March 2006
Dear friends and partners,
It seems like only yesterday that I wrote you - so much has happened and I want to share some of these happenings with all of you.
We have picked up a new sewing group - this is a group of 21 women who have AIDS. They were taught how to sew quilts from patches of material by a foreigner who decided she could no longer help them and asked if we would absorb these ladies into our program. Compassion for these women made the decision an easy one - of course. The decision from a rational process was more difficult - their skills are not so good - the building they are currently in floods with the rains - twice this week - and is located in a part of town that suffers from severe electricity shortages. From a rationale standpoint we know that we have enough sewers - what will they make? Despite all the rational negatives we said yes. These women will continue to make quilts from patches of materials - we are making room at our building to absorb them - we are excited about their future. This group of women had a visitor in 2002 - a man named Jim Washburn. He wrote a poem about the impact these women had on him and I want to share this poem because it says what we know is true not just for these women but for all our women in cottage industry.
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Quilters of Cambodia
Their common thread is peril - these daughters, moms and wives,
Fragmented and forgotten, just pieces were their lives
But rather than surrender, their common thread they used
To sew together pieces, of lives so much abused
Hunger sewn to anger, anger to despair
Sadness sewn in clusters and fear in every square
Distrust became a pattern whose border was in black
Blue was the emotion that covered the whole back
Of the quilt created, created from such pain
And yet at its completion so gorgeous it became
For quilts are made from pieces so worthless all alone
But absolutely priceless when together they are sewn
The quilt is so much bigger than all its shapely parts
The lives it brings together - creates a central heart
Forgiveness is the pattern, a theme of joy sewn in
Bound in understanding, for love connects all things |
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We need your help - we need customers for all our workers - later this year I hope to send to anyone who wants - a monthly set of products for that particular month. Do let me know if you would like me to send you this.
I would like to share with you the excitement in our new province - we have 400 families enrolled. But what is the best is that several women have returned from the border because they heard that we had come.
Phan Ny returned with her children - she was one of the first to receive a well and within days had planted a field of vegetables called trakun - a Cambodian staple - its a vegetable that is fast growing and can be harvested for several months. From earning so very little in a brothel - she now earns 10,000 riels a day - not just Phan Ny but 20 other families as well - families who have on average 8-10 children - families in despair - to see them change so quickly makes our hearts soar.
We were in Kirivon last week - our reservoirs that we completed last year provide water for several thousand families - the families uncovered another one - would we help? In less than 10 days, they dug a pond 25 meters by 35 meters and 8 meters deep - the children collected stones - piles upon piles - all of us together are amazed at how good it is. In a village 20 kilometers away we met 120 families who were unable to eat a year ago - we installed 10 wells 8 months ago - each family has a plot just 20 meters square - all full of vegetables - half are earning 10,000 riels a day - $2.50 - they asked for 10 more wells so that all could earn the same - of course.
I could write all day of the blessings you have given - of the people you have reached - and still there are so many waiting.
I am so thankful that my God has called me here - I am so thankful that each of you stand with each of us.
Janne |
