Local women of the Makindu community have long been the strongest and most loyal supporters of our program. They have shared their wisdom, donated labor, services, and the ongoing desire to improve the lives of our children-- and of all the children within their villages. Since our early days, they have gathered at MCC, and utilized the Centre as a place of safety, of shared knowledge and worries, and a meeting place for communal concerns or agendas.
The majority of the weaver women are from a "refugee village" within Makindu, after having been burned and chased from their rural homes by a group of powerful and corrupt leaders years ago. Their village is among the poorest of the region, and none of them have full-time jobs or technical training with which to support their families.
Years ago, these women began to learn more about their traditional weaving. They have formed a local co-op, and now meet at our centre weekly. Every few months they come to MCC to sell their handmade products, and to share ideas for new techniques, patterns, fibers, colors and dyes. Three of the most motivated and talented weavers have been hosted for a more intensive training seminar, and will help to train others within their group. These women have been greatly assisted by a long-time friend and volunteer for MCC-- Leslie Mittelberg of Swahili Imports. Leslie has come many times to sit with the women, and given technical advice, suggestions, and much encouragement and support for their future endeavors.
The handmade products are purchased by MCC, and then sold in the U.S. to help support our community development projects. These women now proudly utilize their earnings to purchase food and staples for their families, and a few have even been able to pay school fees for some of their children and grandchildren (education in Kenya is not free, and the average poor Kenyan can rarely hope to put their children through primary school). They recently organized and developed their own official cooperative, and hope to acquire additional training in marketing skills and the chance for future self-sufficiency.
You can now buy these baskets for yourself at MCP's E-Bay storefront!
Page Last Modified 04MAR2008 21:40:24]
