The
trip has been wonderful and humbling. The collection
is big and varied, using recycled glass in beautiful
colours, the recycled brass, beads in wild colours. The
quality of workmanship has become fantastic, it was wonderful
to be able to teach new techniques and designs at the
MADE workshop.
The beading is being done by a group of massai women from northern Kenya, as
we sat with beads they chatted about their lives, things are difficult, the drought
has killed most of their cattles, tribes raid from over the border and steal
what is left, because of civil war in Sudan there are now lots of weapons around
and so instead of battles with spears there are now machine guns... So the violence
is deadly and most of the women are widows in their community. There is also
increasing problem with alcoholism, homemade beer to drown hardship and everthing
else!
Yesterday I went to the school in kibera that MADE has been supporting, a new
concrete floor, in weather like this with rain the whole slum is slipping down
the hill on filthy mud, with a proper floor the children can stay dry. A million
tiny hands to shake and their shy giggles and daring each other to race up and
touch my bracelets . They are tiny children and beautiful, many of them are the
children of the craftspeople who work at MADE .
Early this morning I flew to mombasa to do some work with an amazing project
called bombalulu, it was set up about 40 years ago to train and provide employment
for the physically disabled. They have a good school, housing and great workshops.
They make wonderful wheelchairs from bicycles and wagons and do leather work,
textiles and jewellery. Everyone there is disabled in some way. One woman I was
working with asked me to put my necklace on her, she exclaimed "Don't I
look beautiful ?!" Of course she did too .. she has no legs and one tiny
withered arm and only one arm to work with.
Everyone there was kind and full of smiles, they will make flowers chain for
us
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