Rwanda Knits: changing lives one stitich at a time

I recently stumbled across this wonderful inspiring project in Rwanda and just had to share it here! Teaching women to knit---using knitting machines has empowered them....

THE RWANDA KNITS PROJECT

"RWANDA KNITS provides hand-operated, American-made knitting machines, technical, and business training to low-income Rwandan women. Our program enables them to increase their incomes through economically sustainable knitting cooperatives, through which they produce garments for their domestic market and export markets."




"Through a USAID grant to our sister Rwanda-based NGO, Rwandans Allied for Peace and Progress, Rwanda Knits has enabled over 1,200 women to earn a living through making and selling their knitted goods. The organization has provided over 600 knitting machines and training to women in 17 associations throughout the country. The project has been described as one of USAID Rwanda's most successful income-producing projects. Today these associations have formed 29 knitting cooperatives who are registering as primary cooperatives, soon to be forming the country's first Secondary (umbrella-type) Artisan Cooperative."

Ghana coast & row, row, row your boat

After traveling in the hot and humid inland, the coast of Ghana was paradise...slightly cooler (but still humid) with a refreshing ocean breeze...sandy beaches, palm trees, and warm salt water...we were soon wading in the warm water---of course, the kids were wading and swimming!



the is the one shot of the hotel grounds that I took---the hotel we stayed at on the coast at Elmina was deluxe ....
a woman walks down the beach---carrying a load on her head--a typical sight in Ghana


Before heading back to Accra--Shirley Mae had arranged for one more adventure for all of us---a dugout canoe ride through the Amansuri wetland to Lake Amansuri and the Nzulezu Stilt Village.


The only way to get to the Nzulezu Stilt Village is to travel 5km on the lake in a local dugout canoe.


The dugout canoe ride takes you through areas of marsh and open pools fringed with palm thickets and opens out into the vast expanse of the lake.


All 23 of us got into the dugout canoes and local guides paddled---



This is a local fish trap in the wetlands.... we canoed on by...


once out on the lake--we all began to sing to urge our canoe on...."row, row, row your boat..."


Then after about an hour long canoe ride, we came to the Village....


Nzulezu Stilt Village is an amazing community built entirely on stilts in the middle of Lake Amansuri. It is constructed out of wood and raffia with one central walkway and about two dozen houses on either side. Presently the village has a population of between 500 and 600 people.









We had brought supplies for their school, so we met with the Village leaders and the children presented copies of the book they wrote and the school supplies-- we met the teacher, and we each shook the Village leader's hands....

the village school

then we walked back down the boardwalk on stilts and climbed into the canoes for a pleasant canoe ride back...

I had expected it to be hot on the lake--but the air was a little cooler and the whole day was a real treat....I doubt I will ever have another ride in a dugout canoe in Africa--but who knows???

April is National Poetry Month

April is National Poetry Month here in the USA--and I like to honor poems and the poets by featuring some here throughout the month...here is one by African American poet Nikki Giovanni....a wonderful poem I think is in keeping with the current theme on my blog ---my reflections on my recent trip to Ghana.

They Clapped

by Nikki Giovanni

they clapped when we landed

thinking africa was just an extension

of the black world

they smiled as we taxied home to be met

black to black face not understanding africans lack

color prejudice

they rushed to declare

cigarettes, money, allegiance to the mother land

not knowing despite having read fanon and davenport

hearing all of j.h. clarke’s lectures, supporting

nkrumah in ghana and nigeria in the war that there was once

a tribe called afro-americans that populated the whole

of africa

they stopped running when they learned the packages

on the women’s heads were heavy and that babies didn’t

cry and disease is uncomfortable and that villages are fun

only because you knew the feel of good leather on good

pavement

they cried when they saw mercedes benz were as common

in lagos as volkswagens are in berlin

they shook their heads when they understood there was no

difference between the french and the english and the americans

and the afro-americans or the tribe next door or the country

across the border

they were exasperated when they heard sly and the family stone

in francophone africa and they finally smiled when little boys

who spoke no western tongue said “james brown” with reverence

they brought out their cameras and bought out africa’s drums

when they finally realized that they are strangers all over

and love is only and always about the lover not the beloved

they marveled at the beauty of the people and the richness

of the land knowing they could never possess either

they clapped when they took off

for home despite the dead

dream they saw a free future

Source: The Collected Poems of Nikki Giovanni (2003)

Ghana Kente Cloth #2

After visiting the Craft Market, we went to another small village and visited a facility with numerous Kente cloth weavers, and glorious colorful Kente cloth covering all the walls. Here is one corner of the room.



The colors and variety of patterns were stunning--and admidst all this vibrant Kente cloth we began to bargain with the men selling the cloth.






Here is one weaver--weaving a Kente cloth strip on a loom



We could purchase the strips of handwoven cloth or a large piece with the strips sewn together





I couldn't quit taking photos of all the different colorways and patterns...


Among the handwoven Kente cloth--the vendors were also selling some printed cotton fabrics...and sometimes the Kente cloth was sewn together with the printed cloth, like this piece



I snapped a few pics of some of the printed cloth, also




I find myself wishing I had taken a few more close-up photos of the Kente cloth, but came home with one beautiful strip and a larger piece--for some reason, I was attracted to blues that day...

Ghana Craft Markets and Kente Cloth #1

While in Kumasi we visited a Ghana Craft Market with out guide, "Mr. Charles." In this compound many artisans were actively creating and selling their beautiful crafts. I wandered around and took some photos---since I am always fascinated by fellow crafters and their process. I purchased a lovely basket, some beaded jewelry, and other crafts as gifts to take home--including a colorful strip of Kente Cloth.

a basket maker---showing a basket in progress

these beautitful young women wanted me to take their photo with the basket--which they were selling

here I am--with the basket I purchased (great for storing yarn in or taking to the Farmer's Market) and a sculpture that was in the compound.

there were wood carvers at work


and ART! everywhere we went in Ghana artists were selling their art---mostly on unframed canvas---I really liked much of it--but was relunctant to ask to photograph an artist's work, if I wasn't planning on purchasing it, so didn't get many photos of the great art I saw. These two large paintings were public art--on the side of a building, so I snapped a few shots of them.

And then I saw my first Kente Cloth artisan at work...I must say that the fabric designer in me was fascinated by all the great fabrics I saw--and the Kente Cloth was no exception---I took numerous photos.

Kente Cloth is woven on a narrow horizontal loom. The loom usually uses four heddles, but sometimes has more. The cloth is woven in narrow strip that is about 3-5 inches wide and about 5-6 feet long. Several strips are sewn together to make a wider piece of cloth for both men and women.

a strip of black and white Kente Cloth on the loom



later we visited a wonderful place in a small village where many Kente Cloth weavers worked and sold their cloth--so check back tomorrow for a colorful treat! as I really did take many photos;-)

They Danced for Us

Everywhere we went in Ghana in our bus---the people would gather around or come up to the windows and try to sell their goods to us. I was thankful for the bus because it had air conditioning--I do not do well in hot climates, so the respite the bus provided from the heat was welcome.

While in Mole--two young men from a village (Damongo) not to far away sought Shirley out---they were Muslim (Ghana is about 1/2 Christian and 1/2 Muslim---and is a good example of a country where all the religions co-exist peacefully) and knew the sister of one of the Homebase kids--as she had visited their village before while in Ghana.

These two young men attended college in another town---taking a long bus ride to go to school--but also had started a school in their village---and "took care of the village kids that needed extra care." We had brought some supplies for their school.

The young men invited us to come the next day and visit their village, and their school children would do a "small dance performance" for us. Here are some of the photos I took that day---

This Is Ibrahim--one of the young men who invited us, and he helps run the local school.

some of the the school children--all ready and waiting to dance

the drummers warming up

she's dancing!

After they finished the Homebase kids presented the supplies we brought, and shook the dancers hands....
Then they got inside the dancer's circle and performed an Alaskan native Yupik song for them...as we were leaving I heard some of the little kids from the village singing the song...(ah! music! the universal language!)

Here are some shots of the village and some villagers...






Their school needs and welcomes supplies--I plan to send them a few boxes of children's books in English---they are learning English. If you would like to contribute books or $$$ toward the postage--please e-mail me : aurora at morningstarbooks dot com and I will get right back to you! and bless you....