Last Day in Chicuque

Today was busy finishing up last minute details, distributing supplies, organizing the storage trunks and parting greetings. .  The best part was a celebration we had this afternoon when all the work was done. I served the ladies refreshments and there was much singing and dancing and praising God from whom all blessings flow. Tomorrow I begin the long journey home. I am so thankful for the many blessings of this time in Mozambique and for those who have made it possible with prayers and financial support for S.O.A.R.  Thank you! Thank you!

Monday news

Today we had our last business meeting focusing on where supplies are available and options for sales. There are some details to follow through with, but they are really working together to seek solutions. Each Group Leader used the new "banking" system to reserve some funds for supplies and then distributed payment to the individual ladies in their group.  Group Leaders also received a bonus from Seeds of Hope S.O.A.R. funds for the leadership they have provided. They also enjoyed the distribution of some very welcome supplies. We ended each session with singing and a photo with the completed booties. Later, Ammandio and I met with some high school students who are taking English lessons at the library to share details of doing interviews of the ladies and writing a short story about each one. We will share those as we receive them in the coming weeks.

Morning groups with the completed baby booties

Wow! The ladies finished all 200 of the baby booties for the Gendercide Awareness Project. I will take a picture Monday and hopefully get it posted. This was our last full work week. We had two business meetings with the Group Leaders and made a lot of progress on systems to help them manage their groups as well as work together. There were two groups of nurses attending seminars and they enjoyed looking at all the jewelry (and we made a few sales, too!).  Our focus this week has been financial management, working through the costs/profits for each items and specific sources for supplies. They devised a pricing schedule for local sales/wholesale and one for visitors/consignment opportunities. Knowing all of this will help them decide what products to make after getting some feedback on what sells. They chose Juvenia to be their Sales Representative and also to be their Communicator through Ammandio back to the USA Seeds of Hope Team. We celebrated the end of the week by distributing payment to all the groups from recent local sales and for product on it's way to the USA.
I am so proud of these women not only how far they have come over the past 7 years, but their growth these past few weeks.

This week has been full of many things:
The six group leaders met together with Ammandio's assistance and decided on the leadership model they want to try. It's ambitious, but I think they can do it.  There will be no overall Manager or Leader - each group will have their own leader, salesperson, supply shopper, and instructor (this person will learn new ideas/crafts and teach members of the group).  The groups will work together to get supplies not locally available and will work together to sell finished products. We have a lot of reorganizing of supplies and tools as all the groups want to try making alll the different products.They celebrated the end of the week by each Group Leader receiving all the keys to their respective trunks. (evidently the system used previously  for the storage of keys has allowed unauthorized access to their trunks and things have gone missing.)

Dr. Arlindo (staff psychologist for Chicuque Rural Hospital and Center of Hope) allowed us to set up at the Center of Hope during the breaks of an AIDS Seminar for attendees from all over the southern half of Mozambique. Two mission team members from Germany along with Thomas and Claudia Gunther also stopped by the COH sale. The best part is that Dr. Arlindo was excited about having sales at future seminars! The Center of Hope has seminars frequently, so this is a great opportunity. I also met with Paulo in Tofu today and he is anxious to get product from the ladies to sell at his place of business in Tofu and also Barra - both popular tourist spots in Mozambique.

Although, the ladies seemed anxious when I first told them it was time  for them to leave the nest and fly high, they are really embracing the idea of independence and it's a joy to watch them as they work through various options presented or ideas of their own.

Just so you know it's not all just serious business - one morning this week following our usual good morning greetings, I was quietly laying out the new reading glasses in preparation for distribution. The ladies began a chorus of "Good morning, Luisa!Good morning Albertina! How are you? I am fine. How are you? What is your name? My name is Zita. Good Morning! How are you? I am fine. What is your name? ......." This went on for 5 minutes- they were so proud and had such a good time showing off their English :) We usually have a break each session for some dancing and yes, Laura, they remember the Cupid shuffle! Frequently, they sing softly, and sometimes exuberantly, as they work.

Here is the first pair of booties made by Irmas Unidas de Chicuque (Chicuque Sisters Together)

Hello! This has been a week of "O" for S.O.A.R - Opportunities.

• We had visits from 3 different groups -mission teams from Virginia and Missouri and some tourists from Zimbabwe. They observed the women as they worked and the women had the opportunity to set up a display and sell some product. There were lots of smiles all the way around. 

• This next week, we plan to meet with Paulo who has a tourism business and small store in Tofu and has offered to sell some of the product on consignment.  

• We also developed a design of  baby booties (shoes) using the locally available fabric of the multipurpose kapalana and submitted it for approval to be a part of the Gendercide Awareness Project www.gendap.org . I received approval today and the ladies will begin making an order of 200 pairs with the possibility of an additional 200. (I am going to attempt to post a picture)
• We have made contact with some students about doing interviews of each of the ladies so that we can better share their stories as a part of the Gendercide Awareness Project as well as through Seeds of Hope. Their journalism teacher has asked to meet with me this coming week.

Greetings from Chicuque! This post will be about the "R" portion of S.O.A.R. - Resources. We are making progress in determining leadership and structure as we have been able to meet with several people to help us unravel some of the mysteries we were presented with when we first arrived. Nica is helping translate. We met with Nelsa and her friend Ap(a young man from the Netherlands who has been working in Mozambique for 4 years training men in carpentry and design. He is the creator of the bags and cosmetic bags made from billboards that we sell at The Shop...where Mission Matters and he has connections with a company that is recycling waste in Maputo and is branching out to other towns, but not here in Chicuque yet.  He and Nelsa both offered suggestions.  Lea, a young nurse from Germany  has helped with translating and idea development.  She also did some exploration in Maputo for beads and other materials and it's exciting to know that these things are now available in Mozambique. Maputo is still a 6- 8 hour journey away, but that is definitely an improvement from 2006 when not a single bead was available for purchase in Mozambique. Many of the other supplies needed are now available in Maxixe ( a ten minute ride by chaupa) or in Inhambane ( about a 45 minute journey by chaupa and then ferry). It looks like there are several shops that could now special order materials that are needed, including the Methodist bookstore.
It's also possible that Rita, Dr. Arlindo's wife, might be able to serve as a business adviser after Amman has helped them initially.

Good morning all! We are are well here in Chicuque and following a week of work, we enjoyed some cultural experiences over the weekend. Not sure we got any rest, but it was different from the work we do during the week. In regard to the women's project, we have found some good things are happening, but also many challenges. Laura has really dived in and engaged with the women by teaching some clever new ideas using materials available locallly and really engaging with them in relationship. She is a delight to watch in action and a challenge for me to keep up with! Doug, Kirsten, and Maranda also spent some time with the ladies - singing, dancing, and working on ideas.The business class did not turn out to be the best fit for the ladies, so we will work with them in some other ways, but Jackie got them off to a good start thinking about business matters. Nica is helping with the translating. For those of you who know Beatrice and Ernesto and the twin Nellie and Nelsa, she is a younger sister.

I know you are all praying for the team and for the people of Chicuque and I thank you so much. We are seeing soooooo many fruits of the seeds that were planted by those who have been here previously.

Off to Mozambique

I am very excited to have the opportunity to return to Mozambique and stay for six weeks. As many of you know, mission work is about relationships as well as performing tasks that empower.  The bond I share with the women in Chicuque began as the universal bond we share with all people regardless of where and how they live. Over the past 7 years, this bond has become a sharing of hearts and a future that has enriched the lives of people in both countries.  My task this time is completely in the area of economic development and most specifically assisting the women’s jewelry project begun in 2006 reach sustainability, independent from outside support other than the opportunity to purchase and enjoy the products they make.   We have named this extended project S.O.A.R. – Sustainable Opportunities And Resources. The aim will be to increase their sales opportunities and leadership and access to supplies so that they can be self-sustaining. I've started this blog to be able to keep everyone posted on news related to the trip and project S.O.A.R. 
I want to thank all of you who have supported this effort so far with your prayers, your ideas, the work of your hands, and your financial support.  We all share in this project