Bagels, Afghans, and New York

I am in NY, with Business Women from Afghanistan... and if they can make it there they can make it anywhere...
2 and a half years ago as I was thinking about ways to help women in Afghanistan through an organization I work with and I had an idea. The organization is Business Council for Peace (Bpeace) and I do work through them in Afghanistan- you can read more about them on their website http://bpeace.com/. Their basic belief is "more jobs mean less violence".

The idea was for an apprenticeship for Afghan Women businesses to partner with like industry American businesses to increase cultural awareness and industry knowledge, and this idea I believe was divinely inspired, and now it has come to full fruition. The State department got behind this idea and gave BPeace a grant to recruit, train and bring the business associates here, the program has been going on for a year and a half and this is the first week of the apprenticeship. Businesses also got behind the idea and paid some money to help sponsor the associates coming to the US.

This program was designed by BPeace and we selected twelve Afghan Businesswomen who are currently successful business owners within Afghanistan and we partnered with businesses in their various fields including,
furniture manufacturing, food processing, leather goods manufacturing, radio broadcasting, printing, beekeeping and there is even an Oil Woman (Fuel distribution). Together they employ hundreds of women and impact thousands of individuals.

I have been in New York since last Wednesday with my assistant Melissa ( pictured above) who spent 2.5 years in Afghanistan and she is able to use all of her well earned Dari language skills. Our new friends are so impressed with her and I am too. Our translator says she is the only one of 2 people he has ever met that is American and speaks such good Dari.

And of course I keep hearing the words, "you look Afghan", which has endeared me even more to them. My Salaam Allakoum (greeting), is the same in Arabic and Dari so they all think I must speak Dari too, I know a little but our translator and Melissa are keeping busy. All of the women are required to have some conversational English to be allowed to be part of the program, but that is relative.

So far we have discovered, bagels, revolving doors, The Empire State building, Skype to call home, double decker busses, minutes on cellphones don't last long enough to speak to all of the children, (most Afghan women have between 8-10 children), The Statue of Liberty and they all asked to visit Ground Zero and we went to the St. Paul Memorial, it was quite emotional as they know that is the primary reason they are here and able to even run their businesses. They also learned how to use a gift card. Many retailers donated gift cards for them to be able to shop while in the US. We learned what $150.00 US will buy from the Dress Barn.

The program ends on Oct 27th with a huge Party of course, with the State Department, the US Ambadassor to Afghanistan, the host companies and other VIP's.

Keep watching my blog and in a couple of days and I will post photos of the Business Associates in NY as well as some on their apprenticeships.

Pakistan Eye Candy

For you textile and embroidery buffs, more eye candy from Pakistan. Hard to believe that mostly illiterate women create these bullion patterns in their homes.

Pakistan Planning

I had a great time in Pakistan this past week as I discovered new producer groups in Lahore and some absolutely beautiful embroidery called bullion. It looks like chunks of gold and beads elaborately decorated. This couple are the people who started their business to help women who were begging at their Mosque so that they could have jobs and not need to beg. I began design on a new line for high end hotels and event planners. Can't wait to see these designs and develop the rest of the line. We are working on the name of the new line but "incredible" is a great description for now. Here are some photos of the designs in detail and Renee our Bajalia buyer for that region. Renee and I were expecting to have a quick business meeting which wound up to be an all day affair, being invited to their home for lunch and reviewing and photographing all of the samples to begin designing from. I am loving Pakistan already, and we just started this project.

Asian Tour 2008

I am currently traveling on the continent of Asia visiting four countries- first India, then Pakistan, Thailand and China. The purpose of this trip is to visit the Bajalia production centers and check on progress of our orders as well as to develop new designs for orders for Holiday and spring 2009. Yes I said 2009- we have to work that far ahead now to serve our new wholesale clients and prepare for an upcoming trade show. This is a long trip and as I travel, I am still trying to manage issues in Orlando while being on the road, although I am very blessed to have a great team now to handle many areas I used to have to handle alone, there are still many areas that need my daily attention on both sides of the ocean.

Back in Kutch India

When I come back to Kutch India I always feel as if I have come home. This is where Bajalia Trading Company first became a reality and where the first seeds were planted. The women here seem like old friends and sisters. I love going into the villages and visiting the producers and looking at their new embroidery designs. I spent part of the afternoon taking photos of the kids and sharing them with them on my digital screen. A very great use of technology. Here are a few photos of the kids and my friends working proudly on the Kutchi Kolthi Bag for our clients.

A field trip to the Silk Fabric Wholesalers

I spent most of the day looking and buying silk fabric samples. My translator and a buyer went with me to the area of town where all of the fabric wholesalers are. After spending the previous day picking oiut all of the raw leather colors, I was ready to find matching fabrics.
Again we had a fight negotiating the prices as the "foreigner" was there. After explaining I was their designer helping them - again we negotiated what seemed to be a good price for fabric and cut several half meter swatches. So many steps to making new designs and a new line. I visited the workshop where

everyone is going to sew my new product samples and was so impressed that this fair trade handcraft place is so clean, light and the workers happy to see me. I spent the day designing with them and loking at some wallets they were making for a top US designer. What a difference Fair trade makes. We all left at 5:00 pm just like in America, but a very rare thing in China. What beautiful fabrics and colors a great creative inspiration. I can hardley wait to see what I am going to design with these new fabrics.

On the East Coast

I am on the East Coast of China and I am fascinated at how much like Florida it looks. Alhough I am on the China Sea and Pacific Ocean instead of Atlantic Ocean. Palm trees everywhere and for a while it felt alot like home. I am staying in a hotel near the ocean and I plan to take a walk after breakfast. But last night for dinner I got all too much a reminder of where I was. My dinner choices included : Pork Intestines in Bitter Bamboo Shoots, Local Sea Worm with Assorted Mushrooms, Fish Balls, Chew Chow style, Steamed Fish Head with Sichuan Chili and of course Tortise Shell jelly with syrup. Then I saw it what looked like a safe choice, it was fried fish. But when I asked about it, I was walked over to a huge grouping of fish tanks on the wall to choose my own fish. Prior to that I had been admiring the fish as I thought that was part of the interior design of the restaurant, or maybe pet fish but never thought I would choose my live dinner. I didn't even recognize soem of the things in tanks as fish. I couldn't bear to choose a fish for the kill and lost my appetite after reading al of the choices so I setteled on a salad and some chinese rice I had had before. The only girl in the whole hotel who spoke english took my order with 4 helpers. They were all so fascinated that she could talk to me they all wanted in on the action. Yes, Dorothy I am not in Florida anymore, but what I would give for some good Hummos or Salsa about now.

Buying Findings

I never knew how difficult it would be when I asked to go to the wholesale market to buy jewelry findings. What would have taken an hour or so in the US took about 4 or more hours. I had two of the associates on the jewelry project take me to the wholesaler to buy some jade beads, cloisenee, chinese coins and silver pieces so that we could use the same items available here in China to design some samples in the US for duplication. Well as soon as the wholesalers saw me with the girls the price went way up. The girls spent what felt like an eternity at each place explaining that the findings were not for me they were for them and I was teaching them what to make. They bartered and bartered and finally got the price they were used to. Then they picked through each bead and piece I bought so that they would be sure they were the best quality. Finally we got the right price , the best beads and I was on my way to the next appointment, beads and baubles in hand. I was so impressed with the business mentality and negotiating skills of the associates. These women were not going to be taken advantage of and no one was going to cheat them or me in any way. A far cry from the life they had before where they were pawns in others games. Their progress is astounding, and I am proud to be representing their jewelry line and helping with designs.

The Volunteers Say Their Goodbyes

I spent last night and the morning helping get the volunteers off back to Bejing and then on to the US. So many goodbyes and words being exchanged to express in our bad mandarin what our hearts were feeling as we visited our friends one last time. We had a meeting so I could get fedback from what they saw and there were too many observations to list. One friend expressed "how comfortable we are in America and how she never realized it, but would appreciate her life even more" another committed to having a couple of sales to help us further our work.

Others were marveling at "how big a diffference a little money makes in the right hands". Others wept over the stories they heard of the amazing brave and courageous people we encountered. Others made friends they will not soon forget. But all of these volunteers had a life changing experience and only time wil tell what they will do about that. My hope is that our time with them was an investment and will grow and be multiplied and they and their family and friends as they tell their stories wil be forever changed. How awesome to be able to have our work make such an impact in lives here in China and back inthe US too. Sustainable, Empowering, Change- I love these words, it is not a marketing slogan it is reality.

A bit of Tuscany in China

My friend Steve took us on a tour of his olive groves. Steve is from Singapore and spent time down under, hence the Aussie hat- and now lives in China. Not sure exactly how many languages he speaks but definitely more than I do. They have just started producing the first crop of olives after 3 years which is one year earlier than expected. This project is reaching out to the minority people in the mountainous areas in China. The Yi and the Lisu are all being employed on the farm that also produces, Broccoli, Asparagus, Tomatoes and Hissup.

Children are being educated, jobs created and so many friendships are being developed, true communities as peole work together and play together. We so enjoyed our time there, this photo was taken from what wil be the coffeeshop and cafe that wil serve some of the foods of the area. Maybe the next time I am in China I can drink coffee while enjoying this view.It took almost two hours to climb u the mountain in our large van but fresh olive oil would be so worth it.

A Mothers Hug

What if your mother sold you into a brothel at the age of 13? What if you were raped and since your virginity was now stolen you decided the only thing to do was to marry your rapist to save face ? What if you had to run away from a violently abusive man and had no one to turn to? What if you were living on the streets and the only way to get a roof over your head was from a Madam who owed a brothel? What if you were taken from your family's village into the city with the promise of a job

to help your family only to find out that you are now living in a brothel and your virginity is being auctioned off to the highest bidder? What if your husband sent you out to work in a brothel ad held your children with your mother-in-law as hostages? Many of the women we are working with have been violated and oppressed in every way possible and do not know a simple mothers hug. Oh-but they do now. With so many mothers and a grandmother on this trip we spent many an afternoon after making jewelry hearing their stories and loving them with a mothers hug. What a joy to be a blessing in this way. Many cleansing tears were shed and we will be forever changed by meeting these amazing strong and brave women.

Recruiting new Bajalia Co-Workers

One of our volunteers on this trip has been volunteering by recruiting new Bajalia staff. Lisa is a professional recruiter and when I met her at an event in February she asked how she could help us. We get hundreds of inquiries a year of people who want to join our work around the world and I cannot possible follow up with them all. Lisa was a trouper to call over 50 people in the last few months as a followup, but now she says she will really know how to talk to them with passion, as she has seen our work first hand. Thanks to Lisa and many others we are being multiplied which is a huge need as the projects that need marketing and business help seems to be endless.

Homeless Antiques

I can't even begin to explain all of the work being done with the homeless here. We love working with those projects being done among the forgotten or those considered to be useless to society. The homeless are being given jobs refinishing furniture pieces taken out of the trash as a and trained in furniture refinishing, working in cafes, and coffeeshops. They are also being educated in schools, provided health care and being restored from trash to treasure just as the furniture is. Ok I have to admit I did have to support this project through a purchase, but I was not alone. Several of these treasures will be our carry ons.

Fairest of them all

Mirror mirror on the wall, who is the fairest fo them all- We are! This is our passion and goal for all of our groups. It is about people and not profits. We are doing more than is expected of us. Literacy training is happening, so people can count their money – schools are being started. Fresh water is available and people are being trained in medical health issues. Transformation is evident and it would include returning our profits to include community transformation. A woman’s program in the village teaching literacy, A children’s school, orphanages, medical and health training all would be possibilities as we work to help the community. These projects we are visiting in this place fall under this area.

Its So Not Fair

This is the minimum for a group that does not yet qualify as the standard guideline for Fair Trade. We find that the poorest people in the world have no money to motivate a market. These are groups that may not have the finances to get the fair trade logo, or know how to do all of the paperwork necessary. They may be a remote tribe that may not even have their language written. Literacy may be an issue here and we work to look at the group knowing they can become sustainable with our help. We work with these groups because they are doing work we admire and with our help and consulting we can educate and train them to get to the next level. By becoming a customer for these groups our buying power can foster the change and improved standards. This group may not be culturally aware, there may not be a school in the village so children are in work situations with their families, however never exploited. These are groups that may not have the finances to get the fair trade logo, or know how to do all of the paperwork necessary. They may be a remote tribe that may not even have their language written. Literacy may be an issue here and we work to look at the group knowing they can become sustainable with our help. Many of our groups fall in this level and don’t even know they are not being fair. They are following cultural norms and we work hard to see that the cultural issues are part of the plan of action we have for them to keep the indigenous cultural craft alive along with the languages, etc. They are being moved towards the next level.

Fair is Fair

What is Fair? These groups we are visiting follow the global standard for Fair Trade,We think this is great and we choose where appropriate to work with suppliers in this category. However the Fair trade guidelines were developed almost 25 yaears ago and our world has become so much worse. Although this is the standard globally we don’t think this is the place to stop. This is the bar we want all of our groups to exceed, but getting to this bar is a requirement and in each business plan we work with groups to get to this place and then we ask the question- How can we do more?

Workshop of the Deaf

Learning sign language in Chinese while in the workshop. Here we are learning one of the most important words of all "thank you" Gratitude goes a long way in crossing cultures.

Here Marie, one of our volunteers who has two deaf children in their 20's in the US found her place. She Wanted to stay there working with these beautiful girls. She asked me if she could come please come back. Well of course, we definitely see so much need and joy in this place. I couldn't help but think how each one of the volunteers and donors who came on this trip each were able to serve in a special way.

Over 30 people cut and sew in this great workshop where fair trade is practiced. More than fair is what their life is like and we can see it in their faces. No sweat shop here, they have such a drive and love for their work.

Development for the deaf

One of my highlights not only of this trip, but of this year has been the visit to work in this city dealing with the deaf. The population of deaf here is around 20,000 and in China an estimated 70 million. This is due to an antibiotic given to children in a strong dosage causing many to become deaf as children. We visited their workshop where they made beautiul items from chinese silks and are so excited about the potential of increasing their sales significantly through export. So far they have only sold iems locally. They are in a great building and have alot of room for more people to work here. I worked on getting fabric samples, reviewing their production, qualiy control and learning a bit of Chinese sign language in the process. Of course I had 13 others with me all learning sign, visiting with the workers and then on to their small store to purchase their products. We definitely made an impact on their monthly sales, at exactly the right time. They had been concerned about sales but we were happy to make our dent in the economy here and support the project with our purchases. As we left they all waved good bye and I was moved to tears.

The Lure of Makeup

Many people ask how we make friends with women in the brothels and other "shops". We are not ashamed to say we lure them with makeup from America and makeovers. We had a full day doing art therapy while waiting for makeover appointments and these beautiful women became even more precious once they saw themselves in our eyes. Once we build relationships and they start seeing themselves differently they are more ready to dream of a future outside of that lifestyle. It is a process, but we were so encouraged by the strong and courageous women we met.