THE CLOTH AND THE MUD #36

Winter, 2009

NEWS FROM FABULOUS AFRICAN FABRICS

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www.fabulousafricanfabrics.org

COMING EVENTS

A FAFERWEAR PARTY: Sarah Butz is hosing a party in her home in Clearwater, FL for the public featuring and selling many of the textiles we are now holding. One large selection was donated by Dani Lyndersay, a FAF member who lived in Nigeria for many years. Look for an invitation in your mailbox or contact FAF for information. Date to be announced.

WINTER GARAGE SALE: FAF is planning its Florida Garage Sale. Start saving your good goods and pennies to buy the same. Date to be announced.

THIRD FRIDAYS: This arts event in Safety Harbor will host our FAF Booth hand painted silk scarves and original watercolors in February 20, March 20, and 17.

LARGO FARMERS' MARKET: Saturdays, Largo, FL. at Heritage Village. FAF is invited to participate in this market when there is an opening. Check the website for dates that FAF will be at the market.

NEWS FROM AFRICA

MOSQUITO NETTING: Here is a letter from Mercy, Staff and Children at the Good Samaritan Home on Nov. 11, 2008:

While all world is celebrating the new preident of American, we are also very happy that FAF donated mosquito net during wet season when they are needed most. It has been discoveed that most of the children under 5 years in Africa die due to malaria. With net the rate is reduced. We bought nets from Community Concern org at the rate of $10.00 perpcs, we bot 200 pcs=50 more discount. The seller promised to be treating nets after 3 months for a period of 2 years.

TEACHER GIFT: FAF member Amy Tetzlaff asked if she could send a gift specifically for teachers at the Good Samaritan Home. Amy is a tercher at a Waldorf School in California who has arranged for penpals between her students and the students at GSH. When Laura asked if this would be approtriate, Mercy answered: "We do appreciate gift and donations therefore teachers will be very happy for the gifts."

NEEDS: In the same letter Mercy listed some current needs at the orphanage.

Our operation are under stress due to the following price increases: food commodity, petroleum products, energy, also next year the school fees will increase. Also we have 9 boys and 6 girls whom were victim of December clashes [2008] which happened after election. [These high school are in addition to those already in school.]

WOMEN FIGHTING AIDS IN KENYA

Charles Kaduwa of Women Fighting AIDS in Kenya expressed the following in an e-mail dated December 12.

It is great to read your mail. We have had a good year with service delivery to our clients. We appreciate your ever-loving support, dedication and respect for the work. We do trust that this partnership will continue to grow from strength to strength.

Currently, we have needs within our orphan support program with ever-increasing numbers of children who require foodstuffs, schooling and life skills. Year 2008 was a year of clients-influx, compounded with the harsh economic times that engulfed Kenya and the world at large. Many of our clients hardly managed to access basics of life and dependency on WOFAK wnet up three-fold. For now, any support you entend to our program will go towards supporting Orphans in ways that touch their lives in the immediate, aminly foodstuffs and schooling needs.

CHRISTMAS GREETING FROM MERCY:

On behave of Good Smaritan children home and rehab Center highly appreciate your continued suport. Indeed it have being a booster to our work. You are our partner while doing this noble job of improving the life of underprivileged children. We also appreciate your concern where by you introduce your friends to our center. In this we have seen helpful hands, we there encourage you to do the the same. NICE DECEMBER HOLIDAY

WORLD AIDS DAY: Researchers at the Wold Health Organization have come up with a way to drastically reduce the number of new ADIS cases. A mathematical model predicted that if most adults and adolescents were tested every year for the HIV virus, and those infected where treated with antiretroviral drugs, within a decade transition of the drug would be so low as to nearly eliminater HIV. New York Times, Dec. 1 2008

FUNDS SENT TO AFRICA IN 2008: $6500

This is a lower number than the last 3 years. Donations kept us going. Sales of FAF made items were only $1500. The garage sales and other sales were a help. To makeup for this down turn, FAF is planning new ways to raise funds. Increasing membership would also help, so encourage friends, realatives, even enemies to join FAF. See the form at the end of this newsleter. We have an up-dated brochure. Ask for some to slip in the mail to prospective members.

CELL PHONES

Fifty-eight cell phones were collected. We were blessed with 30 phones from the 9th graders in a Long Beach, CA school who had their phones confiscated. Thanks, counselor Beth. We recieved phones from Rotary clubs in Grandville, MI and Dunedin, FL North, as well as from members in First UMC in Dunedin, FL and Faith UMC in Grand Rapids, MI. We are yet to hear of the results.

THE CLOTH

On the 16th of November I attended a faux mud cloth workshop sponsored by the Surface Design Guild of Tampa Bay. Judy Jetson (real name) reached behind her furturistic self and took us back to the old ways of putting a pattern on cloth. We learned how to mix mud and soy milk and to paint it no cloth using the ancient Maly, African symbols to tell a story. My story was about a journey a my cousin and I are taking into our ancestry. I now have a much deeper appreciation for the original dyeing process where mud cloth goes into the mud, out of the mud, into the ground etc. for up to a year. I plan to adapt it a silk or two. Thanks Judy. Laura

THE BOOK SHELF

A Guide to the Birds of East Africa by Nichalas Dryson is a fast read in the gentle manor of the Lady Detective mysteries. Set in Nairobi, the book follows a retired Indian merchant who becomes tied up in a myster and romance involving his bird watching group. There are many jokes and tricks as he tries to work throguh his trials. The story reflects the humor and sweetness of the Kenyan people and illustrates why Kenya is a birders' paradise.

Africa Doesn't Matter: How the West Has Failed the Porrest Continent and What We Can Do About It by Giles Bolton is another matter. Bolton's twenty years as a worker in aid agencies in African and the Middle East has given him a unique view of problems on the ground. He lists health care, clean water and free education as the most pressing needs. Africa's biggest problems keeping countries there from taking their place in the world market are lack of education, little transport infrastucture, and lack of ethnic unity. Bolton argues that without developmental aid to countries, humanitarian aid is of little use. Bolton doesn't see corruption as a big problem, but he is appalled by the amount of aid from western countries that goes into administration. For each dollar of aid money given by the United States, 65 cents is spent administrating the money back here in the US.

THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU

FAF Member Dian Zahner sold $400 worth of items made by our artists, crafters and stitchers a Jubilee, an international market in Spokane, WA. Dian is an artist who paints and wors with textiles and paints. She makes over half of the items she sells to this event.

Chuck Maready stepped up and fixed the FAF canopy when it met a wind gust at the Largo Farmers' Market on Dec 27 and broke a brace in two places. Thanks Chuck. You are a hero.

Donors in the Fall Quarter include Dr. and Mrs. Vernon Boss, Shirley Harbin, Steve and Judy Rokos, Mary Voss, Jo Miller, John and Margaret Carlson, Carl and Joni Kobernik, Tara Jacobsen, Dani Lyndersay, and Pat Forrest. Donors to the Anthony Salazar Fund will be listed in the Spring Newsletter.

MEMBERSHIP

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

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