South, Dunedin, FL

   FAF Spring Party date to be announced.

NEWS FROM AFRICA

               On a personal note, I was delighted to see The Good Samaritan Home pop up on my Facebook account.  A three-paragraph story along with a picture of some of GSH  orphans tells the story well.  “Good Samaritan currently provides housing, food and some basic education to over 220 children that have been orphaned by the loss of their parents to AIDS or children that have been abandoned because of the overwhelming poverty in the slums and families that could no longer feed and support them.  A number of these children also have health problems including AIDS and TB for which most are receiving medications.  It is especially difficult to care for those few children who have physical disabilities.”  You might like to Friend the GSH.  If you Google the Good Samaritan Home, you will find that Fabulous African Fabrics is the second most contacted website under that title.

Cholera is sweeping through northern Kenya as a result of the drought, with 119 dead early this month.  Dirty water is the only water available for many of the people of the north to drink.  Already malnourished because of the drought, they easily fall victim to cholera. 

               The New York Times Nov. 6 reported that the 2008 election violence continues to affect Kenya.  The International Court in The Hague is investigating corruption and crimes which left 1000 dead and many more homeless.  Top Kenyan leaders may have to face the International Criminal Court regarding their involvement in the riots.  Stay tuned.

               Roughly 250 million children around the world are working, many in hazardous conditions.  Education breaks the cycle of poverty.  Educated mothers are 50 percent more likely to have their children immunized and more likely to send their children to school, according to The Rotarian, November, 2009.

AIDS in the NEWS

               The first Monday in December, International AIDS Day, brings a host of articles on the continuing crisis in the world.  One of the most shocking predictions announced is that if AIDS continues as it is now, the epidemic will remain out of control through 2050.  The United Nations predicts that without a vaccination, 35 billion dollars will be needed per year to treat AIDS patients, care for orphans and do prevention work.

               The St Petersburg Times (FL) offered contrary figures on Nov. 30, stating that new HIV infections have dropped by 17% in the last eight years.  They also gave the figures that 33.4 million people are living with HIV worldwide, while 2.7 million people were newly infected in 2008.  3.2 million AIDS-related deaths were reported in 2008.

               The World Health Organization announced that AIDS is the leading cause of death for women aged 15-44.   One in five women’s deaths in this age range is linked to unsafe sex. 

On the good news front, patients who start HIV drugs a year or two earlier than is recommended now, many more people would live longer.  Whether this practice will be adopted depends on finances, as it may double the amount of money needed for drugs.

THE CLOTH

               Jubilee Sale at the First Presbyterian Church, Spokane, WA proved to be that exactly.  The church (without taking any proceeds for themselves) offers this holiday-season sale to organizations supporting free trade.  FAF has been included for the last four years.  I was privileged to attend the sale this November 13 and 14 and take part in the joyous event. The 20 years plus of the sale has developed a clientele who expect to buy international items made by artisans.  Food and friendship added to the celebration.  FAF had the only booth devoted to African textiles, so we stood out.  FAF  received many compliments for the quality and beauty of FAF items, bringing in $650 at the sale, and many new friends. 

Fabulous African Fabrics offers a big thank you to FAF member Dian Zahner who creates many beautiful items such as purses and wall hangings for FAF and has hosted our booth for 4 years, raising $1750.

DEVELOPING OUR ORGANIZATION

               FAF’s major fund drive is on now.  The Anthony Salazar Fund honors the son of founder, Laura Salazar, who died in 2005.  Funds collected from this drive is used for emergency requests from The Good Samaritan Home and Women Fighting AIDS in Kenya.  Before FAF developed this fund many emergencies came up during the year, and the organization had to quickly ask for funds from members.  Now FAF can reach into the funds and not have to wait for months to help in an emergency.

               President Christine Coggins made contact with the African Community Center of Michigan,  hosting a booth at their meeting at Grand Valley State University on November 14.   She plans more cooperative work with them.

               At the FAF Florida meeting on December 2, the Board picked March 6 for the garage sale, and voted to develop “gifts in honor” cards this spring.  We will use the cards with pictures drawn by the children at the Good Samaritan Home and hand watercolor by us this spring.

Membership is vital to our organization.  Please encourage your friends and relatives to join us.  Pass on a copy of this newsletter to give them an idea of what we are trying to do, what we do, and what we have have done.  If you need more copies of this newsletter, contact Laura.

PHILANTHROPY

               Philanthropic organizations constantly look for ways to become more efficient and helpful.  Here are some of the new ideas.  Kushal Chakrabarti has developed a way to give micro loans to students in countries abroad.  Loans to students take longer to show results and they need to provide bigger amounts than that loaned to business people.  They have longer ranging effects, however.  To find out more, contact www.Vitana.org.  Basically this is what FAF does when it sends children to high school.

               501 (c) (3) organization are growing by leaps and bounds.   Some of them seem silly—as in Save Your Ass Long-Ear Rescue, while others have a more conservative bent as FAF does.  The danger of this growth is that these organizations with their tax free donations take funds away from the federal government.  Possibly there will be a review of the rules for such organization on the horizon.  See The New York Times, December 6.

               Some agencies are offering an alternative to orphanages in Africa.  These agencies support families so they can keep a young relative or neighbor in a family setting.  This is the type of support Women Fighting AIDS in Africa gives families.  The research reported by The New York Times contrasted orphanages in Malawi with supported home care.  No conclusions on which is best were drawn.

               Nicholas D. Kristof wrote “How We Can Help.”  He sums up some current thoughts and practices in The New York Time Book Review, November 22.  Because of foreign aid, deaths of children  number of children under the age of 5 has dropped by three million worldwide since 1990.  Trade is usually more effective than aid.  More aid organizations blur the boundary with business and aid, offering a percentage of sales to worthy causes.  All of these are making a difference to the needy people of the world.

THE BOOK SHELF

               Just in time for Christmas giving is 14 Cows for America, by Carmen Agra Deedy with Wilson Kimeli Naiyomah.  The story of the generosity of the Kenyan Masai people is based on a real event.  Following the 9/11 attacks, a young Kenyan convinces his village to donate 14 cows to the Americans who now need aid.  In an afterword the authors add “The Masai wish is that every time Americans hear the simple story of 14 cows, they will find a measure of comfort and peace.”

SENT TO AFRICA THIS QUARTER--$1500

THANK YOU FALL DONORS

               Hazel Gass

Lora Lee Dole

Jaquelin Nuila  

United Methodist Women of Dunedin First

MEMBERSHIP

The membership fees for FAF go to organizational expenses:  office supplies, postage, and materials to make items for sale.  Your dollars prevent worry about the small stuff so FAF can concentrate on our mission: to improve the lives of children and widows of AIDS in Kenya.

INDIVIDUAL MEMBERSHIP--$20.00,  FAMILY MEMBERSHIP--$30.00

SEND THIS FORM AND YOUR CHECK TO

FABULOUS AFRICAN FABRICS, 1158 KENSINGTON ST. NW, GRAND RAPIDS, MI 49534

NAME ________________________________________________________ 

PHONE ______________________________________________

ADDRESS  _____________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________

e-mail ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

PREFERRED METHOD OF RECEIVING NEWSLETTER:  Web  ________

e-mail _____________ US Mail _________

THE CLOTH AND THE MUD #39

Fall, 2009

NEWS FROM FABULOUS AFRICAN FABRICS

A 501 (c) (3) ORGANIZATION

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

Laura Gardner Salazar, editor

Our Mission: to support agencies working with AIDS widows and orphans in Africa

and to educate others about the AIDS crisis in Africa.

COMING EVENTS

October 17, 9:00 A.M. – 3:00 P.M.: Artists’ Attic, First United Methodist Church, Dunedin Florida, Main Street and Douglas.

November 13 and 14—Jubilee Market, Spokane, WA

December—Christmas Art Tour, Grand Rapids. Place, date and time to be announced

NEWS FROM AFRICA

As the guest of Fabulous African Fabrics on September 12, Sheba Onchiri spoke to the FAF Board about her work, our work, and how we can connect in the future. A Kenyan and a Ph.D. student at Michigan State University, Sheba has dedicated her life to bettering the lives of women in her home country. When she was a young teacher in Kenya, she and several friends began a group dedicated to raising money for girls to improve their lives. Women Fighting AIDS in Kenya (WOFAK) was one of their models. But without funds an connections they disbanded to find other ways to work. Sheba came to the United States for graduate school. Currently she is writing her dissertation on the lives and education of female students in Kisii, Kenya. The following is a paraphrase of Ms. Onchiri’s informal talk.

I was in Kenya this June for the first time in several years. Life there has become so expensive. The cost of food has risen three times since 2006. Because of the clashes (in 2008 over the Presidential election), and the drought, people are buying the essentials only. I saw cattle that had died from lack of water lying by the road. South western Kenya is in better shape than the rest of the country, because it is not so dry.

I interviewed HIV/AIDS children in schools, many of whom live in their homes without any parents. Some children as young as seven and five take care of younger children. The children have trouble sleeping because they are hungry. All of this affects their studies. A non-governmental organization (NGO) provides lunch for these children. On week days they can walk to the distribution center and stand in line for food.*

As to AIDS, everyone has been affected. In my family we have orphans. The stigma is still there: other children don’t play with the AIDS children and orphans. The issue of poverty goes hand and hand with the disease. The cost for anti-retroviral drugs is born by the government. Those who are tested and found positive enter the program for drugs and the drugs are free. This is overseen by the national AIDS Council. People must go to centers to pick up their medicine. When there are clashes and homelessness, those infected don’t get their medicine.

The talk concluded with questions and discussion. The Board agreed that having first hand knowledge of the situation in Kenya helped us understand the current situation and encouraged us to continue our work with zeal. Ms. Onchari agreed that she would like to continue our discussions, even when she goes back to Kenya, as we can inform eachother.

For the time being she agreed to become a member of FAF and to keep in touch with us. We look forward to a long and fruitful relationship.

*FAF has supported WOFAK’s weekend food for children.

_______________

The drought mentioned above was highlighted on the front page of the New York Times September 8, 2009. The rains have failed again, turning lush lands in north eastern Kenya into a waste. In some areas it has not rained in years. Plants, cattle and even children are dying. Children are hiking 20 miles for a gallon of water The article noted the disappointment in Kenya’s leaders to deal with corruption, such as a grain scandal. The crisis has raised ethic conflicts between the Turkana people of this region and their neighbors.

These problems are repeated in much of sub-Saharan Africa. Norman Borlaug, the Iowa-born plant scientist and father of the Green Revolution died on Sept. 12. His work has helped many, but there still is much food and much hunger as noted in the New York Times, September 20. Much grain is produced in West, so those in Africa were encouraged to buy the grain on the world market. This ignored the need for peoples to grow their own food stuffs. Corruption and distribution added to the cost of the grain while the peoples of those nations let their knowledge and lands go fallow. Tools needed for success include seeds that match local conditions, fertilizer and better roads. President Obama and other leaders of industrialized nation pledge $20 Billion for agricultural development in poor countries.

THE CLOTH

FAF’s trip to the Michigan State University Museum on July 22 brought the Board and guests a new interest in African textiles. Not only were the textiles of the highest quality I have seen, but the exhibit showed some of Africa’s new textile artists’ ability to combine contemporary techniques and artistic vision with classic design. It inspired Laura to develop some new items for sale. These include using the Vlisco Hollandaise samples FAF was given last year for simple wall hangings and for fantasy items, such as doggy scarves. Other new items include a paper doll and 3 costumes that Laura painted (available for $3.00). The costumes are a school dress, a graduation dress, and a traditional Kenyan costume. Laura drew the doll from a photo of children at the orphanage sent from The Good Samaritan Home sent to FAF. The doll is named Margaret to honor FAF’s first President.

FAF commissioned President Christine Coggins to develop a small card to put into the band of the hats made by Lucy Ramshaw, explaining to others how they may buy hats from Fabulous African Fabrics. The wearer is encouraged to give one out when complimented on the beauty of the hat.

SENT TO AFRICAN THIS QUARTER: $1000

FAF HEROS: Margaret Carlson, Jon Ferguson, Laura Salazar, Schuler Books and Music, Paul and Hilary Stratford, Mary Voss and June Williams.

Many thanks to Betsy Knox who arranged a very special 10^th anniversary celebration in East Lansing, Michigan.

The summer started out well for FAF at the Fulton Street Artisan’s Market in Grand Rapids, MI. In its fourth year, the market is growing with excellent attendance and often a full house of 40 to 50 venders. Congratulations to organizers and the sellers who have remained true to the market as it has grown in these difficult times. It is becoming a Grand Rapids institution, and FAF has been in at the beginning.

A GOOD READ

Several journals have noted a growing emphasis on women and women and girl’s rights worldwide. Nicholas D. Kristof and Sheryl WoDunn essay “Why Women’s Rights are the Cause of Our Time” which appeared in the New York Times Magazine, August 23, 2009. The entire magazine looks at the status of women in the world, especially in the developing world.

ORGANIZATIONAL NEWS

As a part of FAF’s tenth year celebration, Board of FAF made important connections with the African Studies Center at Michigan State University. The African Studies Center is the largest in the country with 90 professors from many departments teaching courses under the ASC’s wing. We believe that this connection will help to keep us up to date on issues on that continent, and therefore make our work more timely and efficient. In addition to introducing us to Sheba Onchiri and high level art work in African fabrics, we expect that we will participate in some of the public activities sponsored by MSU.—lectures, discussions, exhibits, tours.

You, too can be on the front line of African issues by subscribing to the weekly bulletin sent out by the Center. Contact MSU at This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it . You may want to participate in some of the events featured in the bulletin. The issue from August 8^th offered the following opportunities: a brown bag lunch—“New Perspectives in Islam in Senegal;” a conference on Territorial Origins of African Civil Conflicts at Ohio State University; Michigan State University’s conference on Africanist Graduate Students; a conference Oct 19-21 in Chicago, “Connecting the Dots between Africa and the World. Course announcements included Women, Gender and Sexuality in Africa; African American an African Studies III; African Religions; South African Liberation Movements.

MEMBERSHIP

The membership fees for FAF go to our organizational expenses: office supplies, postage, and materials to make items for sale. Your dollars prevent

worry about the small stuff so FAF can concentrate on our mission: to improve the lives of children and widows of AIDS in Kenya.

INDIVIDUAL MEMBERSHIP--$20.00, FAMILY MEMBERSHIP--$30.00

SEND THIS FORM AND YOUR CHECK TO

FABULOUS AFRICAN FABRICS, 1158 KENSINGTON ST. NW, GRAND RAPIDS, MI 49534

NAME ________________________________________________________ PHONE ______________________________________________

ADDRESS __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

e-mail ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

PREFERRED METHOD OF RECEIVING NEWSLETTER: Web ________

e-mail _____________ US Mail _________

October 17, 2009 9:00 A.M. to 3:00 P.M.

Artists' Attic Craft Fair

First United Methodist Church, Main and Douglas, Dunedin, FL

This is an important fair for Fabulous African Fabrics, as it  opens our fall and winter season in the south, and draws a large crowd.  The Fair is situated in downtown Dunedin, where an antique fair on Main Street will also be in full swing.  In addition to the fabulous fabrics and 30 other booths, there will be lunch and snacks, and games and attractions for children.  It's a three-generational affair.

COME AND BRING YOUR FRIENDS AND NEIGHBORS