Lydian and Kamidah

Lydia and Kamidah come from Rubingo, and worked together on this tablecloth (the blue or green borders are still to be added). It was their turn to have their photograph taken - a way of praising them for the good work they've done. It's heart-warming to see the way they're ready to applaud one another's efforts. We have had to do a good bit of un-stitching, however, in the last couple of days, and are now wondering how to let the more advanced students go ahead with new designs, while making sure those who still need more practice, get it. Today we will talk to Alice about the possibility of breaking the class into two groups, and how best to do this.

Kamida

Kamida is 40 years old, and comes from Rubingo. She is a Muslim, and her husband was a polygamist. Her husband and his two other wives died of AIDS in 2004, and she has been raising all 9 of their children alone since then. They range in age from 10 to 20, and all are still at home. They completed Primary School, but she has had no funds to send them on to Secondary School. Kamida has been tested and is HIV negative. She works as a labourer and has also been involved in weaving baskets. She is hoping a sponsor might be found so that her eldest son could receive training as a mechanic. There is a strong tradition in Uganda that eldest sons look after their mothers as they grow older, something that I hadn't fully understood until this visit. So assisting eldest sons to get training proves another way to provide for widows and their families.

Practice, practice, practice

The first project the women have been working on is placemats. Before they begin working using the good African fabrics, they must each make a sample using practice fabrics, and only when Alice says it is OK, can they move on. Here Kamida (with Joan's help), is painstakingly removing all the topstitching, which she had done in grey. She will use thread to match the borders once this is done. The willingness of these women to work hard; to practice, practice, practice; and their patience in correcting an error when it occurs, is humbling. They already know that if the quality is good, I will buy the placemats and bring them back to Canada to sell, so they have much invested in making a "good quality" product. But yesterday was a very good day - they were all cheered by their progress, staying at their machines until 6:30, and singing in praise before they left for the day to go and have their supper.