Maasailand

Under an acacia tree I sat with around 100 Maasai women, women who had all welcomed me into their community with such purity and grace. Looking around I am overwhelmed by the sense of joy and contentment that radiates from each one of them as they concentrate on their beading. I came here to help train these women about costing and pricing their beadwork so that they could find more markets in order to help support their families, but I left here learning what it means to truly be in community and what it means to welcome one into your heart in the most genuine of ways. The community gathers as we walk through the open bush, I let go of any fear of being attacked by a lion or trampled by an elephant because when you are with the Maasai you feel safe, for the wisdom and innate instincts of these people runs so deep. We gather at the top of the hill and in the distant I see a herd of elephants. It is time for me to leave now and as I say goodbye to the community that I have spent the last three days with they begin to gather around me, hundreds of Maasai elders, children, and women. Two women hold my hand and as I stand in the middle of the circle they begin to sing a traditional blessing and dance all around me.Tears begin to flow from my dust filled eyes for this is one of the most magical moments of my life. Breathing in the moment I know that this is one that will impact my life forever. Thank you.

Karibu Kenya!

I have returned to the place where I feel most alive, the place that inspires me to be my greatest self through recognizing the fragility and utter magic of life- Africa, I am home. Breathing in the smells of burning trash mixed with a freshness of African air is the greatest smell in the world to me, I know it is strange, but true. As we drive along the pot filled chaotic roads of Nairobi I realize that life is much like traffic in Kenya that in the utter chaos and confusion their lies an unexplainable magic order, that always takes you to exactly where you need to be at that point in your life. Today that road took me many places into the hearts of women that I have been working with for the past two years who struggle each day to make a dollar but some how each day can discover within themselves what they are grateful for. Today that road took me to Grace Care Orphanage where a husband and wife have dedicated their lives to children who thought theirs was over; a couple that is completely present not knowing where the next dollar will come from to feed over 60 children, but lets go of fear and worry because they believe in their purpose and know that all their needs will be met. Often as Westerners specifically as Americans we feel that we are bringing something to Africa when we come here, each time I come I learn more and more how wrong that is, for no one in the world has taught me more about gratitude, resilience, and dedication then the people of Africa.

A Way Out: How crafts are impacting the lives of women around the globe

From Kenya to Kazakhstan women artisans are transforming their families, communities and nations through the creation of craft initiatives. Once thought to be the role of male political leaders and regal diplomats women around the world are finding their voice and reclaiming their power through the making and selling of crafts.

In the slums of Korogocho, Kenya home to over 300,000 people living within one square mile lives Amina. Amina is HIV positive along with her 8 year-old daughter Nuria. Before becoming a part of a women’s beading group Amina sat alone in worry; her cupboards were empty, her children uneducated, and her will to live was limited. Now Amina is part of a women’s craft group, where each week 12 HIV positive single mothers gather under the blazing sun of Nairobi to make bracelets. Amina’s daughter is now in school, her cupboards are now full and she spends her days in gratitude for the community of women that surround her; reminding her of the strength that lies within when given an opportunity.

In the lowlands of Nepal 41 women gather six days a week to paint. They are part of a women’s cooperative and earn a living through the creation of traditional paintings. Before becoming a part of this cooperative these women were confined to their homes under the strict orders of their husbands; they had no creative outlet, zero rights, and were part of a debilitating caste system. Years later these 41 women have created their own cooperative, where women from different castes now work side by side and share a common vision for their lives and the lives of those around them. The creation of their paintings is now the primary source of income for the entire village. The self-sufficient women of this once enslaved village now leave their husbands at home as they venture out into the world of entrepreneurship.

Women artisans are weaving hope back into the nation of Swaziland where one in four people are HIV positive; the highest HIV/AIDS rate in the world. Phez’kwemkhono Bomake-Ncheka Cooperative was created as a means to support the women and children of Swaziland where over 56,000 children have been left orphaned due to AIDS. Created by a local Swazi woman in her village, this basket-weaving cooperative now employs over 50 women and funds food, education, and medical programs for child headed households throughout Swaziland while providing a living wage for the women artisans. The creation of this program has empowered these women and has decreased cases of domestic violence in their homes while earning the respect of elders in their village, the chief of this village now looks upon this cooperative for advice on how to govern the entire community.

These are just a few patches from the quilt that is collectively being sewn by women around the world. Women who were once victims of abuse, poverty, and limited education, women who once sat alone in their homes contemplating taking their lives, for they saw no hope. This silent voice started with the weaving of a basket and the beading of a bracelet and has turned into a powerful roar, a roar that is being heard around the planet, and a roar that is busting old beliefs and creating opportunities where there were once none.

Mobile Markets

Well it has been a long time since I have written and feel that so much has transpired since my last post. First of all Kiva Imports has officially launched and I have been honored to attend several events to market and sell crafts made by women's groups throughout Africa. My greatest joy during these events comes in the sharing of the stories, the stories behind each and every product and the story behind each individual woman and groups of men, women, and children that are being empowered and supported through each purchase. My vision for Kiva Imports is that it expands and becomes a continual market that inspires people to recognize the power behind their purchases. Within the next month I will have a online web market where you can purchase the crafts directly and share in this global movement. Please pass the word on and continue to live a life of passion and purpose.
Much Love,
Shauna Mistretta

Amina

To describe Amina I need to speak of her in both past and present tense. For the Amina of the past has died but the Amina of the present is vibrantly alive. I met Amina during my first visit to Kenya and Korogocho slum; home to over 300,000 people living within one square mile without access to clean water, electricity, or proper housing. We walked down tin hut lined dirt roads vigilant of our surroundings and the potential danger of being a "tourist" in one of the most dangerous slums in Africa. Residents eyes were upon us watching us with curiosity and apprehension. Walking into her home you need to duck beneath a low dirt ceiling for her home is about the size of a small walk in closet. Sitting before us is Amina and her 8 year old daughter Nuria. Her house consists of one pan, some cooking oil, and a bench with some old blankets which is the bed for herself, her daughter, and her 3 year old son. She welcomes us with a frail voice as she stares down at the ground holding onto her daughter's hand. She is painfully shy and her eyes only speak of suffering. Her daughter Nuria sits on their bed, her knobby knees dangle down and her legs look like dark brown toothpicks. Amina and Nuria are HIV positive and receive free medication through the Kenyan government but most days they are unable to take it for they have no food, and taking the medication without food in their stomachs makes them very ill. We speak to her with the help of a translator, she begins to speak a prayer in Swahili and that is when I begin to unravel. Nuria lets out the most pain filled cry I have ever heard come from a child; a cry of utter trauma and disappointment for she feels cheated out of life and a childhood. I begin to sob unable unable to hold it in, for this is the darkest human suffering I have ever seen.

That was the Amina and Nuria of the past for upon my return three months later a new woman had emerged; a woman filled with grace, dignity, and radiating joy. Within these past months Amina had become part of a HUB sponsored microloan group, starting her own business selling coal and being a part of a woman's craft group. She now hugs me with such strength and when I look into her eyes I see hope. She now welcomes us with song and begins to dance with all her heart. The group leader tells me that she is the most animated and motivated woman in the group. Her body looks healthy for she can now afford food. Amina tells me about the overwhelming gratitude she feels each day now, and that she wakes up each morning thanking God, for her cupboard is full and her children are fed. Nuria is beautiful and now spends her day playing kick ball in the streets and attending the local school.

Not all stories that start out like this have a happy ending, to be honest most do not, but this is one that does and that is why I wanted to share it, so that we can once again remember the power that we all have to change our present circumstances. Amina is a woman who will continue to remind me of this lesson, and when I close my eyes at night I hold her in my heart hoping that she and her family will continue to thrive. Thank you Amina.

HOPE Self Empowerment Group

Walking into their tin hut constructed workshop I am overwhelmed by their gracious smiles. Just moments before I thought that I would be entering a empty workshop, but before me is an abundance of beautiful crafts all handmade in one weeks time by the women of HOPE Self Empowerment Group. The women stand behind the tables of crafts with such pride for all that they have made and all they are and hope to become. Brightly colored jewelery fills the tables and hand dyed batiks hang from the walls. Each woman introduces themselves and begins to tell their story. Each story is one of suffering but each story is what has propelled them to join this group and start life anew. The eldest of the group Lucy begins to speak, her voice is so frail and she is reluctant to make eye contact. She speaks of the death of her children, 7 of her children have died, and she lost 3 of her grandchildren in one day in a road accident. She is now a widow and has felt abandoned and alone. As I look around I see that every women in the group is crying for the pain and joy of one is the pain and joy of the whole community. They feel Lucy's pain as though it were there own, for many have the same story. Each one's story goes deeper and deeper into the depths of despair but still songs continue to flow from their mouths and the dancing begins. Helen a Massai women in the group begins to lead us all in a traditional song a dance within moments the whole group is singing along and beaming from ear to ear. The room is filled with the palpable energy of hope and new beginnings.
These women are now part of the HOPE microloan group, and each have their own individual small businesses and are also all a part of a collective craft group. In November I returned from Kenya after being with this group a year after this was written, and their faces are hard to recognize for each one has become a new woman, an empowered, strong, courageous woman!!!!

Massai

As we leave Nairobi the air becomes breathable and the landscape abundant. Dust begins to cover the windshield as we head out to Massai country. The land is dry but the beauty of the open landscape is overwhelming. There is nothing for hundreds and hundreds of miles only sparse acacia trees and cows, and lots of them. When we arrive we are greeted by the sweetest Massai woman,their is one woman in the group who looks like she must be 100 years old, with each wrinkle showing the hardships of her nomadic life. Her ears are stretched and filled with heavy beaded earrings elongating her fragile earlobes. A permanent smile is upon my face as I sit with these wise, untouched souls. They speak of their challenges, the lack of water in their area and their concern for the young girls of their community. Many girls are being forced into marriage as young as 12 years old due to lack of any other option and the need to sustain their families. The issue of female genital mutilation arises and the desire to bring more awareness to this taboo issue. We do not speak the same language but when they touch my head I know we are communicating on a deeper level. The group gathers to sing their songs of praises for we (HUB) have come their to buy their crafts and provide a market for them.
This is a day that will forever be embedded in my soul, for the Massai represent to me a link to the past, one that has been forgotten and struggles to remain.