Other Ugandan Friends

In the last few days, I've had time to look over some of the photos taken by Joan and by Trudy, and wanted to share some of these with you. The first photo is of Resty, who has a shop in one of the craft markets in Kampala, and who sells some of the best quality batiks available. She also works with the National Arts Organization, and has accepted articles made by the Bitengye Designers for sale in her shop. The next photo is of Nightingale, who was our translator this year. She was wonderful to work with, always anticipating where she might be needed

and keenly interested in the Bitengye women. In

fact she has offered her home in Mbarara to anyone who has need to come to town, whether for health reasons or for new fabric, as her children are now all grown up, and she has extra space. Next are the leaders of the Mutual Benefit Society in Kikagati, including Recheal and Lydia. Elly was our guide and a wonderful resource while we were visiting in that area. He is an amazing man, who made a radio station from parts of a calculator and other parts. He worked for ACTS for some years, but now he has been discovered by the UN and is one of their IT people. But he made it a condition of his

employment with them that he be able to take regular time off to work with the widows and grandmothers group in his home of Kikagati. Lastly are the group of elderly widows in Kikagati. They are too old to work in the fields any more, so the younger widows support the older ones, sharing what little food they have with them. As you can probably tell, all of these courageous folk are often in our thoughts. When we said goodbye to the Bitengye members they said to us "Please don't forget us." And we won't.

A Little of This, A Little of That

Monday evening, and our children have all left for their respective homes after spending a delightful weekend with us. There's nothing quite like looking on as five of our six adult children (and significant others) chat and laugh and exchange stories around the candle lit dining room table. And of course we had our stories too.

Of our time in the land of eucalyptus trees . . . .

Of the Bitengye Designers and how their lives have changed since they learned how to sew (this is Kamidah, pictured in front of her new plot of land).

Of the warm welcome and hospitality we were shown when we visited the Bitengye Designers in their homes (this is Lydia at her treadle machine in Kikagati).

Of the close encounters we had with new friends and the occasional elephant . . . .

And of the hard work being done by Alice and all the other members of the Bitengye Designers.

We've been home for a month today, and it has taken us this long to make that adjustment from our lives with the Ugandan women and our lives here in Canada. They are never very far from our thoughts. This coming week I will have the opportunity to speak about them in Winnipeg, and two weeks later we will be at Quilt Canada in Calgary, and I hope meeting up with many of you who have been following our adventures and supportive from your homes across the country. We have brought home some terrific fabrics, and batiks and beads. I hope you'll stop by wherever we are, and have a word with us.

Qualities of a Good Tailor

I was browsing through my Uganda photos this evening, and came upon a photo of a page from Alice's notebook. Written when she was attending tailoring school, it outlines the qualities of a good tailor. I thought you would enjoy reading it too. I especially like the one that says that a good tailor is always "smart". In Uganda this means "classy", or "well-dressed", as opposed to clever. But there are a few other points we might take from this too. Alice certainly is the model of a good tailor, from everything I've seen. (I hope you can read this!)

Home Again, Home Again (Jiggety-Jig)

For those of you who have been following this blog, and who have been wondering if we just vanished into thin air when we left Uganda, let me reassure you that yes, we are home, but it has taken much longer to get our feet on the ground than expected. I must remember for next time that jet-lag has as much to do with a sense of place and purpose, as it does with a sense of

time. For the first few days, I wandered aimlessly from room to room, wondering what it was exactly that I do when I'm here. I looked out my window and there were no people in evidence anywhere. I went outside, but the chilliness of this world chased me inside again pretty quickly. And I didn't want to unpack. Something in me didn't want it all to come to an end, so I delayed and delayed. But then this last weekend, I attended a quilting retreat, and that was just the ticket I needed to get myself back home. So here I am again, in Comox, BC. This marvellous quilt pictured here is by Judy Morningstar, and is called Stitching Bright Tomorrows. It captures the energy and fun and determination of the Bitengye Designers in Judy's inimatable style, and is surrounded by actual bags and placemats made with African fabrics. It's Judy's entry in the Turning the Tide exhibit, the sequel to the hugely successful Seeds of Hope exhibit, a fund raiser for the Stephen Lewis Foundation. I love it, love it, love it. And am so thankful for Judy's generosity in first making the quilt, her support for the Bitengye Designers, and for letting me post the photo here on my blog.

Final Days

This photo was taken just before the end of this year's workshop. Kitambaa and friends had a last photo taken before packing up the Round House, taking down the quilts, putting the supplies away for another year, and then attending to our own packing. We are bringing back a fair supply of fabric (surprise, surprise!), as well as beads and necklaces, batiks and baskets, and other treasures. Also 72 shirts made by the Bitengye Designers for the Victoria Children's Choir, and samples of all the other "new fashions" made this year. Many items have already been sold, or left as samples in a number of venues. In less than a week we will be home again, and all of this will be a wonderful memory. Thank you, once again, to all of you who have been a part of this project. We hope to see many of you in the coming months, to show you updated photos, and most importantly the items made by the Bitengye Designers, the sale of which has made such a terrific difference in their lives.

The Workshop Ends

So the workshop has come to an end. The participants have been presented with certificates, prizes have been given and we can't help feeling enormously proud of what each of the members of the Bitengye Designers has accomplished in the last 2 1/2 weeks. It was an emotional good-bye as they left for their homes - clearly the time they spend together here in Mbarara is a highlight of the year for them. It's a novelty for them to stay in accomodation with meals provided and to learn something new, and a welcome break to be able to leave their usual responsibilities behind them for awhile. The relationships between the women are stronger, and they certainly occupy a special place in our hearts. All twelve women are more committed than ever to their work, and having seen the changes a little income can make, are keen to continue the work they have begun. As for us, we are already beginning to plan for next year.

The Amazing Alice

Alice has completed her "African Thunderstorm" quilt and has moved onto another "new fashion". Her eagerness in learning new designs knows no bounds, so we have been teaching her patterns that she can teach the rest of the Bitengye Designers during the rest of the year, as they are able. She has agreed to continue as Coordinator of the group next year, which makes all of us extremely happy. And for our part, we have decided to spend a week just with Alice next year, so she can get some concentrated teaching time herself. She spends so much time in the workshop helping other students, help that she gives with patience and humour. When we interviewed her about her life, she acknowledged that she is responsible for 11 members of her family, including 6 siblings, 2 nieces, her mother and her auntie. She is the only one with work, and this is what fires her single-mindedness and her work ethic. "That's why I'm still single" she said, "I am responsible for so many." Getting married has had to be delayed many times." Alice is a gem of a person, and we couldn't ask for a more able Coordinator for the group.