A Little Something

We're online!

2011-11-26T08:50:00.000-07:00

Just in time for the holiday season, we've opened a shop on Etsy. Click here to take a look around. For the moment, the inventory is small, but it will grow as items are added.

If you're looking for stocking stuffers, browse our earrings, wrap, and stretch bracelets. All are affordably priced and one-of-a-kind creations.

Share a little sparkling happiness this holiday season and know your purchase supports a very worthwhile cause!

Add us to your browser favorites and check back often for updated inventory! http://www.etsy.com/shop/denverrefugeecrafts

It’s Winter Sale Time and We Need Your Help!

2011-10-10T15:10:00.002-06:00

Our peak sales season is upon us, and we are very short-handed when it comes to staffing sales. without anyone to represent us at these events, we have no way to sell the items the women in our program make. We depend on volunteers to staff our booth and tell our story. Can you help? Have any friends who might be interested in helping??? If you're available and willing, please contact Kristen.Damron@lfsco.org soon!

Please let Kristen know:
· If you are available to help with any of the sales opportunities listee below
· Hours you are available (we can be flexible and assign shifts)
· Any special concerns/needs you may have
· Let me know if you are able to load sale stuff in your car

If you sign up for an event, Kristen will send you more details about the sale as the date draws near.

Volunteer Opportunities:

November 4 & 5: Shop for a Cause
Highline Community Church (6325 S. University Blvd. Centennial, CO 80121)
Friday 4-7PM: (We're desperate here)
Saturday 10:00 – 4:00 PM

November 12: Ye Olde Yuletide Bazaar
Town of Parker Field House (Dransfeldt & Plaza Drive)
Set up 7AM / Tear down starts at 4PM
Saturday: 7:00AM- 6:00 PM

November 15th: Bear Valley Church:
Sale hours: 4PM-7PM.
A Tuesday. Set up at 3:00 – tear down by 8:00PM

November 19 & 20: Global Gift Fair
Set up starts 7:30AM (Saturday)/ Tear down starts 3PM (Sunday)
Saturday sale 7:30 – 2PM
Sunday sale 9:00 – 4:00PM

November 19 & 20: First Universalist Church of Denver
World Gift Market
Provides coffee/bagels and soup for lunch- Bring an empty water bottle to fill for H2O
Set up starts at 7:30(Saturday)/ tear down starts at 2PM (Sunday)
Saturday Sale: 7:30 AM- 4PM
Sunday Sale: 9AM -3:30PM

2011-06-02T14:27:00.002-06:00

Please join us on June 14, 15, and 16 for

Refugees in Focus
A film festival commemorating
World Refugee Day

Three days, seven films, ten million stories

All films will be shown at Emily Griffith Technical College in downtown Denver. The roster includes the new documentary, Welcome to Shelbyville, as well as six other films that explore refugee issues both in the U.S. and abroad.

Watch. Think. Discuss.

For the full listing of the films scheduled and more about this event plus other World Refugee Day activities in Denver, please click here .

Women's programs build community, confidence

2011-04-13T10:47:00.000-06:00

This post is from the blog for the Colorado Refugee ESL Program, an organization that partners with A Little Something.

Kristen Damron understands the Chinese proverb that "women hold up half the sky." She also knows that refugee women have a particularly challenging situation ahead of them when they are resettled in the United States. Kristen is the Women's Programs Coordinator for Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Services (LIRS) in Denver.

In her work, Kristen sees that refugee women are expected--by their families and by their communities--to keep up with their roles as homemakers, mothers, and wives while also facing the often incredibly difficult challenges that resettlement brings. Kristen stated that, "Women are a marginalized population, regardless of which community they're in. They have a number of disadvantages. Within the refugee population, they're the backbone to a household and are tasked with raising the kids, running the household, as well as getting a job. They are the key to the family's success in the U.S., even if the family doesn't realize that. The greater the woman's success, the greater the chances of her family's success."

Women are less likely to take time for themselves and to take care of their own needs, even though they would benefit from support during the resettlement process. In many cultures, men don't share in child care or housekeeping responsibilities, and this means that women's adjustment and familiarity with a new culture may lag. Within the Colorado Refugee Network, the in-home ESL tutoring program is one program that strives to address some of the issues of isolation and language deficiency that refugee women may face. This program, however, addresses the issues one woman at a time, but can't build a support system within each ethnic community.

LIRS offers several programs specifically to support and empower refugee women. According to Kristen Damron, "The programs are designed to be supportive, holistic, and empowering for the women. They're supportive in that women are often somewhat excluded from integration into American society because of language, education, social barriers, and family responsibilities. Our programs give these women a way to come together and support each other. The programs include financial literacy, WorkStyles for women (a job readiness course), community support groups, a microenterprise program that also partners with A Little Something (the Denver Refugee Women's Crafts Initiative), and most recently, a health awareness and education program.

In the financial literacy program, a partnership with Emily Griffith Opportunity School, the group talks about the basics of household finances and money (in general) in the United States. The women's care groups bring together women from the same ethnic community for gatherings at the apartment complexes where the women live. They learn about their rights and responsibilities in the United States, they discuss topics related to domestic violence and personal safety, and they work on life skills, but also build supportive relationships with each other over the course of the sessions. To see a group in action, take a look at the video posted here.

Currently, the Women's Care Groups are in need of volunteers. Volunteers can provide transportation for the women who live at sites other than where the gatherings take place. Volunteers are also needed to work with the community leaders in helping to lead their groups. Two volunteers work with each group. Right now there are four groups, but Kristen hopes to expand that to at least eight in order to accommodate more participants.

Later this spring, Kristen will launch the first Women's Health Walk and Fair in Cheesman Park in Denver on Saturday, May 14. According to Kristen, "We wanted to create a special event to commemorate National Women's Health Week. We wanted our event to to be special and to celebrate these women, their health, and their importance in their families, and we wanted to do that in a way that would bring the rest of the community--what we call the "receiving community" together with these newcomers. We also wanted to create a way to help these women see that they're values and their health and their bodies are valued. We also want the women themselves to be involved with and excited about the event and the concepts we're presenting.

The Women's Health Walk and Fair is free and will feature guest speakers, health education information, cultural offerings, nutrition information, and yoga in the park. Volunteers are needed to help with the event, especially those with a background in healthcare. Also, Kristen had hoped to provide event T-shirts for the participants, but there is no funding for that. A donation of event T-shirts would be gratefully accepted!

If you would like to volunteer at this event or with a Women's Care Group, please contact Kristen Damron at kristen.damron@lfsco.org.

Kristen said that volunteering isn't the only way to help refugees have a better resettlement experience. "Really, the first thing people can do for refugees is to be friendly. Smile, have enough guts to start a conversation--even if you're waiting in line, go ahead and strike up a conversation--and don't be afraid to have a welcoming demeanor. Just starting that conversation will make someone very happy because you've acknowledged that they are here and they are included."

--SM

A Little Honor!

2011-03-15T11:34:00.004-06:00

If you live in the Denver area and you've come to any of our sales, you may have met Amina Salat, one of our teen members and all-around helpers. Amina was recently honored with a "9 Kids Who Care" award from KUSA, the NBC affiliate in Denver, for her dedication to helping others through community service.

In addition to receiving her award at a luncheon and ceremony last weekend, Amina was also profiled on the news yesterday. Amina doesn't just spend time with A Little Something; she also volunteers at SAME Cafe in Denver, and is a leader in Growing Colorado Kids, a local urban farming initiative that shares its harvest with those in need. Amina is the daughter of Fatuma, one of our original members, who was profiled on this blog recently. In addition to her school and volunteer work, Amina is indispensable helping her mom at home.

Congratulations, Amina! This recognition is well-deserved, and we are very proud of you.

Click here to read the story on the 9News Website, or simply watch the video, below.

Monthly gathering!

2011-03-14T17:19:00.003-06:00

We have a monthly meeting coming up this Saturday. The lesson du jour will be: Earrings. This includes knowing the parts of an earring, turning a headpin, using the correct wire cutters, and creating a pleasing, market-worthy design.

If you are a crafty earring maker and you know your way around headpins, earwires, and the related jewelry-making tools, please join us. We can use help from skilled jewelry makers!

Monthly Members' Meeting

Saturday, March 19

9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

Emily Griffith Opportunity School

1250 Welton St. Room 118

Denver

If you'd like to join us, please contact Kristen Damron at kristen.damron@lfsco.org for further instructions.

In pictures

2011-02-22T16:02:00.004-07:00

Here are some glimpses of our most recent member gathering. We started with a getting-to-know-you activity that had an embedded English lesson in it. The women got some language practice, while also getting to know each other a little better.

This month, the creative focus was on learning colors--including what matches and what clashes. Katrina's excellent lesson also urged the women to consider the many types of patterns that can be made in a piece of jewelry when the creator changes the size of the beads or how they alternate. The women came away with a much clearer understanding of how to plan a design instead of making it up as they go along. A fun and successful day all around!

Feeling crafty?

2011-02-16T13:43:00.005-07:00

Our monthly meeting with our crafters is coming up this Saturday, February 19. If you'd like to help us do some jewelry making and merchandise tagging, please stop by!

Emily Griffith Opportunity School

1250 Welton St., Room 118

Denver

We're on the east side of the Colorado Convention Center. On Saturdays, you can only enter the building from the center back alley door across from the auto mechanics area. Proceed down the stairs and follow the noise.

Parking might be a challenge! The Colorado Garden & Home Show is going on across the street, and parking spaces will be at a premium. Take public transportation if you can!

Crafty travels

2011-01-30T19:49:00.003-07:00

Here at A Little Something, we love the idea of providing a venue for our members to continue making their traditional crafts. Around the world, artisans are becoming teachers in order to foster an appreciation for their work and raise awareness of the traditional processes that are part of making beautiful, handcrafted items.

Salon.com is currently hosting a slide show of 14 intriguing vacations you can take to spend time and learn from crafters around the world. Take a look and imagine yourself learning an age-old art on a creative vacation. If you have no travel plans, at least take a moment to appreciate the time, skill, and heritage that go into these culturally-significant crafts.

Weaving in Guatemala. Photo: TRAMA on Salon.com

Wishing things were different

2010-12-12T12:16:00.005-07:00

A Little Something is changing, evolving. Members have come and gone, founders have moved on, new faces appear at each monthly meeting.

The meetings are too chaotic to allow us the opportunity to sit and talk with the new members, so we’ve reached a point where we know the names of most of the women, but we don’t much about them other than country of origin. This is much different from the early days when we knew important and often intimate details about each member’s situation. Perhaps it’s just a reality of growth and open-call meetings.

Some of our original members came to yesterday’s meeting. Sharifo, Fadumo, and Sahara showed up after missing many months of contact with us. Fatuma came, too, but chose to sit among newcomers rather than settle in with familiar faces.

I watched Fatuma with some sadness. I’ve written about her before on this blog. She has a large family but a mostly absentee husband who has all but abandoned his family in favor of a more carefree life. This has left Fatuma to struggle as essentially a single mother of eight, with another baby due in February. She doesn’t want to discuss the baby. It is doubtful the circumstances of her pregnancy were ever happy at any point.

Halfway through our gathering, I noticed that Fatuma was wearing athletic shoes that were obviously men’s shoes and easily three sizes too big. “Fatuma,” I said, “where are your shoes? These shoes are too big and you might fall.”

Fatuma laughed nervously and said these were her son’s shoes and the only ones she had right now. I hoped that the money she had just received for her recent jewelry sales would be put toward a decent pair of shoes for herself, but I know better. Fatuma never takes care of herself first. She spends her jewelry pay on her kids, on food, on necessities.

The family is struggling worse than ever, but Fatuma is not one to complain. I could see that she was clearly not her usual cheery self on Saturday, though. Her affect was somewhat flat, and she seemed preoccupied as she went through the motions of making beaded key chains. She didn’t want to chat. She seemed lost in her own thoughts.

At the end of the day, Fatuma helped us clean up, and when it was time to load up Jaime’s and my cars, Fatuma reached down and picked up two heavy, overly-stuffed canvas bags of supplies. I reminded her she shouldn’t be picking up anything so heavy. I thought about her pregnancy and the effort it must take to not only haul heavy bags up the stairs, but to do so in ill-fitting shoes. She insisted she was fine.

I had agreed to give Fatuma a ride home. I helped get her situated in the passenger seat and as I clicked her seat belt closed, I asked her what size shoes she wears. She said she couldn’t remember. Her feet looked cartoonish—oversized red and white basketball shoes poking out from beneath a traditional floral Somali wrap dress.

As we drove diagonally across Denver toward Fatuma’s house, she blurted out, “Sharon, I need help.” I know that Fatuma needs a world of help, and that for the most part, I’m not in a position to provide it. I asked Fatuma what was wrong.

“I need a washer. My washer broken. Finished. Sharon, I have eight kids, and in two months…” Her voice trailed off. She told me her children were washing their clothes by hand in the tub so they would be OK for school. Fatuma had faced a lot of challenges, but this one was beyond her ability to solve.

I know that her husband’s chronic absence and neglect mean the family never has enough money for food, no money for shoes, and definitely no money for a washer. Fatuma had struggled stoically through personal hurt, lack of support from her own community, the stress of trying to help her kids—especially when they got in trouble or faced insurmountable challenges at school—yet if you were to ask her how she was, how life was, she would always smile and say, “OK. Everybody’s good. We’re OK. Fatuma is not one to ever admit that things are not OK, nor is she ever likely to ask anyone to step in on her behalf. It’s the kind of thing you have to stumble upon in the course of a visit.

I was surprised that Fatuma had freely offered up the information that things weren’t going well at home. It was the lack of a washer and dryer that finally made her feel a sense of frustration and defeat that would have made anyone else crumple long ago that got her to come out and ask for help.

Fatuma went on to say that she can’t do anything. She wants to go to school, but she can’t because she has no access to daycare. I reminded her that despite this, she never misses the Saturday class she has attended four the past four years. She speaks English quite well for someone who hasn’t had the benefit of formal education. She always tries to speak English whenever possible instead of relying on her kids to translate everything. She looks for ways to learn and to help herself and her kids. She works multiple urban farming plots to provide healthy produce for her family from spring through fall. I reminded her that she’s a very good mom who is raising nice kids. She pays her bills, somehow. She is not on welfare. I told her that many people have trouble because they don’t try to help themselves, but she should feel good about trying to do everything she could to make her life better.

Fatuma was quiet for a minute. She looked at me and said, “Thank you. Today I’m tired.” Then, with great sincerity, she told me that she likes the way I drive—carefully and not too fast. I laughed at the turn of conversation topic and told her other drivers don’t like me very much for the exact reasons she thought I was a good driver.

As we pulled up in front of her house, Fatuma thanked me again. I promised to take her shoe shopping next week. I told her I’d think about how we could get her a good, sturdy, and reliable washer and dryer that will last a long time, but no promises that I had any answers.

I spent the night fretting over Fatuma’s situation. She has always tried so hard, she has a steady, can-do attitude, yet the universe seems determined to keep throwing obstacles in her path. There are issues of culture involved here, certainly, but there is also a large dose of life being unfair to someone who deserves a break. I can’t even imagine, given all that goes in Fatuma’s world, what a simple relief it must be to sit quietly among other women now and then, stringing beads into cheery combinations and not worrying (for an hour or so) about how she’s going to manage hospital bills or life without a desperately-needed washer and dryer.

—SM

(We are trying to help Fatuma get new appliances--something with a warranty, something that will last and stand up to the task at hand. If you are interested in contributing to this effort, click here.)

Sale season has begun!

2010-10-29T13:38:00.005-06:00

Denver-area folks:
Join us for our first of the 2010 holiday sales!

Shop for a Cause

Friday, October 29, 4pm - 7pm

Saturday, October 30, 10am – 3pm
University Park United Methodist Church
2180 S. University Blvd., Denver

Shop for beautifully crafted, one-of-a-kind gifts that are made and sold by organizations that directly benefit people in need. You will find an incredible array of products that are as unique as the individuals and organizations that make them. Each purchase you make supports and empowers people in need, whether they are in downtown Denver or across the globe.

Determination

2010-10-22T19:31:00.003-06:00

After our meeting on Saturday, Jaime made sure that Guadence had a ride home so she wouldn't have to repeat her five-mile walk--and with no lunch. Like many refugees, Guadence doesn't have the $70 needed for a monthly bus pass. It's common for the refugees to lose a ot of the English they've learned as more and more days pass without access to their English classes.

When Jaime got home on Saturday, she wrote:

Even though Gaudence isn't going to English anymore, she is determined to learn. When I was at her house, she showed me her notebook. She is in the process of copying her entire English/Swahili dictionary by hand into her spiral bound notebook. Pages and pages of handwritten words and definitions, many of which she would have no use for, all in alphabetical order. It broke my heart a little bit, but also I was amazed by her determination.

We always tell people outside of the resettlement world that refugees aren't victims; they are survivors and they survived to see today because they are determined and resourceful. Sometimes, a little help feeds a little hope, and that goes a long way when you're building a new life--from scratch.

Humming along

2010-10-16T16:00:00.006-06:00

On the third Saturday of each month, the members of A Little Something are invited to meet for a few hours of crafting instruction, to learn, drink some tea, and enjoy the company of other women. Sometimes we have a dozen members in attendance, and sometimes just a few. We never know for sure who's coming or who even understood that it was this Saturday.

Sometimes, when the turnout is small, we wonder if we're losing momentum, or maybe the women just aren't that interested after all. This year has been a year of big changes for A Little Something, as well as a year of growing pains and trying to envision a realistic, sustainable future. All of that forward thinking has sometimes meant that spending time with the refugee women has been secondary to getting the business on track for a healthy future. It's not a stretch to think the women might drift away.

Eventually, we find out things like the fact that many women have no access to a buss pass and no cash for bus fare, so they don't attend the meetings. There are weddings and funerals, and this weekend, a major holiday for the ethnic Nepalese. It's not so much about enthusiasm as the realities of modern and traditional life all at once.

This week was no different. Women we had expected didn't come. Others came unexpectedly. Just when we thought the group might be small, our two translators from Burma arrived and eagerly jumped in and joined a lesson on making beaded key fobs. Fatuma and Hajia showed up after their Saturday English class where our project originated three years ago. Then, eight Burmese Karenni/Kayah women arrived, tentatively entering the room. They were there to learn about the weaving co-op.

Almost an hour-and-a-half into the meeting Guadence, a slight, middle-aged woman from Burundi, came in, carrying her tools and a bag of finished jewelry. Jaime looked up and said, "You're late!" Gaudence shook her head and said, "No bus pass. I come by leg."

It took a minute for that to sink in. Gaudence had just walked five miles from her apartment across town to our meeting location, determined not to miss it just because she lacked a bus pass.

This was a sobering moment for us as we realized that Gaudence had done what other women probably wanted to do but could not manage--she got to the meeting the only way she knew how. Once there, she was quickly absorbed in the keychain lesson, and was happily selecting beads for her projects. She never complained. She was happy just to have made it.

Refugees are amazing people. Challenges that many of us wouldn't even consider are not seen as unreasonable by many of these people. They have negotiated their way through situations we cannot even imagine.

Gaudence and her friend Rahima are almost desperate for the chance to spend time with other women, quietly creating beautiful crafts. The weavers were reserved at first, but eventually chatted excitedly about the idea that they were going to get the tools they needed to do something that is as culturally comforting as traditional food or speaking their first language.

Everyone comes to the gatherings for a reason, but we can't really know how important a respite or opportunity these gathering are for the members. The most we can do is keep showing up on the third Saturday of the month and being open to the experience that unfolds.

We have a Website

2010-09-27T11:43:00.003-06:00

Take a moment to visit our new Website. Click here to view. It's nothing fancy, but it's helpful if you're trying to find specific information about our group.

For the most part, we've taken all of the information that's crammed into the right sidebar on this site and spread it out so it's easier to find and read.

Eventually, the "refugeecrafts.org" address that we use now will take you to the Website, not here. This blog isn't going away, though--in fact, the two sites now link to each other. Please let us know if there's something you think would be useful or helpful on our site that we may have overlooked or hadn't considered. We appreciate your feedback!

Are you up for a challenge?

2010-09-24T17:17:00.002-06:00

Denver-area friends:

A Little Something is currently recruiting members for our Board of Directors, as well as someone to take over as our chief officer (president) in a few months.

Our Board is a working Board, and there is a lot to be done!

Solid business skills and an ability to work with diverse communities are musts. No compensation is provided, but the top Board and officer positions should expect to put in 10-20 hours per week for the time being. It's a labor of love, but a very rewarding and worthwhile use of one's time.

If you're interested in talking more, please contact us at beadwomen@gmail.com.

Rahima

2010-08-13T17:07:00.004-06:00

Rahima is a fiber artist from Burundi. She is accustomed to making designs on fabric using batik and tie-dye. When she first heard about A Little Something at school, she was eager to join. We don't currently have a facility where we can work on textiles, so Rahima decided to learn jewelry making.

Her first attempts turned out to be very good. She has a wonderful eye for design and color. Her technical skills are coming along quickly.

After she finished her first batch of jewelry, she couldn't wait until the next monthly meeting to get feedback on her work and help with the things that were giving her trouble. She was very excited about her efforts, so a couple of weeks ago, we set up an appointment to meet during the hour between morning and afternoon classes.

Rahima's enthusiasm is contagious, and she's already working through her second bead-box refill. We sold several of her pieces at our August 1 sale--the first where her items were available.

Rahima hopes to get more involved with sales this fall so she can learn the business and practice her English. In the meantime, she's busy trying out new jewelry making techniques.

Volunteer!

2010-07-26T15:05:00.006-06:00

We need knitters!

Our next lesson meeting with the members of A Little Something is scheduled for Saturday, August 21 (9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.). We are very much in need of some knitting instructors for this meeting! We would like to present a lesson on making mittens. We are also considering a lesson on socks.

If you are a knitter who makes mittens, you are patient, and you can help others learn how to make mittens (and maybe socks), please let us know as soon as possible: beadwomen@gmail.com.

Thanks!

A Little Thank You

2010-07-24T10:51:00.005-06:00

In the past couple of weeks, we've been blessed by the generosity of others.

* We would like to thank JoAnn Ries at Rockin Beads in Aurora, Colorado for the beads she recently donated to our program. We've already distributed some of those to our jewelry makers.

* Slavica Park, whose generous contribution made it possible for us to buy the storage cabinet we needed so we could move into our office. This was a huge help!

* Leo Livecchi for giving up a precious Saturday to help build the cabinet.

* The kind, anonymous donor in Ohio who mailed us a bunch of goodies after she did some "stash thinning" of supplies. Great stuff and very helpful.

We are truly grateful for the help of friends and supporters, near and far. Thank you for keeping us in your thoughts. Your donations are important and mean the world to us.

A small addition to our wish list

2010-07-06T15:55:00.003-06:00

We need a few items for our new office, but we could use some help from the super-shoppers out there. Please let us know if you can help.

We bought shelves, but that only addresses half of the storage situation. At the moment, our most pressing need is for a large cabinet, and Home Depot has exactly what we're looking for. It's a wardrobe manufactured by the ClosetMaid company. It's 48" wide and about 6-feet high. The price is $108. You can read about it here.

If you know where we can get this same item for less money, please let us know. We found one on Craigslist, but we don't have a truck to transport it or the muscles to move it into the building.

Since the office is small, we need to make the most of the space; good storage is going to be critical for us. Isn't that the truth for all crafters?

SM

Happy day!

2010-07-04T19:46:00.005-06:00

We enjoyed our day at the outdoor market at City Park Esplanade in Denver this July 4th. The day got off to a slow start, but traffic picked up once the sun came out.

Our friend, Carol Amato, came early to help us set up. Amina Salat, one of our teen crafters and daughter of Fatuma, one of our very first members, spent the entire day helping out.

We didn't make much money, but we met a lot of really nice people, incuding the other artisan/crafter vendors who had some wonderful items for sale. We want to thank everyone who stopped by our booth to chat and those who pooled the last of their farmer's market shopping cash to buy a necklace or a pair of earrings.

We'll be back on Sunday, August 1, and Sunday, September 5 (Labor Day weekend). Hope to see you there!

A sale coming up!

2010-07-02T19:06:00.004-06:00

On Sunday July 4, we'll be selling our wares in Denver.

Colorado Fresh Markets

City Park Esplanade and E. Colfax Ave.

9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

Stop and say hello and maybe buy a pretty necklace!

It's small but it's home-sweet-home

2010-07-01T19:04:00.004-06:00

Three years ago, Anna and I could be found sitting on the dining room floor at my house, night after night. We were sorting through donations, organizing beads, trying to figure out what some things were, and often commenting on how much easier it would be if we had an office.

Our dreams were grand. We talked about 1,000 square feet of open space, somewhere along the Colfax corridor. We wanted natural light, plenty of outlets, a kitchen, a utility sink we could use for dyeing fabric, and plenty of outlets to run sewing machines. Susan suggested a small sofa and an easy chair, as well as a cozy corner where we could sit and have tea and just visit with the women of A Little Something.

In the last three years, our organization has grown in fits and starts. We work very hard. We've brought in many more members, lost one to an unthinkable tragedy, learned good business practices, put together a Board of Directors, got better about keeping track of our mail and writing thank-you notes, and became more aware of the reality that not only weren't there enough hours in the day, we really were getting desperate about needing a dedicated space.

We house our worldly possession in the basement of my house. About 15 months into our project, my husband requested that we relocate from the dining room (which we had taken over in its entirety by then) and to the basement so he could be left to enjoy his nightly TV viewing in peace.

The basement was mostly empty. We brought in steel shelving units, a carpet, a table or two, and hung things on the walls. My husband tore out most of the ceiling and installed crafting-friendly lighting for us.

Of course, nature abhors a vacuum, and the space slowly began to fill with beads, yarn, display items, and all of the other accouterments of crafting. My Pilates machine became a hulking shape in the corner, covered with fabric yardage and baskets.

It was the basket-making supplies that sent Leo over the edge. For nearly a year, Leo kept commenting that the A Little Something section of the basement was getting quite full, and this wasn't what he had in mind. To alleviate the tension about this, I found it was best to have donations delivered to my workplace, but leave them in the car until Leo went out to walk the dog. Once he was out of the house, I would bring the supplies in and work them into the existing inventory in the basement. He's not a crafter--once the supplies were in the basement, he couldn't really discern that more had been brought in.

Until the basket-making supplies.

After doing some shopping, my husband took it upon his wonderful, gallant self to unload my car while I was resting. He found a large quantity of craft supplies in the back of the car and moved them into the basement. Somewhere during that process, it registered with him that we never had basket-making supplies before. And that was the beginning of the end of our free ride in the basement of a modest little ranch house in Denver.

I looked at many offices. I spoke with a few dozen property managers and landlords. We were considered too small, too new, too noncorporate, too...not what they had in mind.

Our disappointments were frequent and profound, having found the perfect office at least six times and been rejected.

Eventually, I found a listing for a quaint little building square in the middle of our desired area. It was in our price range. It was almost too much to hope for. I scheduled a showing.

In a very weird twist of fate, the building turned out to be familiar. It was the former home of the Rocky Mountain Survivor's Center, a wonderful organization that did amazing good work with survivors of torture and trauma. When they lost their main funding source in the fall of 2009, they had to close up shop for good. So many refugees and asylees had been helped by RMSC, it was hard to believe the building would now house businesses instead of a place of healing.

We sweated the decision about our worthiness to rent. When we got the news that we had been accepted, it seemed impossible. Finally, someone was willing to take a chance on us.

Today, Katrina and I inked the deal. We signed a lease. We wrote a check from the business account A Little Something opened after we became an officially registered business in the state of Colorado. The moment was profound.

We had hoped to rent a 200-square-foot space with large windows and a door to the back deck/fire escape. After much discussion, though, we decided that we needed to rent what we knew we could afford. It is humble, to be sure. Our office is a mere 100 square-foot, 10'x10' space. And we love it.

We haven't moved in yet, but we will in the next week. Perhaps if we have a good sale season, finalize our nonprofit status, get some grants...we can move into a larger space within the building. The building is lovely, cozy, and welcoming. IT feels right, and in the end, that may be its most important quality.

We owe thanks to Jeremy Anderson at Shift Realty and the building's owner, Alexandra Katsiaficas Wagner for their help and flexibility in making our quest come to fruition. We hope to have a long and very positive relationship, starting today, when A Little Something took a very big step.

We don't have office hours yet and we need to round up some cabinets and shelving, but eventually, you can find us at 1547 Gaylord St., Suite 204, Denver, Colorado 80205. We'll let you know when we schedule the office-warming party.

--SM

Sunday, July 4--Call for help!

2010-06-30T08:15:00.002-06:00

We have a sale scheduled this Sunday, July 4th, but we lack staffing. The sale will be from 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. (allow an additional hour to pack up).

Sharon will be there, but this is in no way a one-person endeavor!!

The location is in Denver, at the City Park Esplanade on East Colfax, next to East High School (Columbine St. at E. Colfax Ave.). Click here for a map.

If you can help, please let us know ASAP via an email to beadwomen@gmail.com.

Art as a bridge to memories

2010-06-26T20:48:00.009-06:00

One of our members and jewelry makers, Omhagain Dayeen, was recently asked to show her sketch and painting work for one month at the headquarters of The Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT). Many thanks to Lonnie Wiens, CDOT IT guru by day, art show curator on the side for making Omhagain’s show possible.

A special thanks is also in order to Leo Livecchi, married to an ALS founder and a somewhat reluctant supporter of A Little Something. He also works at CDOT. It was Leo’s idea to have Omhagain participate in CDOT’s rotating art gallery show.

After a lot of logistical wrangling, the show started to come together today. Lonnie said, “I am honored to have Omhagain’s work here. She’s an amazing artist.”

Lonnie, Omhagain, her husband, Kamal, and a friend, Susan Taylor, were on hand today, hanging pictures, arranging images and hanging the show. In addition, a film crew was getting footage of the action.

As it turns out, the film crew is from the State Department and filming a documentary about Darfuris living in the U.S. Omhagain has worked tirelessly to bring attention to the issues of Darfur, and she donates part of the profits from her art sales to buy clothes and food for refugees currently in Chad.

Omhagain came to the US as a refugee, an artist displaced from the country and culture she treasured. Her early US works reflected her melancholy. They were mostly subdued, technical, and factual images of her memories of home.

Her current work shows a woman who has found hope and joy in those same memories. Figures dance and move in bold colors. Human shapes are round and robust, enjoying a prosperous Sudanese life. The pictures show beauty, color, and vibrant images. They tell a story about Sudan and Omhagain’s love for what she left behind.

Before becoming a refugee, Omhagain had earned her Master’s degree in art education in Sudan. She was both an artist and a teacher. She wove tapestries and designed textiles. She had a passion for both creating and teaching, and it was obvious that she felt the power of art and the creative force.

Omhagain admits that she had to find herself again, both as a woman and an artist, after coming to the United States. She is quick to acknowledge that she got to where she is today with the help of friends and people who took the time to care, to sit, to listen, and to encourage. Ultimately, though, what comes out in Omhagain’s art is her love of faces, color, motion, and the people in her world, past and present.

More than art, Omhagain’s work shows the beauty of a culture now under siege. Perhaps a show in as unlikely a space as CDOT headquarters will help further the conversation about how we are connected to people around the world. Perhaps Omhagain’s art will shed some light on a part of the world that needs as much love and light as can possibly be generated before it can heal.

Omhagain's art is for sale. The exhibit is open to the public during regular business hours, from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. Check in at the front desk. The art is displayed on both the first and second floors, in the halls. CDOT is located at 4201 E Arkansas Ave. in Denver. For more information, call 303-757-9011.

Getting the left and right together

2010-06-03T11:06:00.003-06:00

We've been busy behind the scenes at A Little Something. We're trying to set up a system where our members take more leadership and responsibility in the organization. We're working on an instructional video. We 're still trying just to get our nonprofit paperwork submitted to the IRS. We're trying to rent an office. We're trying to do this around our day jobs!

Growth is a challenging process, and it takes a lot of attention to detail to get the big tasks taken care of.

Sometimes, that means the small tasks can get overlooked.

Back in April, we finally got an address of our own--although it was just a post office box. It seemed like a good way to make sure people could send us mail and know we would receive it. There was only one glitch--I thought Katrina was checking the mail. Katrina thought I was checking the mail.

Nobody was checking the mail.

I remembered to stop by the post office this past weekend, and I made my first trip to our PO box. I opened the little door and found the following:

A small package
A misdirected piece of mail
A notice of a parcel that had been sent but that required a signature
A second notice about that same parcel indicating it would be sent back if not claimed in a couple of days. That, unfortunately, was in April.

To the kind person (B. Riley?) who sent us a package that required our signature, we offer a sincere and humble apology. By now, you have probably received that parcel back. Please don't think we didn't want it or that it went to the wrong place. Quite simply, we just weren't at the post office to receive it. We feel bad knowing you were so thoughtful to send us something and so careful as to send it certified mail, but we missed it. We are sorry.

I promise we'll be more diligent about picking up our mail going forward. We'll be stopping by the post office once a week, probably on Saturdays. Please, send us fan mail, beads, donations, or anything you think we'd like to receive--just don't send us any bills!

--SM

Keep us in mind

2010-05-26T14:11:00.002-06:00

A Little Something really needs to find a very affordable home. For now, we're looking for a storage unit, but what we really need is a headquarters. What do we have in mind?

Very, very, very inexpensive
Open floor plan
1,000 square feet, at least
Has a sink
Has updated electrical service that won't crash if we're using sewing machines
Good lighting
Utilities included
Accessible 24/7
In Denver or Aurora, on or within a couple of blocks of Colfax (15 bus), between Broadway and Havana.

If you hear of anything, please keep us in mind and let us know about it. Our efforts at achieving growth and cohesion as an organization have really been hindered by our lack of a space to call our own.

Let us know!

2010-05-21T13:00:00.003-06:00

A Little Something is in need of a little storage space.

We are being evicted from our original location--the basement of Sharon's house, currently where we keep all of our organization's worldly possessions.

Sharon's husband would like his basement back, and he fears that unless intervention measures are enacted now, A Little Something will soon take over the entire house. Actually, that's a plausible scenario.

If you are in the Denver Metro area and you know of a good storage place, please let us know. Here are our requirements:

100 sf of space

Access in the evening and on the weekends

safe (for our stuff and for us when we're there)

affordable--well under $100/month

easily accessible from downtown, but definitely east of Broadway and north of Mississippi.

If you know of anything, please let us know. We're supposed to be out of the basement by mid-June. email: beadwomen@gmail.com

We're here and there

2010-05-18T22:50:00.003-06:00

It's a busy week at A Little Something. We have a sale at St. Elizabeth's Spring Garden Festival on Saturday, May 22 from 10:00-2:00. Stop by if you're in the neighborhood. We have dozens of new beaded necklaces!

St Elizabeth’s School
3605 Martin Luther King Blvd
Denver, CO
(4 blocks west of Colorado Blvd. Click here for a map.)

The World Threads II show continues at TACtile Textile Arts until the end of the month. There are some truly wonderful items for sale from around the world.

We will be giving a presentation at TACtile this Saturday at 11:30. Three of our Burmese Karen weavers will provide some insight into the history and cultural specifics of Karen weaving and the weavers' use of back strap looms. We hope you can join us!

Part of a bigger picture

2010-04-25T19:50:00.016-06:00

Saturday marked the opening of the World Threads II Exhibit at the TACtile Textile Arts Center in Denver. We've been friends of TACtile since shortly after we started A Little Something. It's a very intriguing place if you're interested in the many aspects of fiber arts (and that includes beading and basketry). In addition to being dedicated to promoting awareness of fiber arts traditions, TACtile is also supportive of local nonprofit organizations that work with artisans here and abroad to improve their chances of achieving self-sufficiency, an improved standard of living, and healthier communities.

The World Threads show specifically celebrates the beauty of textiles from around the world. Step into the gallery and let yourself be transported across continents and cultures. Silk balloon pants from China, a wedding sari from India, a Japanese kimono, a piano shawl, embroidery, intricate quilting from rural China, and more fill the gallery area.

Enter the big room and you've just stepped into the world of art with a purpose. The creations in this room are brought to you by a group of globally-focused nonprofit organizations. Bright Ralli quilts from India will catch your eye immediately. The Ralli quilters of northern India and Pakistan create playful, intricate works of art. The quilts are here by way of Patricia Stoddard, who also wrote the book, Ralli Quilts: Traditional Textiles from Pakistan and India. (See if you can find a copy of the book in this picture.)

Silks of Laos assists Lao weavers who create sumptuous magic with their looms. This organization's work supports educational opportunities and a sustainable income for the weavers in this area near the Vietnam border.

Across the room, gossamer silk scarves flutter against the wall, and a collection of snowy white cotton nightgowns boast intricate pintucking and embroidery details. This is the work of Memsahib Mar, an organization that sells textile arts to benefit several nongovernmental organizations in India, as well as women's cooperatives and two orphanages.

Indigo threads is another organization working with Lao artisans. Their weaving is done on back strap looms creating textiles that are colored using natural dyes. Several traditional weaving techniques are represented in this work, including ikat. The money earned from textiles produced in this area of southern Laos goes to fund schools and provide educational opportunities for children in poor, rural areas.

The cutest hats ever are made by Eternal Threads. This organization rescues girls from the sex industry in Nepal and Madagascar. The girls learn skills such as knitting, weaving, and sewing. The animal hats are precious, and they are displayed alongside colorful raffia giraffes.

Maya Cielo carries traditional cotton woven items from Central America. Colorful throws, lengths of undyed white cotton fabric, and cloth dolls are created by skilled weavers. The work of Maya Cielo supports this cooperative in Guatemala.

Anoothi is a partnership between women in Jaipur, India and women in the U.S. The Indian women not only make beautiful crafts, they gather to learn about healthcare, gender equality, and financial literacy. The gemstone jewelry and textile items made from recycled saris generate income for the women; sales also fund the work these organizations do overseas.

There's certainly quite a bit more to see at the show, and there is plenty to buy. Know that every dollar you spend helps to make the world a better place, both across continents and right here at home.

Check TACtile's website for the schedule of Saturday talks and demonstrations presented by the participating nonprofit artisan groups. World Threads II continues through May 28.

TACtile Textile Arts Center
Tamarac Square
E. Hampden Ave. at S. Quebec St., Suite 114
(Lower Level, near Rodney's Restaurant)
Denver, Colorado

Hours: 11:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m.

720.524.8886 info@tactilearts.org

Natural dyes lend additional beauty to African baskets and organic cotton shawls, scarves, and other textiles from Ethiopia. By Woven Promises

Reflecting at six months

2010-04-24T22:10:00.002-06:00

It has been exactly six months since we lost our friend, Haiffaa Ali. We continue to be asked about her by people who were unaware of the tragedy of her death.

We want people to remember Haiffaa and the things that made her feel such passion: Human rights, peace, reasonable dialogue, women's empowerment, women helping women, Ghandi, The Dalai Lama, Michael Moore, Barack Obama, the Five Pillars of the Islam faith, and the plight of the world's refugees.

As our blog goes on, Haiffaa's story falls lower on the post order, as is the nature of a blog. So that Haiffaa's story remains prominent and doesn't get lost amid A Little Something's story, the related posts have been moved to a new space, a separate site: http://rememberinghaiffaa.blogspot.com/.

If you would like to contribute your memories of Haiffaa, please send your essay via email to beadwomen@gmail.com.

SM

Here and there

2010-04-21T20:45:00.004-06:00

The A Little Something crew has had a particularly busy spring. Starting on Saturday, we'll be participating in the World Threads II exhibit at TACtile Arts in Denver. Join us this Saturday, April 24, at 2:00 p.m., or stop by and see our display and sale items through May 28.

TACtile Textile Arts Center
Tamarac Square

7777 East Hampden Avenue Suite #114

Denver, Colorado 80231
Located inside the mall atrium, lower level

720.524.8886

info@tactilearts.org
http://www.tactilearts.org/gallery.html

World Threads, Preserving Fiber Traditions is an exhibit of traditional textiles, basketry and beadwork from developing countries in Africa, South and Central America, and Southeast Asia shared by local collectors. In addition to the exhibit, this show will include a sale of traditional crafts and textiles from around the world to benefit local humanitarian assistance organizations that support the creation and preservation of the fiber arts in developing countries.

Special Saturday presentations
May 1, 8, 15 & 22

The 12 participating organizations will present information about their projects in developing countries. Six locally based, humanitarian groups will have handcrafted fiber art from around the world for sale to support their work.

Chaos alert!

2010-02-09T15:26:00.004-07:00

We have a meeting coming up on

Saturday, February 27

Quite a few people have asked us if there is ever an opportunity to volunteer with A Little Something. The answer...Maybe.

When we have our "big" gatherings, we never know what to expect except that we wish we had more help getting through it. We can certainly use help distributing supplies, teaching jewelry making techniques and tool usage, demonstrating corrections (for items that need to be reworked or fixed), and any number of similar things!

We can't say if any of the knitters will show up, but we'd love it if someone could present a lesson on:

how to use circular needles
how to make socks
making mittens
crochet interesting hats

There might be 10 women in attendance or dozens--it's always a surprise. If you've contacted us before about volunteering, please let us know if you'd like to join the group on February 27. (We'll reveal the address of our meeting space via email).

It helps if you are a crafter, knitter, jewelry maker, etc., but it may be enough just to excel at organizing things (and people).

Drop us a line at beadwomen@gmail.com

Saturday, February 27, 2010
Downtown Denver
From 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

Wishes for our weavers

2010-01-24T19:46:00.004-07:00

I've been thinking about our weavers lately. We have weavers from Burma--Karen, Chin, and Karenni--and also ethnic Nepalese from Bhutan. the weavers want to weave, but we seem to keep running into roadblocks when it comes to getting them set up.

Finding the right fiber is proving to be tricky. Should we just import it ourselves from Thailand? The weavers don't have the English words to tell us what we should be asking for, and it seems that even having some of their fiber in hand isn't enough for someone to tell us what it is. Oh, how I wish I had tried harder and learned more when I took that weaving course in college. Truth be told, weaving is incredibly difficult and it requires math (the death knell for my weaving aspirations).

We keep hoping to get the weavers together for a field trip to the fiber store, but for a variety of reasons, it just never happens. We have a woodworker lined up and ready to get to work on the backstrap loom components for the women, but we need the weavers to tell us and the woodworker where to start. Are we losing credibility with our fiber artists? They are amazingly patient, but then, that's probably an inherent part of being a weaver.

The weavers of A Little Something truly are artists. They work in cotton and wool, they embroider over their weaving, and they create intricate patterns in their finished work--all with backstrap looms. Our Sudanese weaver makes tapestries, and two of the Bhutanese women have tried to describe a type of tabletop loom that they use, although so far we're unfamiliar with it. The woven items they have, however, are simply beautiful.

The weavers in this group have a gift, a joyous gift, that should be shared with the world. The quiet contemplation that comes with crafting--be it weaving, jewelry making, knitting, crochet, or sewing--can bring a creative soul to a place of calm and strength. The beauty of the finished results is a source of joy for the creator and those who are fortunate enough to own these treasures.

Perhaps 2010 will be our year, the year when we really connect with the local weaving guilds, when we figure out how and where to buy the right fiber, and every weaver who needs a loom gets one.

And then, we'll try to figure out how you tie on a backstrap loom in a modern American apartment that does not, unfortunately, have exposed bamboo beams in the walls. Hmmmm.

We have some figuring out to do!

Catching up

2009-11-22T23:24:00.006-07:00

November has been busy for A Little Something. We've been meeting with members in small groups to distribute supplies and help with technical skills. Although this is efficient, it's not as good at team-building as our all-women meetings. It is, however, a lot of fun and just as hectic as getting together in large groups.

Getting the technical details right continues to be a challenge for the women. Crimps are poorly affixed or used incorrectly, the new earring findings seem to be confusing, and making turned loops and wrapped loops continue to be problematic. On the upside, the women have come a long way in developing their sense of design and using color. Most of the jewelry is really quite pretty. Htee Ku Paw is very open-minded about adapting her weaving designs to American tastes and uses. The Bhutanese knitters are making gorgeous hats and scarves.

We have amazing, wonderful, patient, go-with-the-flow volunteers, and without them we couldn't do what we do. Thanks Michelle, Carol, Jean, Ginny, and Amanda! I hope I didn't forget anyone.

Here are some recent photos of life with A Little Something...

Our media Monday

2009-11-17T14:12:00.011-07:00

Following the loss of Haiffaa, we were presented with the opportunity to work with two local journalists in telling Haiffaa's story. To access Haiffaa's news story via the NBC news Website, click here. You can also click the "play" icon and watch it here.

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Leanne Gregg from MSNBC spent many hours over the course of a weeks researching, coordinating, writing and filming a story about Haiffaa and the lives she touched.

Megan Verlee from Colorado Public Radio also worked on a story for about a week, and went to four different locations to conduct interviews and gather the sounds of Haiffaa's world in Denver. She met with the A Little Something Team at our HQ--the basement of Sharon's house.

The Colorado Public Radio interview ran in drive time three times, so there is no doubt that many people heard this story.

To hear the story yourself, click here. Windows Media Player will launch and the story should play automatically. If you experience technical difficulty, click here and select the story from 11/16. The piece is about five minutes long.

(Above left: Katrina and Susan being interviewed. Above right, Colorado Public Radio at work.)

Gone too soon

2009-10-26T20:05:00.007-06:00

On Sunday, October 25, 2009, two massive bomb attacks killed well over 150 people in Baghdad and wounded hundreds of others. Those are hard numbers to comprehend, let alone think of on an individual-by-individual basis. What does that look like? Who were those people? It was so far away, does it matter?

In the United States , war tends not to meet us on a personal level unless it is one of our own who dies, and then only if it is a member of the military. In that case, we get the full press treatment from family reaction to funeral.

Well yesterday, one of our own met the war head on and did not survive. She wasn’t a “civilian casualty;” she was a woman with friends, family, and a compelling life story. You won’t read about it in the news and you certainly won’t hear the story singled out on television. That doesn’t make this loss any less significant. The war has a face and it is the face of Haiffaa Ali.

Haiffaa came here with her family in March, 2007, a refugee at the age of 53. She was my student for months, until she learned enough English to move on to a higher level class. She also took a free class on Saturday mornings, a class we had set up for refugee women living in east Denver.

Her participation in both classes is what brought her to be one of the first four “Beadwomen,” the women who became the core of A Little Something. Haiffaa was our champion. She not only learned faster than the others, she taught new women how to make jewelry and she explained to them why it was good for them to be part of the group. She cried when she made her first sale, and then she asked me to help her write about the experience. We each wrote our own version and we named the essay, “Eight Dollars.” Haiffaa kept a copy of our blogged version, just as she kept the actual eight dollars cash from the sale, which she had proudly framed.

Haiffaa was a one-woman public relations machine for A Little Something, and she was never subtle about it. She wanted everyone to know about the work we were doing, even after she left us to become her own brand. We had hoped she would stay with us longer as a member leader, and then go onto micro-enterprise class and our Board of Directors. Big plans, for sure, but there was no stopping Haiffaa—she always maintained her resolve to do things her own way.

Once she learned some English and began to relax in this country, Haiffaa soared. She made friends everywhere she went in Denver. She met the Mayor and the Governor; she had her own gallery show; she did two public radio interviews and she was the subject of at least two newspaper articles. She presented at the national TESOL conference and at the COTESOL conference, as well. She knew almost everyone at Emily Griffith Opportunity School, it seemed, as well as a hundred more outside of school. She loved Barack Obama, books (and she read them in English so she could talk about them with friends), Michael Moore, education, people, empowerment for women, and above all, the tenets of peace and justice and the teachings of Ghandi and The Dalai Lama. She was also the woman who took the time to cook many excellent and much appreciated meals for my husband, Leo, because she felt sorry for him, knowing that I was much too busy to cook for him myself.

Haiffaa used to love to sit and talk. We would talk for hours sometimes, discussing life, home, family, and healing a battered soul. She knew when I was hiding something, and she gave me a hard time about a lot of things. Sometimes we didn’t get along at all, and we argued, each of us determined to prove we were right. Of course, it was probably just because we were both hard-headed and opinionated. Haiffaa never hesitated to take a stand.

When Haiffaa first arrived in Denver, she was angry and afraid. She only knew Americans by way of the military presence in her country and from what she had seen on television. She believed Americans would be hostile, especially toward an Iraqi. She was surprised and relieved to learn that she was welcome here and that strangers wanted to help her make a life here. She used to say that in a person's heart, it was easy for love to turn to hate, but together, we all had truly accomplished something by turning her hate into love.

Haiffaa loved to travel, and her family made it possible for her to go overseas to visit her friends and other family members. On this trip, she said she would go to Germany and then to Jordan . She stayed far longer than she had said she would, and many of us were wondering if she was planning to come home at all.

Unbeknownst to her family, Haiffaa sneaked into Iraq late last week. She was so close and the temptation was too great to ignore. She had some unfinished emotional business she needed to take care of. Haiffaa’s elderly father had been murdered while Haiffaa and her family were in exile. The crime was unrelated to the war and it remained a cold case amidst the chaos of war. Haiffaa never had closure—she had no way to say goodbye to her father, and she was always pained that he didn’t have a proper funeral. As his only child, she felt his loss keenly. She often spoke of the day she could return to Iraq to visit her father’s grave and to finally say goodbye.

When Haiffaa called her husband in Denver to say she was with relatives in Baghdad, he was furious. He told her to get out of the country immediately. Who knows what Haiffaa was thinking. Perhaps she thought the conflict had eased to the point that it really was safe enough to visit. Apparently, it wasn’t.

Ironically, Haiffaa was at the travel agent’s office making arrangements to return to the U.S. when the bombings occurred. Her relatives who survived the blast called her husband to tell him that his wife had been killed.

Haiffaa was outgoing, creative, tenacious, stubborn, witty, amazing, and full of personality—probably enough for several people. She had a way of immediately connecting with people, and as a result, she had many, many friends and just as many fans. It was easy to be impressed with Haiffaa.

All who have heard the news are mourning. Those of us who work with refugees understand more than most what the true cost of war really is. We know why refugees aren't supposed to go home during an active conflict, and we know that for many, never being able to go home again is the deepest wound of all.

Haiffaa had said numerous times that when she died, she wished to be buried in her homeland, a country she loved and missed deeply. Unintentionally, she has truly gone home to stay.

Haiffaa was buried in Baghdad on Monday, in a grave alongside her father’s.

May the journey of your soul be peaceful.

We will miss you.

On Wednesday, October 28, KCFR (Colorado Public Radio) re-ran an interview with Haiffaa that was originally broadcast last year. Ryan Warner, the host of Colorado Matters, included an update on Haiffaa's death. Click here to hear the ten-minute story.

Haiffaa's eight dollars

Haiffaa making jewelry in Sharon's back yard

Celebrating our first successful bracelet!

Haiffaa's very first trip to Hobby Lobby

One of her first jewelry lessons

Haiffaa was a natural born teacher

Speaking at "Voices of Refugees" at the University of Denver

Sharon and Haiffaa

Haiffaa and the bear...???

Haiffaa Ali

We gather, we have a ball

2009-10-14T22:28:00.009-06:00

Last Saturday, we had planned to have our first meeting of the Board of Directors of A Little Something, followed by a drop-in session for women who needed help with their crafts or needed to pick up supplies.

The weather forecast wasn't very encouraging. Since most of the women come by bus, we figured we would have our meeting and go home--we didn't really expect much of a turnout.

Sometimes, nothing is what you expect. We had over a dozen women in attendance, including four newcomers from Bhutan and one from Burma. Not only did they come on a freezing Saturday morning, they showed up about 40 minutes early. So much for that business meeting. Not a big deal--spending time with the women is much more fun than writing bylaws and setting goals.

Sharifo brought her son, a chubby, healthy, active 18-month old. Mama Moumina is in Denver until the weather turns cold in earnest (and then she spends the winter in Phoenix). She brought two of the baskets she weaves from bread wrappers and plastic grocery bags. Hind once again dazzled us with her innate design sense and excellent technical skills. Our two newest weavers/knitters, Pampha and Durga, went home with plenty of rich, wool yarn with which they will create sumptuous-yet-quirky hats and scarves.

Katrina was able to spend time with the members in attendance explaining the co-op contract and how members are paid. Anna worked through quality control with the Somali women (and a successful lesson with the "Yes/No" board), while Jaime worked on materials distribution. I was busy giving a starter lesson on bracelet making, bead selection, crimping, and using tools with the new members.

I regret that I was too busy to take a picture of Susan diligently assembling tool sets and findings for the teen girls. Because I take medication that sometimes makes my memory a bit foggy, I make lists for everything. I created a visual picture list to use when making starter sets so I wouldn't forget to include anything. It was very validating, then, to see Susan deep in concentration checking her sets against my rumpled visual list.

It's looking more and more like we're going to have a large community of weavers within A Little Something. Our weavers' styles are as different as their ethnicities--Karen, Karenni, Nepalese, and Burmese. This is something we've tried to foster from the beginning of the project, and it's finally about to happen. Next steps: sewing and soap making. More on that later.

Although we had expected a slow Saturday morning and only two hours of "hands-on" time, we barely had time to sit. I believe it was 3:00 when we finally got in our cars to head home. There are not enough hours in the day. Not even close.

Around the Web

2009-10-14T22:03:00.001-06:00

All over the world, populations are moving, fleeing, evolving, hurting each other and helping one another. For those of us who work in refugee resettlement, it is especially important to remember that although there is always more work to be done, good things are happening all over the planet, as well.

Jaime and I have found a few articles and Websites that we hope will provide some insights into the ways hope and courage are still alive and well in our world.

A recent article in the New York Times gives a glimpse into the lives of newly resettled Bhutanese refugees in the Bronx, New York. The article is accompanied by an excellent photo slide show by photojournalist Suzanne DeChillo.

An excerpt of the article follows. Click here to read the entire story, but do it soon--articles in the Times aren't available online indefinitely. you can access the archived stories simply by registering with the Website--it's quick, easy, and free.

Bhutan Refugees Find a Toehold in the Bronx

By KIRK SEMPLE
Published: September 24, 2009

Nearly every immigrant group in New York City has a neighborhood, or at least a street, to call its own. But for refugees from the tiny South Asian nation of Bhutan, the closest thing to a home base is a single building in the Bronx — a red-brick five-story walk-up, with a weed-choked front courtyard and grimy staircases.

Eight families — more than 40 people — have taken up residence here in the past several months, part of a stream of thousands of Bhutanese refugees who have flowed into the United States in the past year and a half. With the help of resettlement agencies, many have found apartments in the Bronx, and the largest concentration has ended up here in the building on University Avenue.

This is their small toehold in a strange new world. The only life most have known was in the rural plains and Himalayan foothills of Bhutan and the dusty refugee camps of Nepal. Few have ever lived in homes with electricity or indoor plumbing, or between walls made of anything but bamboo. continued online

Weaving together a community of hope

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees Website currently features a story about a weavers' co-op in Bangladesh. Ethnic Chin refugee women from Burma are using their traditional weaving skills to earn their own money instead of depending on handouts from UNHCR or local Bangladeshis. The goal of the program is to empower the refugee women in the co-op as well as to help them become self-sufficient in a country where it isn't easy to do so. When women have their own money and they have the leeway to make choices for themselves, their families benefit, as well. This project rings a familiar note for us at A Little Something since our goals and beliefs are very much the same. Click here to read the entire story.

The Blue Sweater
The Blue Sweater: Bridging the Gap Between Rich and Poor in an Interconnected World is author Jacqueline Novogratz's memoir of a life spent trying to understand and document global poverty. From her Website, thebluesweater.com,

It all started back home in Alexandria, Virginia, with the blue sweater, a special gift that quickly became her prized possession—until the day she outgrew it and gave it away to Goodwill. Eleven years later in Africa, she spotted a young boy wearing the sweater, with her name still on the tag inside. That her garment had made it all the way to Kigali, Rwanda, where she was helping a group of African women start a micro-finance bank, was ample evidence of the way we are all connected, and how our actions—and inaction—touch people every day across the globe, people we may never know or meet. This awareness continues to drive her efforts to fight poverty, and to bridge the gap between rich and poor.

Novogratz has managed to tie together her experience as a venture capitalist in developing nations with her idealism and optimism into a story that will inspire readers to look for ways to effect real change.

Women Leading for Livelihoods
Imagine our surprise at coming across this project on the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees Website. It was like reading a page from our own book, another telling of the A Little Something philosophy:

This UNHCR initiative is aimed at promoting the economic independence and
empowerment of refugee and displaced women and girls around the world. For WLL, women are not victims or passive recipients of aid; with access to the proper
resources, they are capable of changing their lives and those of their children,
families and communities.

Refugee and displaced women face a series of barriers to work: legal restrictions, physical and psychological trauma, lack of financial resources, child care issues, the wrong skills for their environment, and much more. WLL aims to break down these barriers through the funding of a full range of programmes aimed at empowering refugee and displaced women. Projects range from language and vocational training to classes on farming , marketing and computer literacy as well as basic courses in finance and how to get access to business centres and savings and loan schemes.

Read more about Women Leading for Livelihoods here.

Photo: UNIFEM

The Women’s Crusade

The liberation of women could help solve many of the world’s problems, from poverty to child mortality to terrorism.

In August of this year, New York Times journalist Nicholas D. Kristof and investment banker Sheryl WuDunn wrote an extensive article about the plight of women struggling to survive and get a foothold on basic human rights throughout the developing world. Thanks to the availability of micro-finance business and development programs, women are making progress toward a better life, one at a time. The article points out the powerful effects of micro-finance projects and specifically addresses the benefits to women in parts of the world where they often suffer the most and have the fewest rights. With structured programs, small loans, and the opportunity to begin entrepreneurial ventures, women are changing lives far beyond their own.

To access the entire article, click here.

The article includes an audio slide show and a short video about women who are newly empowered and whose lives are being transformed by their participation in the micro-finance movement. Additional information about the Kristoff and WuDunn's Half the Sky Movement (get involved!) can be found here.

'Tis the season

2009-10-08T16:48:00.003-06:00

Check the right column of our blog for information about upcoming sales.

We're going to be very busy!

2009-10-08T16:29:00.002-06:00

We're getting ready for a meeting with the A Little Something members this Saturday. We can only hope that they come! The weather is supposed to be dreadful.

We hope to finally explain the new contracts and pay arrangements. For the past two years, we've been paying the women 75 percent of the selling price of their items. The other 25 percent goes into the business to buy supplies and pay for registration fees when we attend festivals and sales events.

Going forward, we'll pay the women outright for whatever they make. This will also give us the opportunity to inspect the women's work when it's turned in. That matters because we've spent hours upon hours fixing jewelry so it could be sold. Now the women will get immediate quality-control feedback and they'll have the option of taking "quirky" pieces home or staying for the workshop where there is help immediately available to bring the work up to a saleable standard.

It also appears that we may have recruited some new members--including a half-dozen weavers from Burma and Bhutan. We still need looms, but just knowing there are more women in our community with this skill is exciting. The woven items we carry at our sales are some of the best-selling and most in-demand items the women bring to us.

Here's hoping for a successful and crafty Saturday!

It's time for a sale!

2009-09-16T22:49:00.003-06:00

A Little Something will participate in a multicultural event this weekend!

Aurora Festival International

Saturday, September 19

11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

Fletcher Plaza/Martin Luther King, Jr. Library

9898 E Colfax Ave.

Aurora, CO

This free event celebrates the world's cultures with music, food, crafts, dance, and more. Please stop by and see us!

For event details and a performance schedule, click here.

For a map, click here.

Lessons here and there

2009-07-19T13:25:00.010-06:00

Summer is over, and we didn't write a thing about it! Looks like we were busier than we thought. Even when we appear to be idle, there's a lot going on--you just can't see it unless you're with us.

Back in mid-July, we had another lesson day. We always say that our meetings are like throwing a party: You can send out the invitations, but you never know if anyone is going to show up. The size of our group was just right.

Two new volunteers joined our group, Carol Amato and Amanda Czarnecki. They have a steep learning curve ahead in terms of learning to make jewelry and learning about the many aspects of A Little Something. For Katrina, Jaime, Anna, Susan and I, it can be a surprsie to realize how much we know and how much information we actually have stored in our heads. It's when we set out to share our knowledge that we can really see how we're each like a different volume in our unique set of encyclopedias. Let's hope Amanda and Carol weren't too overwhelmed on their first day.

The first order of business--before the women arrived--was to create a "Yes/No Board." Since the overall English level of our members is very low, we wanted to create a display of clear exaples of good jewelry and problematic jewelry. Every piece on the board was a real-life example. When it was all laid out, it was evident that although there was a lot unorthodox technique in front of us, our women are consumate and creative problem solvers.

The four women from Iraq had finished work they brought for us to look at. Quality control revealed that we need to schedule a lot of lessons in the next few months. Technical issues aside, the jewelry was beautiful, original, and highly marketable. We told Hind and Zainab they'll definitely make some money when we resume our sales.

Beda is a petite woman from Bhutan who already knits but also wants to learn how to make jewelry. She said she hadn't been making anyting at all because she can't see. It took some careful listening, but we finally figured out that Beda needs glasses. There is no money for an exam or prescription lenses. A quick trip to the nearest ESL classroom proved to be worth the effort. Beda tried on four or five pairs of reading glasses (we buy them when they go on sale at Walgreen's) and when she found a pair that worked for her, we were back in business.

The time flew by, and we had to pack up and call it a day long before we were finished. Many thanks to the security staff and Saturday custodians at Emily Griffith Opportunity School for their hospitality.

About a month after our group meeting, several of us gathered at HQ (Sharon's basement) for some bead sorting, organizing, and planning. There is always far more to do than it appears at first glance. We dream (often) of the day we have our own dedicated office and studio space so the tasks related to keeping the project running wouldn't have to be put off until we can all synchronize our schedules.

We never actually stop working on this project, even though it may appear that way. We have big plans for the future of A Little Something. In the meantime, at least one of us will be at the Denver Bead Renaissance show on Sunday, while others will be taking care of other business. There is a full schedule of sales and craft fairs coming up in the near future, plus new members to welcome into the family. So much to do, so little time.

Borrowing a wrist to measure a bracelet's size.

Susan and Hajia enjoying the moment

Anna helps Fatuma conquer the crimp tool.

Our newest teen--from Congo.

Anna reviewed finishing techniques with the Iraqi women.

Jaime works with Zainab on a refresher lesson.

Overheard as I was passing by: "You. Children? You have children?"

Anna teaches.

Hajia is always ready to try a new technique.

Smile! Look at our awesome yes-no-board!

Beautiful

2009-06-28T01:29:00.004-06:00

About two months ago, we attended the Bead Bazaar sponsored by the Rocky Mountain Bead Society. As usual, we met up with the generous Betcey at Beyond Beadery. She told us that she had some donated beads for us that were actually from Raven's Journey. (I can't include the Beyond Beadery link right now--they're having server problems, but you can find them on Facebook!)

After the beads were in my home, I set about rinsing them off and setting them out to dry. Awhile later, I walked past the beads glittering in the sunlight and I was delighted by how beautiful they were. I felt compelled to take a picture that just needs to be shared. Czech glass beads are so stunning--we can't get enough of them!

(To see this picture full size, click on it.)

Under the radar

2009-06-28T00:17:00.008-06:00

Sometimes, the busiest people are behind the scenes. Jean has been handling sales for us, but met the disappointment all of us have faced since the inception of the project: A windy day with no foot traffic and abysmal sales. The worst, but not the only way it goes. Thank goodness.

Katrina, Anna, Susan, Jaime, and I have been working out some new plans for the women in the group. Our membership grew so fast, we were caught off-guard. We all do this in addition to our real jobs, so we can't dedicate the time we'd like to. Still, we get together every two weeks to talk about how best to proceed so we can go ahead with a plan that will best suit the needs of the women. All fifty of them.

We're going to implement a contract for the participants. Everyone in the program will agree to learn more about different aspects of the project, including financial literacy. They'll have to agree to help with at least one sale or sale preparation per year. They'll also have to agree that, since this is a co-op, they will not sell their creations outside of the program. All supplies are provided to the women for free, but when they are paid, a percentage goes back to the project to pay for supplies and other expenses to keep it viable. We hope that by adding this formalized structure, those who are truly interested will take a greater role in making this a member operated project.

Our biggest news is our imminent incorporation. Yay! Once that's complete, we'll need to put together a Board of Directors and start the process of becoming a recognized nonprofit. In the meantime, we'll have the purchasing power of business owners, and that should save us some money when we buy our supplies.

Supplies. Women who come into our program receive about $75 worth of supplies to get set up, but at no cost to the member. Here's an example of how our supplies--donated and purchased--are used. A jewelry maker receives a bead box with enough beads and findings for at least ten projects. This includes wire, beads, earring wires, head pins, different types of clasps, crimp tubes, accent beads, and stretch cord.

In addition, we assemble a full set of new tools: round nose pliers, chain nose pliers, wire nippers, flush cutters, and a crimp tool. To help with design concepts, each woman also gets a new design board, a bead mat, and alligator clips.

Finally, everything goes into a flat-bottom tote bag. Trial and error have shown that the bags sold at Lowes work the best. They are wide, sturdy, and very inexpensive at about a dollar each.

It takes one person about an hour to assemble one starter kit. We also assemble refresher kits and color coordinated project kits for those women who are color-matching challenged.

Over the course of the first year, we learned a few lessons that still hold. We don't buy cheap quality tools. We only buy 49-strand (sometimes 21-strand) wire because the women are not always gentle in handling their supplies and lesser wires kink far too easily.

There are never enough hours in the day to get everything done. The basement at my house is under construction as my husband attempts to install better overhead lighting and an upgraded sink to make the space more A-Little-Something-friendly. It has been a slow process since funds are tight at our house and we still need to hire an electrician and a drywall finisher.

We're always looking for eager, dedicated, competent volunteers and some skilled teachers who can help us on the Saturdays when we teach and correct our eager students. Our email address is at the top of this page, on the right. Let us know if you can join us in some of the many tasks that keep this project going.

For now, it's time for bed. Katrina is coming over tomorrow to learn about our customized system of bookkeeping. Not enough hours in the day...

Board position open

2009-05-03T12:34:00.006-06:00

As we go through the process of incorporation, we are required to assemble a Board of Directors. We have a good team put together, but there is one position we haven't yet filled.

The Board needs a member who has a legal or financial background. Ideally, this would be an attorney, specifically one who deals with financial matters, or else an accountant or someone who works in a similar discipline.

This position is not compensated; at least, not monetarily.

We need to file our articles of incorporation imminently, so if you or someone you know would like to help out and be on our working Board, please contact Katrina Wert via our main email address: beadwomen@gmail.com.

A Little Update

2009-05-03T10:52:00.006-06:00

It might appear that we've been quiet, but that's because we've been so busy, there hasn't been a whole lot of time to write about it. Here are the highlights:

Shopping for our cause

Last Sunday, Sharon and Katrina made a trip to the Rocky Mountain Bead Society's annual Bead Bazaar. Due to financial and scheduling constraints, we weren't able to bring any of the women this year. Instead, we devoted our time to buying beads--much-needed beads! Now we need time to wash and sort them so the women can replenish their supplies. It was a busy afternoon for us, but we knew it was time to quit when our debit card waved the white flag in the middle of a sale. After checking the bank balance, it turns out we have only $65 left to our A Little Something name.

Curb your enthusiasm, ladies
Many of the women who came to the "big" meeting in February still need jewelry making lessons. Unfortunately, that hasn't any effect on their enthusiasm, so they're trying to make jewelry without first earning how. On the upside, most of what we've seen is very good--beautiful, in fact. On the downside, the women have no idea what their tools are for, how a crimp is used, or how to actually finish a piece or attach findings. Most have just tied the wire in knots where findings would go. It's an ugly situation and we desperately need some help recruiting experienced jewelry makers who would like to donate some time instructing the new women in our program. We just don't have enough ours in the day between the five of us!

Dotting the T's, crossing the eyes
About four months ago, we started the process of incorporating. All this time, our organization has never officially existed on paper. We had tried to figure out the process on our own, but in less than five minutes on the state's business Website, it was obvious that we were going to be in waaay over our heads if we tried to go it alone.

Enter Laura and Kami, our wonderful attorneys. Thanks to their support and knowledge, we'll soon be an official business with nonprofit status to follow. Katrina and Jaime are working with the attorneys to get through this complex and often confusing process. There are so many variables to take into consideration, so much language, so many scenarios, so many complicated documents, so many head-spinning moments! Stay tuned for the day we can announce our official officialness.

There are sales coming up this month, and probably more to follow. We still aren't in a position to sell online, but we'll let you know when that's ready to roll out.

More news soon!

2009-04-21T18:21:00.005-06:00

When our group presented at the TESOL conference last month, we had a slide show running as we were setting up and folks were coming in. All together, the pictures are a retrospective of our work, a short history of A Little Something from the summer of 2007 to three days ago.

These pictures are not in any particular order, but even randomly selected they tell our story pretty well.

For best results, move your cursor off of the picture screen while viewing. To see the photos full size, click on the picture, and when a new window opens, select slide show. Slow the speed to five seconds so the pictures have time to load completely before advancing. The entire show takes a little over 10 minutes to run in its entirety.

Enjoy!

Remember when you asked if you could help?

2009-04-02T15:45:00.003-06:00

Now that our program just had a major growth spurt, we're having some growing pains. We need to get many of the new women up-to-speed on learning to make jewelry using basic-to-intermediate techniques, understanding mistakes and quality control, and working through design issues (there are many).

We plan to hold a series of Saturday instructional sessions for the new BeadWomen throughout the spring.

If you live in the Denver area and you have the skills we need plus a lot of patience and a willingness to help across cultures, please contact us at beadwomen@gmail.com, or call Katrina at 720-289-9090.

We look forward to meeting you!

2009-04-02T15:40:00.000-06:00

April 1 - May 2

A Little Something, The Denver Refugee Women's Crafts Initiative, is excited and honored to be part of a new new exhibit at TACtile Textile Arts Center in Denver.

Worldly Open House
Sunday, April 19
1:00 - 4:00

Meet the women of A Little Something as well as the founders of the participating humanitarian groups as they share information about their work and the artisan crafts from the many developing countries featured...North and South Laos, Vietnam, Uganda, Guatamala, and Denver refugee women. Private collectors will also speak about the exquisite works they have chosen from many more countries around the globe.

In addition to the exhibit of private textile collections, textile items will be for sale from six Colorado non-profit humanitarian assistance organizations that see textile work as art that can elevate lives.
Other participants include:

Indigo Threads, working in rural Laos to help with the sale of traditional crafts and to provide opportunities to school-aged children.

Bridging Hope works directly with underprivileged women and children in Vietnam helping them attain sustainable living conditions.

Silks of Laos provides sustainable income for silk weavers in northern Laos, South-East Asia. Training equips them with the skills needed to participate in fair-trade projects in northern Laos and to avoid human trafficking that is so prevalent in these rural areas.

Cielo Maya (Maya Heaven)is a Guatemalan economic development association led by Tz'utujil Maya women. The sales of their handwoven wearable art provide decent wages, leadership development and educational opportunities for the artists.

We hope you'll come to see us at the open house on April 19 or, if you can't, at least stop by the exhibit sometime this month. Escape the stress of your days with a relaxing stroll through the world of textile workmanship and beauty.

Accomplishment and a sense of relief

2009-04-01T21:01:00.006-06:00

The idea was ambitious, for sure. A presentation at a large conference of English Language Acquisition professionals--more than 6,000 teachers, researchers, policy makers, grad students, community program managers, publishers, writers, software developers, UNHCR and IOM language and culture trainers...TESOL is the who's who of the ESL world.

Given the very large number of proposals submitted, the rigor of the adjudication process, and the somewhat off-the-wall nature of the proposal we were putting up for consideration, I could only come to one conclusion about the possibility of presenting: No way.

Way. The proposal was not only accepted, but scheduled as part of a well-promoted group of sessions in a new category of an experimental/experiential genre. Suddenly what looked so feasible on paper was striking me as impossibly ridiculous. Sigh. We have faced challenges before and met them head on, and we could certainly do it again, right? There was nothing on the line at all, really, just my professional reputation and credibility. Oh, that.

Here is how the session abstract appeared in the program book:

Stringing Together Benevolent Enterprise and Basic Skills for Refugee Women

When a group of refugee women and ESL volunteers collaborated on a crafts empowerment project, the context for English and math skills, critical thinking, and business basics came naturally. In this experiential session, presenters explain the project while participants bead and sell under the instruction of the refugee artisans.
Presenters: Sharon McCreary ; Anna Hebbert ; Susan Renick ; Jaime Koehler ; Haiffaa Ali ; Khadiga Ali ; Fatuma Ali

The logistics of getting ready for the session were enormous. Almost anything that could go wrong, certainly did. The end result wasn't quite what I had envisioned, but it was still nothing less than...wonderful.

First, kudos to Katrina Wert for stepping in at the last minute to help fill in some presenter gaps--and for sharing valuable insight she has about the pre-literate refugees she taught so competently and compassionately for the years we worked together. Katrina also assisted Susan with the formidable transportation duties and logistics. Getting the women there was a job in and of itself, but Susan and Katrina got everyone delivered safely and on time.

When it was time to start, the room was full. Haiffaa opened the session by explaining to everyone what we hoped to accomplish during the evening, some of the things the participants would be doing, and then she introduced all of us in our group. And she did it all in Arabic so the group could get a sense of what it must have been like for our BeadWomen when we had our first meetings and lessons.

After some project background and several PowerPoint slides, it was time for Haiffaa, Htee Ku Paw, Sharifo, Fatuma, and Khadiga to be the teachers. Each woman worked with a group and presented lessons in basic jewelry making technique--but each woman did this while speaking no English. It was time for the participants to get a feel for what it's like to learn something fairly complex without the benefit of common language. Htee Ku Paw is not a jewelry maker, so she gave a lesson in basic crochet.

After the crafting lessons, each of the refugee women had the opportunity to address the group and tell her own story or talk about her experience as a member of A Little Something. Haiffaa is a talented public speaker, and she almost brought the group to tears. Khadiga talked about how much she has enjoyed learning something new that she does just for herself. Htee Ku Paw's voice cracked when she said that although she has been weaving since she was eight years old, she never had money before. Being a part of A Little Something has given her a chance to help her family while preserving a treasured cultural art.

At the end of our two-hour session, something amazing happened--almost nobody left. It was after 8:00 p.m., yet most of the attendees stayed to talk to the women and to help us pack up our bajillion beads and the props we used in the presentation. This project seems to foster a sense of community for anyone who spends time with it.

Fatuma rode home with me, and although she's normally pretty quiet, she was nothing short of exuberant during the drive. She talked a lot, and repeatedly thanked me and thanked me for inviting her to be part of the presentation. I had never seen her so confident or happy.

The next morning, at 8:30, my phone rang. It was my boss, who was a conference co-chair. The managers had just finished a breakfast meeting. Apparently, our session was the talk of the meeting. At least two TESOL co-chairs attended our session--but we didn't know that. They were so impressed with the entire presentation, the women, the activities, they made it the topic of the two-hour breakfast meeting.

We should be proud and I realize that, but I was so stressed out by the many obstacles we faced up until the moment when we started, I can only feel relief that the session is over with. The pride I feel is for Fatuma, Haiffaa, Htee Ku Paw, Sharifo, and Khadiga. They brought everything they had to share with the people who attended our session, and they ended up giving more than 100 percent. I know that this job challenged them but they all put their anxieties aside and showed nothing but confidence, patience, and personal strength. I couldn't possibly be any prouder of them. Well done, ladies.

To see these pictures full size, just click on a photo and a new window will open. For best results, manually advance pictures--don't choose slide show.

Full circle and a bit dizzy, Part II

2009-03-24T21:02:00.003-06:00

Writing in the wee hours of the morning usually means I stray from the thought that prompted me to blog in the first place. At a more reasonable hour, the original thought comes back, perhaps with some lucidity.

It was deja vu. Saturday had a familiar but distant feel. I was back in the community room at Grace. Refugee women were eagerly leaning in to see what I was demonstrating with my tools and somewhat shaky hands. I am self-conscious about my hand tremor, and the original group of women don't even see it anymore. New women, new self-conscious moment for Sharon.

I picked up each tool as we needed it, and I said its name slowly and clearly. Round nose pliers. Repeat: Round...nose...pliers. Say it with me.

A few minutes later I asked the name of the tool and was met with puzzled looks. I drew a circle in the air. I touched my nose. "Circle face tool!" Reviewing material is so underrated.

Jump ring. I think they pretend to forget just to see me act it out. A plump middle-aged woman jumping around is not to be missed.

We laughed a lot. I cursed the hand tremor, especially on a day when there was no one else there to demonstrate what I cannot so easily. The women asked the same questions those first women asked in the summer of 2007. The mistakes were the same, and the smiles born from success were just as beautiful.

I wanted to be a better teacher. I wanted the women to feel satisfied with their lesson. I wanted them to fall madly in love with jewelry making right from the start. This was familiar territory, but no less exciting on the return trip.

I could see it so clearly: It was possible that this project that started with four women and grew like a healthy, loved baby, could keep repeating itself. This scene unfolding in the community room really could happen again and again. The faces and cultures would change, of course, but the ideas that brought the first group together were sound and they were heartfelt.

Creating beauty in the wake of horror soothes a place deep within the spirit. Learning something new and persisting despite challenges builds confidence. A woman who earns money for herself sees new possibilities in a world fraught with uncertainty. Empowerment is more than just a trendy word; it is a fact and in our project, the women themselves are helping those who come after, who will help the next group and so on.

Here's to many more Saturdays explaining the use of the circle face tool.

Life beyond beads

2009-03-24T00:30:00.010-06:00

Fatuma sat in on the Saturday beginner's lesson. She was very quiet despite my attempts at engaging her in conversation.

Fatuma has come a long way in her jewelry-making skills. Still, she needed the refresher lesson. She tried so hard to get everything perfect, she started making more mistakes in frustration. She really was doing well, and by the time she was ready to leave, her work was OK. She said she had something else she needed to do, and out the door she went.

Once the Bhutanese women had tidied up, I headed outside and put my things in the car. I spotted activity in the community garden, so I wandered over to see who was there. Htee Ku Paw, Fatuma, and a couple of the other ALS women have plots in the garden.

Fatuma was hard at work hacking at the dry, compacted soil. Watching her, I saw a stark contrast to the peaceful and gentle jewelry making we had just done together. Fatuma was now bent over, working extremely hard. The jewelry lesson and all things bead-related seemed so frivolous now.

Fatuma's work was unbelievably difficult. She showed me the plot she had last year, where someone had already prepped the soft soil. Fatuma's new area had obviously been neglected. It didn't look promising in terms of drainage or sun exposure. This year's drought hadn't helped the soil any, either.

I noticed that Fatuma was wearing flip-flops. She rubbed her hands and I saw that she had no work gloves. When I said that she needed better gardening shoes, Fatuma looked at her feet for a second and just shrugged. I scanned the garden and realized that almost everyone there--the Somali Bantu group--was working in flip-flops and no one had gloves. It seemed particularly hard for the kids. They haven't grown up farming so their hands are the soft hands of school kids who watch TV when they get home. One of Zahara Mahmud's sons was in obvious pain. Like Fatuma, Zahara also worked without comfort items as she swung a pick into the hard soil. Another jewelry maker in need of decent footwear and some sturdy work gloves.

When I asked Fatuma what she planned to grow in her garden, she said, "Everything!" Upon further questioning, Fatuma decided she wanted to plant cucumbers, tomatoes, squash, broccoli, and maybe corn, plus a few things she can't remember in English. I looked at her woefully neglected garden space and wondered if it would be ready for planting in May. I asked Fatuma where her children were. Why weren't they helping? I thought, This family desperately needs the food that will come out of this garden. Shouldn't everyone contribute to Fatuma's gardening efforts?

Fatuma chuckled and told me that this was her "alone" time; it was quiet for her head. That makes sense--she is the mother of eight children.

Flip-flops. No work gloves. Shared tools. I will never complain about how hard my own garden work is. I work in luxury compared to the A Little Something women scratching at the earth for the same reason they make jewelry: So their families can eat.

Full circle and a bit dizzy

2009-03-23T23:36:00.006-06:00

We asked the women who received bead boxes and tools at our big meeting to get together this past Saturday for a jewelry-making lesson. Anna was otherwise busy, Jaime was getting ready for a conference, and Susan had chauffeuring duty to tend to. That left only Sharon. No problem. It's only a couple of women...

Five women were waiting when I arrived, and two more came later. We went over making simple loops for earrings and such, crimping with a crimp tool, attaching findings, and more. It was like speed-reading. We covered several lessons worth of material in a couple of hours. OK, three-and-a-half hours.

The Bhutanese women are jewelry animals. They don't want to wait, so they've been guessing about the technical aspects of jewelry making. Their guesses have been mostly wrong, unfortunately. One teacher was woefully inadequate to work with this incredibly eager group. On the other hand, they have an excellent sense of color, and their designs are gorgeous. I hope that going forward we'll have more teachers to work with this very lovely and spirited group.

Fatuma and Khadiga sat in. I was surprised to see them waiting at the table. I tried to enlist their teaching help, but they wanted to review the skills they'll need to teach on Friday.

Friday. Anna, Susan, Katrina, Fatuma, Khadiga and I--and possibly Haiffaa and Sharifo, are going to do a daring and experiential presentation at the TESOL conference, which happens to be in Denver this year. You can read about our presentation topic here. Wish us luck. This has the potential to be great or else an unmitigated disaster.

Loaves and fishes

2009-03-16T15:26:00.007-06:00

For some time now, we've been hoping to have a big meeting with all of the women who participate in A Little Something. After careful planning, we came up with a plan to invite all current members and new women who wanted to join so they could meet in one room and help string together a plan for the future of the project.

We hoped that at least 20 women would come. We sent invitations via mail and word of mouth. We ordered lunch, made activity kits, and hoped we wouldn't be there alone.

We were so not alone. The room was packed. As more and more women arrived, Katrina, Anna, Jaime, Susan, Jean, and I started to get nervous. We didn't have materials for this many women. We certainly hadn't ordered lunch for this many women. How were we ever going to stretch out the supplies and food to accommodate all of these women? Yikes!

It was a busy, creative day. The women mingled, talked, learned about the program, and tried their hand at making stretch bracelets. We distributed jewelry making supplies, lots of yarn, weaving fiber, advice, and encouragement. The rush of women wanting to get started was overwhelming.

In the end, we abandoned the concept of project kits and just dumped beads onto styrofoam trays, two per table. IT fostered sharing and cooperation. There was enough stretch cord so that everyone could make a bracelet and take a spool of the cord home. Somehow, Katrina and Jaime made food for 35 transform into lunch for 50. Don't ask me how they pulled this off but they did and no one walked away unfed. It was some sort of crafty miracle.

Now we just need to conjure up clones of ourselves so we can manage 50 women, go out and give jewelry-making lessons, help the knitters get on track, figure out our ever-perplexing weaving fiber confusion, keep track of everyone and what they're making and what they need to keep making it, and, and, and...I think my head is going to explode.

We need 19-strand wire. We need beads. We need crimp tubes. We need everything. Mostly, though, we need time. Hey, we were able to defy the laws of physics and matter with our beads and a catered lunch, so who knows what we can do with the laws of time? Can someone please conjure up Dr. Einstein?

Here are the first pictures from Saturday. The women here are from Iraq, Somalia, Sudan, Burma, and Bhutan. Special thanks to Beadalon for helping us out with rolls of Elasticity cord.

Team A Little Something kicks off the meeting.

Getting acquainted across cultures.

Susan getting caught up with Haiffaa, an orignal Beadwoman.

Meeting our sisters.

More mingling.

Bhutan checks in.

Cooperative bead stringing with Yashoda and friends.

Their moms couldn't come, but the Bantu girls joined the group.

Htee Ku Paw tries a different craft in the company of Bhutanese friends.

Sharing laughter and wrist sizes.

Namaste.

Find us on Facebook!

2009-03-12T06:35:00.003-06:00

We are pleased to announce that A Little Something is now on Facebook. Find our page at A Little Something (The Denver Refugee Women's Craft Initiative) and become a fan today!

2009-03-02T14:40:00.003-07:00

There is really no shortage of media coverage about good people doing extraordinary things. I make a point of watching the last five minutes of the national news every Friday night--any broadcast network will do--because those few minutes of the week highlight the contributions of normal people making a remarkable difference in the world.

CNN devotes a whole year of stories to this concept, culminating in distinguishing honors for a group of ten people every year. Not all are from the U.S., but some are. The reason I mention the geography comes from a bit of frustration I tend to harbor. In the course of the year, the volunteer coordinators in the Colorado Refugee Network attend nonprofit fairs throughout the metro area. When people approach our booth for information about our programs, we are frequently asked the same question: "Do you have volunteer positions overseas?" Or, with a measure of disappointment, "Oh. So, you only help people who are here?"

All three of us are quick to point out that a refugee arriving on American shores has just begun a whole new struggle. There are plenty of ways to contribute to world peace and international relations right in the town where you live. Many people are surprised to find out refugees are here at all. If you aren't aware of their presence, it's because they're often all but invisible...Except to those of us who devote our waking hours to this particular cause.

Even those who are familiar with the refugee resettlement program are often unaware of just how truly grassroots most of the programs are. Our programs cannot exist without community support, church partnerships, devoted teachers, tutors for adults and kids, mentors, first friends, a small army of volunteers, plus all of the people who donate money, furniture, household goods, and time setting up apartments and taking refugees to their many appointments. Refugee resettlement works because it takes a community to welcome a new one to the mix, and communities have a way of knowing what to do.

One of CNN's 2009 Heroes is Carolyn Manning of Phoenix, Arizona. I'll say this for CNN: The network has consistently shown a commitment to telling the story of refugees and the resettlement process. That Ms. Manning was chosen to be honored by CNN this year is one more example of CNN's understanding that this work matters.

Carolyn Manning started an organization called The Welcome to America Project. Her program assists newly arrived refugees by furnishing apartments and providing support and guidance in the time immediately after arrival. To find out more about The Welcome to America Project and Carolyn Manning, click here to visit CNN's Website. This link takes you to an entire web page with videos dedicated to this topic.

Congratulations to Carolyn Manning and her team of volunteers. They do the same work as many other people assisting refugees throughout the U.S., so as a 2009 CNN Hero, Ms. Manning carries the torch for all of you who volunteer your time and open your hearts to refugee newcomers every day--even if it's by donating beads and craft supplies to A Little Something. To the volunteers in refugee resettlment programs around the world, congratulations to you, too, for your fine work! You are all my heroes every day.

One step forward, two steps...sideways

2009-01-26T12:59:00.004-07:00

There is a statistic about blogging that claims more than half of all blogs haven't been updated in two months or more. I don't want us to be a statistic, so it's time for an update.

The Bead Women are in an interesting phase. We have always operated without any one of us "at the helm," really, so sometimes our project just rests a bit until someone initiates action. It's one truth that exists in a world of busy lives and hectic work weeks. The refugee women have their share of busy days, too. Also, they get sick, we get sick, they have family crises, we have family crises...We're not so different in terms of what distracts us from building an enterprise.

Our meeting with our new attorneys at Holland and Hart (we have attorneys! From Holland and Hart!!), gave us a lot to ponder about how our project is moving forward. Becoming a formal organization that exists on paper will bring tremendous change and a lot of responsibility. Do we have the time and resources to do that? Can we learn all of the tax-related rules we'll need to know? Can any of us file a business tax return? Do we need to be more diligent about our accounting? Do we even know how to do that or how to manage important papers?

Starting a business--not to mention a nonprofit--involves a lot of things. We need to assemble a Board of Directors. Since it will need to be a "working Board," we need to find people who can help us through our growth period. We need to think about the tax implications that incorporating will have for the refugee women. Also, we continue to have the potential for rapid growth. Although it's tempting to do everything we can while we can, we also need to consider if bigger is better. For our group, maybe not. We don't get paid to work on this project, and we still need to tend to our real jobs. There aren't enough hours in the day.

The women in our group are doing well, for the most part. Haiffaa has graduated from our project and is now selling her handmade jewelry on her own. Khadiga got a job at a discount store, and her depression seems to be lifting (she had a rough year). It looks like Sharifo has been teaching other Bantu women how to make jewelry, and she and several of the women who live in her complex are getting together for jewelry-making sessions. One of the girls we took to the bead show last spring, Arbay, has blossomed into a creative, skilled jewelry maker with a keen eye for design and beauty.

Our Bhutanese knitters made some, uh, original hats this year. OK--they might be a bit bizarre. Nevertheless, their creations showed us that these knitters are skilled craftswomen with a desire to work hard on their projects. None of the Bhutanese jewelry makers have started yet--we just haven't had the time to make up starter kits and get them distributed.

On the more productive side, I spent most of my Christmas break reorganizing the basement of my home to make it more of a A Little Something warehouse and less of a repository for things we don't use. Now, if I could just get the other women to come over and sort and organize beads with me!

We are fortunate that we continue to have friends around the U.S. and beyond who remember us and send us beads and beading supplies. Someone else just donated 300 yards of purple cotton fabric (thanks, Alyce). We'll probably teach some of the women how to sew tote bags, and we'll make fabric panels for our booth along with a lot of other purple things. Omhagain is our resident fine artist with a degree in textile design from a university in Darfur. She hopes to teach some of the women the process of block printing on fabric. We will create a world swathed in purpley fabulousness!

So many ideas, so few hours in the day.

A few weeks ago, we had a business meeting to look at what we've accomplished, what we need to change, and what we should do to ensure a healthy future for A Little Something. this could be big. It could be a substantial organization that helps much larger numbers of women than we can do now. We aren't nearly as interested in being big as we are in being the right support for the women involved.

We have some changes on the horizon, including within our group. Your chief blogger has been "unwell" with an increasingly agitated central nervous system. I've learned more about the human nervous system(s) in the past year than I ever wanted to know. If I am to discourage my body from short-circuiting and acquiring permanent nerve damage and immunity problems, then I must take a breather and not do so much. Stress is taking a very high toll on my health. Frankly, I thrive on "doing," and I do not consider my work with refugees to be stressful, but apparently, my nervous system disagrees. This change in my participation is a direct, strict doctors' order, otherwise I wouldn't change a thing. I can't bear the thought of leaving the project completely, so although my official exit date is March 31, I definitely plan to stay involved in some way--I'll still be here in some capacity, although what that will be remains to be seen. There's a lot to be done yet.

Our friend and colleague, Katrina Wert, will be working with us for awhile to help coordinate our incorporation. She'll also help me transition out of the project (or at least downsize my repsonsibilities) while making sure that the things I do are well documented and reassigned within our group. If only we could just connect a computer to my brain and do a simple data download. It would be easier, but Katrina is very capable and competent, so I'm sure all of the stuff in my head will be sufficiently extracted. In any case, you'll be hearing less of my voice here and more from Jaime, Anna, Susan, and Katrina (I hope).

Looking ahead, our post-holiday hiatus is behind us and now it's time for Team A Little Something to jump into our next round of group gatherings and lessons, English/parenting/life skills classes at Anna's school for the moms in our group, sales, presentations, connecting and partnering with other nonprofits in the community, and incorporating our project into a legitimate business.

Anna has been having health troubles of her own, but as soon as she's back on her feet, we'll have updates from the field once again--with pictures!

Stay tuned!

Anyone can make a difference

2008-12-27T20:56:00.004-07:00

Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has. --Margaret Mead

Recently I had a conversation with someone who showered praise upon the group of us who founded A Little Something. She said we must be incredibly special people to take the initiative and make a difference for so many women and their families. She went on to say that the world needs more people like us.

Here's the thing. We are all pretty darn normal and average in most ways. I think if you met us in line at the supermarket, or if you sat with us at one of the many meetings we sit through for our jobs, you'd find us to be smart, funny, and personable, but not extraordinary. And that's the point.

As a new year is ready to unfurl its days, people around the world will make resolutions to do more, to do better, to try harder, to make a difference. Many won't follow through because they think the task is too daunting. The task may, in fact, be huge, but you start off thinking not about what you can't do, but what you know you can do for sure.

It is the ordinary people who make a difference in our world every day. We are everywhere. I stayed up very late a few nights ago and found out (much to my delight) that each day, Oprah! is shown for a second time after The Late, Late Show. On this particular program, a group of teens discussed their service project wherein they raised money to build a school in rural Kenya. At first I thought, "Well, that's nice. They probably pooled their money, had some car washes and bake sales..." and while I was having that thought, the story unfolded to reveal that these kids--regular high school kids--also traveled to Kenya to live in the village for three weeks while they built the school themselves.

Now they had my attention. The story was compelling on its own, but watching those kids become aware of the complexity of need--the domino effect of aid or neglect--gave me goosebumps. The kids were flummoxed by the work--none had ever done any construction work at all before this, and after receiving oral instructions and only a very rough idea of how to construct a building from the ground up, they set about building something that would make a better future available to an entire community. They didn't know what they were doing, but they had faith that they would figure it out.

During the trip, the students figured out a lot about the world and about themselves and about the capacity to effect change within and outside of oneself. A group of smart, sharp, high achievers got on a plane and went to Kenya. A group of considerate, aware, compassionate, critical thinkers came home less than a month later. It was obvious that by being physically present in the midst of need, by seeing that there are answers--although not easy ones--these kids were profoundly changed. I would bet that their experience in Africa will continue to affect them for a lifetime. As a result, these kids will find a way to make everyday actions have meaningful impact. Isn't this the true essence of education? Do any of us know what we're capable of until we're knee-deep in new challenges and commitments?

When you sit down to make that list of New Year's resolutions or just a wish list for personal change, don't set out to change the world. Instead, think of how you can incorporate mindfulness, meaningful gestures, compassion, and the talents you already have into any given day of your life. If you keep at it, you'll be in the midst of significant change before you even realize what's happening before you.

Several months into the creation of A Little Something, I was reminded of the story of the starfish on the beach. Perhaps you know it. I believe it is the perfect metaphor for how we found ourselves up to our eyeballs in entrepreneurial benevolence. We weren't setting out to start anything; we were really just trying to help some women we already knew.

The Starfish (an exceptionally abridged version)
An old man walked along the beach early on a summer morning. During the night, the tide had washed in thousands of starfish that were now hopelessly stranded on the sand. The tide was going out and as the sun climbed higher in the sky, the chances of the starfishes' survival was waning.

As the man made his way along the beach, he walked bent over, picking up starfish after starfish and throwing them back into the ocean. A young man walking the opposite way approached him. "Old man," he said, "are you crazy? There are thousands of these things out here. You can't possibly save them all. What difference does it make if you throw a few back into the water?"

The old man didn't break his rhythm. He picked up a starfish, looked at the young man, and tossed the starfish into the waves as he said, "Made a difference to that one."

My advice to you: Start where you are. The opportunity to make a difference is there. Let it find you.

For an inspiring story of a young person making a difference for the women of Darfur, click here. It's two minutes of very worthwhile reading.

Always thankful

2008-11-28T07:08:00.010-07:00

Before I get into the subject of this post, I want to issue a small apology that this post wasn't here on Thanksgiving Day. As Chief Blogger, I try to be timely in posting, but this holiday finds me mostly in a horizontal position, tissues strategically placed nearby along with two vaporizers, at least one cat, and frequent cups of hot tea. I'm feeling somewhat better today--relatively speaking--so I didn't want to delay in saying what is ever-present on the minds of the members and organizers of A Little Something.

This Thanksgiving, we take time to appreciate the many people who support us in so many ways. We are thankful every single day, but in our busy lives, we don't always take the time to articulate this deep appreciation we hold in our hearts. We have known from the beginning that we had a worthwhile idea, but we also knew we were going to need a lot of help to make the dream a reality. We've come so far in a little over a year, it feels like we've been traveling at warp speed.

Many people have taken the time to tell us how we have impressed them with our work. Let there be no doubt--we work very hard on this project, in addition to doing our "real" jobs and tending to our families. Still, our load has been lightened countless times by the kindness of friends and strangers alike. We have worked, but you have been beside us--guiding us, encouraging us, supplying us, and sometimes holding us up at those times when we felt too tired to remember why we were doing this at all. You reminded us. For this, we are deeply grateful.

I can never make a complete list of everyone who has contributed to our project in the past 14 months. What surprised us, though, was that so many people who had no idea who we were had faith in us and most important above all else--had faith in the refugee women who were taking this leap of faith and trusting us to see them through to something better for themselves. We believe that when someone believes in you, new possibilities are easier to believe in yourself. Call this the chain of believing.

Oh, how I wish we could remember everyone we want to thank this Thanksgiving. Please don't be offended if we don't mention your name--we are thankful for your support, be it through cheerleading, encouragement, advice, idea sharing, jewelry lessons, financial assistance, or for sending us some of the bajillion beads that have kept the project going.

First, thanks to James Horan, Slavica Park, Denise Lines, and Sheryl Johnson whose support within the Colorado Refugee Network gave us credibility from the beginning. Thanks to Tammy Powley of About.com for lighting an Internet flame that we hope will never go out! Tammy has also found quieter ways to help us out--because she is kind and special! One of our other first friends (thanks to Tammy) was Margot Potter, crafter, author, and QVC pitch woman extraordinaire. Margot has connected us to some invaluable resources, and she has always been available for much-needed emotional support on those really tough days. Her books are well used in our program, and she has never missed an opportunity to share information about A Little Something and about refugee concerns, as well. She also added a little sparkle to our supply stash--something we never could have done on our own. Rock on with ya bad self, Margot.

Speaking of Potters, Drew Potter of Beadalon generously facilitated a major donation of supplies. I know there's always a tax receipt with a dollar amount on it, but in the end, some gestures are priceless. Likewise, Sara from Softflex hooked us up with some desperately needed stringing wire--one of our costliest expenses. What a relief to have our pennies to spend on other desperately needed items!

The folks at Beyond Beadery (Betcey Ventrella) have certainly done their part to very generously help our bead show budget go a bit further. A lot further. More than once. Even after we already cleaned out the dollar bin.

Arwa Jumkawala's dad sent us the heaviest box we ever received. We never knew you could actually fit that many beads in a flat-rate Priority Mail box, and we were amazed by this feat of Tetris-like skill. The beads were fabulous, too, and they have become a staple in every new-start kit we send out. Darlene Milam is our most-delayed thank-you note recipient, but she doesn't hold it against us. Capitola Girl actually had a friend hand deliver her bead donation--because lugging beads to Denver is so much easier than shipping! For The Love of Beads sent us some beautiful beads even though they were just getting started themselves, just as Cara Holland made her own generous donation while her new business was so new it hadn't even opened yet.

The members of About.com's jewelry making forum support the women of ALS in too many ways to list. Thank you Anne Weinheimer and Rena Baum for putting together the best-labeled bead donations ever and for being so concerned for our collective health and sanity. The online community has supported the women of ALS very generously and bloggers, posters, emailers and others kept the word moving all over the Internet. We received assistance from people we didn't even know in the virtual sense. Here are some of those folks, plus a few who help us "in person:"
Barb
Carol
Caroline
Christie
Christy
Cynthia
Dawn
DD Hess (the women love your beads!)
Dona
Gail
Jan/Janet
Janet in Connecticut
Jannifer L.
Jeanine P.
Jennifer (St. C.)
Joanna
Joanne
Juanita
Juliana
Karen
Kathryn
Keller in Kent (first name unknown)
Kelley (squared)
Kitty
Laura
Laura L.
Lauren
Lesley in Canada
Leyla
Linda
Lois
Lori
Lynn (Plum Cow)
Margaret
Mary V. in Dublin
Marybeth
Michelle Mach
Nancy
Pat
Randi
Rita
Roberta
Rory
Sandi
Sharon
Solamente/Melanie Schow(your beads took our breath away!)
Steph
Sue
Val K.
Valerie

Closer to home, Katrina, Lisa, Christy, Susan, Slavica, Julie, employees of Whiteman elementary and Emily Griffith Opportunity School (who will buy even the most "Charlie Brown" pieces in our collection), the treasurer's office at EGOS, and the many volunteers have lent a hand to benefit the refugee women working in this program. Also, African Community Center for inviting us to be part of their 2008 African Extravaganza, our first really big event. Izzy Sandoval, your generosity in lending us your van has broadened the possibilities of what we can do and where we can go with the women--Your kindness widens our world!

Jean Clark and Ginny Czarnecki get a special thank you today. Jean and Ginny joined us very recently, and they are fearless. They are willing to try anything and learn anything. They've taken on the often grueling task of taking our show on the road to craft sales. Although it is the season for church bazaars and alternative gift markets, it is sometimes difficult for Susan, Anna, Jaime, and I to be available to go to the sales since we all have erratic work schedules. Thank you Jean and Ginny for helping our co-op members get their creations to market! Thank you for driving SUVs. Thank you for having good upper body strength and a good eye for arranging the table and for having a good head for problem solving and for remaining unfazed by early-morning wake up times. Thank you!

I probably forgot a lot of people. I apologize for that. My head is stuffy and my body is tired, so I'm not thinking as well as I should be. If anything occurs to me while I'm sleeping, I'll edit the post later.

We are blessed to have so many friends. The list here is incomplete (by a lot), yet it is still long. There is so much to be thankful for: Friends and supporters, patient husbands, women who are finding confidence and skills, all of the healthy babies that were born to our members this year, newly arrived refugee women who seem to find us almost immediately after arrival, our own energy, and a successful (if tiring) first year.

We could never have done it without you. Thank you.

Namaste

Sharon, Anna, Susan, and Jaime

Stretching the possibilities

2008-11-18T21:09:00.004-07:00

Thank you Beadalon!

Recently, A Little Something was very fortunate, indeed. With the help of Drew Potter at Beadalon, we were able to receive a large quantity of stretch cord. Stretch cord is a favorite stringing material among the Beadwomen, especially for our beginner-beaders who don't yet feel comfortable using tools and crimps.

All stringing media tend to be our costliest expenditure. We are grateful and relieved, and yes, very excited about this wonderfully generous windfall. Thanks, Beadalon, and thanks, Drew!!

What we take for granted

2008-11-10T20:31:00.004-07:00

Today, November 10, is a day when bloggers around the world are sharing their thoughts about refugee concerns. How could we not participate?

In an average week, I spend about 70 hours doing something refugee related. There's teaching, running the Denver area's in-home tutoring program, catching up with students and volunteers, and of course, working on the many details of A Little Something. People talk to me. They tell me their stories, even when I never ask a question. I absorb all of these bits of information and try to make sense of them in a larger context. Often, there is no larger context.

On Saturday, I spent a good part of the day rearranging the things in my basement. I did this to make room for the many things A Little Something seems to acquire as it goes along. While rummaging through a box of files, I sat down on the tile floor and visited with my past.

Before I worked with refugees, I had a thriving career in the cable television industry. I did many jobs and worked on some fascinating projects, but at the time, I was one of a handful of pay-per-view specialists shaping the future of what was to become on-demand programming. The work was fast-paced, challenging, and fun. I met a lot of people, including more than a few who were well known in the entertainment world.

While sorting a box, I came across a picture of me with Don King. It made me laugh, but later I remembered why I gave up a more glamorous life for the one I have now. Shortly after I was transferred to Denver, I became a volunteer in the program I now manage. Until then, I didn't know anything about refugees. Once I learned, my life was irrevocably changed.

In the 13 years I've worked with refugees, I have never ceased to be amazed at the resiliency of the human spirit. I don't know that I would have the strength to make the refugee's journey, and so I admire the people I know even more.

The women of A Little Something have stories as varied as their backgrounds. They have all experienced loss, though, and many still live with uncertainty. These women are survivors. They have endured things that most of us would find unimaginable. Although the women have survived, many have lost loved ones. Some have been lost through fatal incidents, while others are truly...lost.

In every conflict, people get lost. Often, families scatter during an attack, but they are never able to completely reunite. In the U.S., we tend to buffer potential uncertainty by believing in the systems we have in place that identify us, even when we, ourselves, cannot. Elsewhere, the task of keeping track is not so simple. It can take years of walking and asking, walking and asking, before a missing person's whereabouts is determined.

One woman recently told me her story of trying to leave her country while she was nine months pregnant. She had to stop to give birth along the way. She said there was no razor to cut the baby's umbilical cord, so a woman traveling with her found a sharp rock to do the job. She said she had terrible abdominal pain, but it wasn't safe to stop, so she held her newborn close to her chest and forced herself to keep going, despite the pain, the fatigue, and the bleeding. The thing that troubled her most, though, was that she had nothing with her to wrap up the baby. She feared he would die from exposure or be snatched away by a lion. Fearing the latter, dreading the loss of yet another loved one, she stopped sleeping until she reached Kenya.

This story made me think of the clean, bright, and modern maternity wards in our hospitals, birthing centers, midwives, doctors, and Apgar scores. Most people just have no idea what millions of births are like in the harshest areas of our world.

I looked at the picture of Don King and me. I remembered. It was the people. I left the cable industry and its flash because I wanted my days to count for something--for someone. I hear the refugees' testimony every day. Each new story reminds me I have skills and talents that can help other people find their new place in a chaotic world. I cannot fix their problems or patch together their shattered lives. Still, with some compassion and professionalism, I can help someone take one more step toward gaining instead of losing.

If our situations were reversed, I could only pray that someone would be there to offer the same to me.

To learn more about Refugees United, an organization that helps refugees reunite with loved ones, click here. Spread the word. Dialogue fosters awareness.

Teaching teachers

2008-10-25T17:23:00.008-06:00

Sometime back in the spring, we submitted a conference proposal to the organizers of COTESOL, the professional organization for English as a Second Language professionals. The title of our presentation was: Stringing Together Benevolent Enterprise and Basic Skills, or, How to accidentally start a nonprofit.

We believe we have a program worth explaining. Beyond the origins of the program itself, A Little Something has helped the participants acquire language, literacy, and math skills, as well as improved critical thinking and life skills.

Before coming to the U.S., most of the women we work with were not accustomed to having so many decisions to make. They definitely weren't ready for the barrage of options and expectations they now encounter on a daily basis in this country. We believe that the women who are participating in A Little Something have benefited from it so much that we wanted to share the idea with others who might find the idea useful in their programs.

We didn't have a lot of hope that many people would attend the presentation. It was scheduled in the last time slot of the last day of the conference. We kept our fingers crossed that people would come and there would be more people in the audience than there were presenting (six). Jaime, Anna, Susan, Sharon, Haiffaa, and Khadiga were prepared to tell our story to anyone who came to listen.

Our worries were unfounded. About 15 people came to learn about an interesting way to combine benevolent enterprise with basic skills. They learned about the project and the people involved. Two adventurous participants volunteered to be part of a hands-on jewelry lesson--given entirely in Arabic. Thanks to Barb Vaille and our volunteer (whose name we didn't get) for their willingness to try something new!

We'll be doing a similar--but much longer and more in-depth--version of this presentation at the international TESOL conference in March. There are 8,000 people expected at that conference, so with a little luck, A Little Something might just rock the multicultural education world!

The other season

2008-10-05T20:10:00.008-06:00

You probably learned that there are four seasons in the year in North America, but there is actually one more season. For those who make and sell crafts, the prime selling season starts in Sepetember and wraps up just as holiday gifts are starting to be unwrapped.

Imagine creating a boutique that, in order to be successful, has to be attractive, well organized, stocked, properly merchandised, and adequately staffed. This boutique also has to fit into a 10'x10' space, be completely portable, and put together in about an hour by as few as two people. Maybe one. And then it's all done in reverse at the end of the day.

Let me digress for a moment to appreciate my husband, Leo Livecchi. He is that invisible ALS member who loads my car on sales days, then unloads and unpacks the canopy, the boxes, the furniture, and our endearing mannequin. He helps me re-sort the merchandise into the right containers and then puts all of in storage until the next round. After that, he cooks dinner for me because he knows that if he doesn't, I'll just eat peanut butter out of the jar and call it a night. He's not just a great husband, he's an outstanding volunteer. Without his care and participation, our project would probably falter quite a bit. Yeah, Leo! All he really wants in return is for the crafts group to find a way to rent an office so that our home will no longer be crammed full of the beads, boxes, books, and piles of craft supplies that belong to A Little Something.

So far, we (A Little Something) have five sales scheduled for this season. If you're in the neighborhood, please stop by, say hello, buy something lovely, and, maybe staff the table for a few minutes--we might need a restroom break--or hang out and help us pack up at the end of the day.

To find out where we'll be this fall, check back soon--there will be a list of sale dates over on the right side of this page.

See you soon!

A message to our Muslim friends and ALS sisters

2008-10-01T08:16:00.001-06:00

Swept from the Himalayas

2008-09-29T21:33:00.010-06:00

A Little Something is growing into a big something. Word is spreading throughout the refugee community here about our endeavor. Although we worked primarily with African women a year ago, we have diversified rather quickly as new groups have been included in the U.S. refugee resettlement program.

We barely got started with the Burmese Karen weavers when the Bhutanese started to arrive. A word about the Bhutanese. This group is almost exclusively ethnic Nepali. When the Bhutanese government enacted a policy to maintain an ethnic balance favorable to the ethnic majority, the ethnic Nepalis, or Lhotsampas, were forced to leave Bhutan. Most fled to Nepal where they have been living for the last 16 years. Through the United Nations’ refugee resettlement program, more than half of this population will be permanently resettled in the United States. Click here for a brief overview of the Lhotsampas’ culture and refugee situation, and click here for the addendum that gives addition cultural information (it’s quite fascinating).

The Bhutanese have been arriving here in Denver for a few months now. We found out that the women are skilled in several crafts, including jewelry making, weaving, knitting, and crochet. Several of the women wanted more information about A Little Something, so we scheduled a meeting. With the other groups, organizing meetings has been a bit of a struggle, as the women have shown little interest in organizing themselves this way. We were in for a surprise.

When meeting time came around, we were ready to go…almost. We were expecting eight women, but 24 showed up. It was disconcerting but exciting at the same time.

The group was lively, to say the least. My head was swimming with details as I tried to remember the do’s and don’ts of working with this culture…Caste system…age…more. The women all wanted to speak at once. They had dozens of questions, and, unlike our other groups, wanted to let us know that they were quite interested in learning to be businesswomen.

As the meeting concluded, seven of the knitters set out with Jaime and me to immediately embark on a field trip. Seven wasn’t a random number—it was the number of people we could fit into our two cars. Who knew we needed a bus? We grappled with seatbelts and automatic locks, and when everyone was properly secured, we headed off to buy yarn at The Lamb Shoppe (say it out loud and you’ll get the joke).

I’m pretty sure the employees at the shop weren’t expecting so much activity on an otherwise-uneventful Thursday afternoon. The women swept into the shop in a wave of brightly colored saris, a human bouquet that was chattering excitedly.

The next hour was spent touching yarn, comparing colors and discussing texture, looking at crochet hooks, choosing knitting needles, and carefully selecting just the right supplies for each person’s first project. There were a lot of questions…”Can I get this?” “I don’t know which needles to get. I can get both? Really?” “What size needles do I need for this yarn?” “Can I really make anything I want?”

In the midst of this, Jaime and I picked out yarn for our other knitters and for A Little Something’s supply stock. We reveled in the fun of it, the rich colors and sumptuous feel of alpaca, cotton, and fine wool. A few skeins quickly became armloads of yarn.

After the shopping was finished, Jaime and I took the women to the nearest major bus stop. As I approached the intersection, the bus was pulling up to the curb. I swung into the gas station so the women could get out of my car safely. They didn’t want to miss the bus, so they tried their best to wiggle out of the SUV in a hurry—no easy feat in a sari. From the rearview mirror, I watched them scurry toward the bus in a flurry of colorful dresses, arms filled with pink plastic bags full of yarn and knitting needles.

A bell was dinging in my car telling me that a door was open. I assessed the situation and saw that all of the doors had been left open by my passengers. I needed to move because another car was trying to ease around my Jeep to get into the station. Then I looked again. The driver, a woman with long blonde hair, was laughing good-naturedly at the scene before her. It probably was a little different than what one normally expects to see on a trip to the Conoco.

The women were so excited to start working on their projects, I would bet that several are probably well along in their creations. Jaime and I—and the women at the Lamb Shoppe—are all eager to see what our knitters have made with their first supplies.

Here is a slide show of the meeting and the yarn-buying excursion. Enjoy.

Many hands make light(er) work

2008-09-07T20:49:00.010-06:00

Labor Day has passed, school is back in session, and the smell of craft-fair season is in the air. There is a lot to do, a lot to organize.

Back in July, several friends of A Little Something stepped in to take over booth duty at a big event on a very, very hot day. They were a bit taken aback by how much work goes into hauling all of the booth supplies, setting up, breaking down, and loading out. It gave Katrina an idea.

Since our project started a year ago, many people have asked to join us at our group sessions with the refugee women. We've had to explain that we were forced to abandon the "sewing circle" concept very early on. The logistics of scheduling, transportation, and childcare made us rethink how and where we could work with all of the participants. Some people wanted only this group/gathering type of involvement, but there were still other people who continued to say, "Well, when you find something that you need help with, just ask."

And so we asked. Anna and I invited would-be helpers to spend an afternoon helping us fix jewelry, tag, price, sort beads, sort more beads, organize supplies, and more. We made it a potluck and got to work.

There were nine of us all together--ten if you count my husband--plus two dogs. It was a glorious Sunday to be outside with good people. Anna, Haiffaa, Lisa, Katie, Katrina, Christy, Slavica, Susan, Leo, and me. And Ginger and Phoenix (who, I might mention, didn't work very hard, especially considering they are both working breeds).

If anyone had thought they acquired insight into our process at the craft fair, today they realized that the sales are just a fraction of what it takes to keep us humming along. Our helpers worked more like machines than elves as they considered what happens after the donated materials come in and before jewelry is sold. More than this, Slavica summed up what everyone was thinking just after entering the front door: "Oh my gosh. This has totally taken over your house!" Yes, I am keenly aware of that.

In an attempt to bring some order to the chaos, we all worked like busy bees for hours. Haiffaa was unusually quiet, but she was surrounded by food and drink, and must have been feeling her Ramadan fast very strongly while sitting among us.

Looking around at all of the activity buzzing around us, I was struck by how lucky we, as a group, are to have such good friends. We have friends who spread the word about our project via blogs, Websites, emails, and newsletters. We have friends who tell us about grants, supplies, shopping, and upcoming sales. We have friends who send us beads and wire and findings and fiber and storage boxes and magazines and books. We have friends who bless us with cash. Without our friends, A Little Something wouldn't be anything at all.

Everyone agreed that it was a fun afternoon. Even Ginger and Phoenix enjoyed the day(although we're still not sure who licked a little icing off of the brownies). Katrina suggested that we make this a monthly event, but that if monthly is too much to coordinate, meeting every three months would certainly be a possibility. As I was thinking, "Oh, nobody is going to want to do this with us every month," everyone else was happily agreeing with Katrina.

So, here's to our friends, our support and supporters. I can't imagine how we would get along without you.
--SM

A Little Update

2008-08-06T14:09:00.003-06:00

It's a hot summer here in Denver. That hasn't stopped women of our group from creating. We have a lot of jewelry to sell, and we just got a commission job! How exciting is that?

August is going to be a bit quiet for us. We don't have any sales or events to attend. There has been a lot of travelling among those of us who organize and those who make beautiful crafts. That trend will continue through the month.

Our big challenge right now is trying to find what we need to get the weavers started with their projects. We have no idea how or where to buy weaving fiber, let alone the materials needed to make a backstrap loom. If you know about these things, please contact us! We need help!

We hope that when September rolls around, we'll have a full roster of crafts sales, church events, and more lined up for the entire fall. If we clone ourselves, we'll even open an Etsy shop online.

For the moment, though, we still need an office and work space near Capitol Hill in Denver, as well as a lawyer and someone to file our business papers with the state.

We need to take August off so our heads don't explode from being full and thinking about everything we still need to work on!

Hot, hot, hot

2008-07-29T15:09:00.006-06:00

As a group, we learn as we go along. Here at A Little Something, we're making a lot of notes. The latest would be: No more events that take place on AstroTurf. No unshaded events in July. Label the boxes. Hang the banner on the canopy before raising it to its full height and you realize the tallest person in the group is 5' 4". Have a lot of safety pins and S-hooks on hand. Figure out why the women are so resistant to using a crimp tool.

The list goes on. We have another list, too:
Try every event until we find what works best for us. Involve the girls. Don't be shy about asking for volunteers to help work the sales. Don't forget: Lots of people want to help; they're just waiting to be asked.

The event we attended on Sunday was challenging in some ways, but a delightful surprise in others. The event itself was faith-based in nature, and we weren't sure how our project would fit in. Since our project is an offshoot of the CRESL In-Home tutoring Program, though, it seemed like a no-brainer to have both groups represented.

I have never spent any quality time on AstroTurf before. It's...bizarre. We were very careful not to drag the canopy or tables across the fake grass as we positioned everything during setup. Susan brought three of the Somali Bantu teen girls with her, and together, we made a great team. We just weren't fast enough setting up.

We got the jewelry part of the booth set up, but before we could arrange everything for the home tutoring program's side of the booth, we were flooded with customers. The cyclists from the Sea to Sea bike tour were very happy, indeed, to be able to buy beautiful, meaningful souvenirs from Denver that were not only special but that could be easily tucked into the tiny bit of storage the cyclists had available. Ah, we were selling the right thing!

Throughout the morning, our booth was filled with visitors. Some came to shop, while others came simply to find out what we were all about. Many had heard of the home tutoring program and wanted to know how they could help. Many of our customers were very generous not only in their purchases, but also in telling us to "keep the change" as we wrote up their sales.

We've had our share of events where few people showed an interest in what we were trying to accomplish. They saw only merchandise and didn't wish to go beyond that. Sunday was different, though. Susan and I were educators and advocates, and we appreciated the opportunity to teach others about the positive parts of the federal refugee resettlement program.

Did I mention it was hot on Sunday? My all-things-sports expert informed me that on a sunny day, the temperature on the football field would be about ten degrees hotter than ambient temperature elsewhere. Indeed. The temperature in Denver was 97 degrees, but at Englewood High School, it was about 107 degrees on the field. Mercy.

Susan never, ever complains, but I easily make up for that personality trait. I tried not to fuss about the heat too much, but I was very uncomfortable. As it turns out, the event wrapped up early. The heat made me start thinking that there must be something fundamentally wrong with me to keep spending so much of my free time volunteering for this cause. I definitely had a few minutes of, "Why do we even bother..." since it was almost unbearably hot out. I looked at all of the stuff we had to pack up and all I could think was, "I just don't want to do this."

Almost on cue, a group of about seven or eight people seemed to materialize out of nowhere. One of them called out, "Hi! Do you need some help getting packed up and loaded?" And there was our salvation. Many hands really do make light work. We got the booth taken care of and my car loaded in a fraction of time it normally takes.

I don't even know how much money we actually made. I'm still too tired to put on my accountant hat. It doesn't matter. I mean, the women will be happy to be paid, but I know I speak for Susan and myself when I say that the day had other contributions for us. To know that we got people thinking about the refugee situation here and worldwide, to know that we may have recruited volunteers or even inspired someone to volunteer at a resettlement agency or a school is payment enough.

We both meet a lot of people in the course of our day, but some of the friendliest and most sincere we've ever met were with us on the blistering green AstroTurf on Sunday.

Thanks, Sara!

2008-07-22T09:21:00.004-06:00

A special thank-you to Sara at the Softflex Company. Sara arranged for a generous (as in large) donation of Softflex beading wire for the Bead Women of A Little Something. Wire is usually one of our biggest expenses, so we are particularly appreciative of Sara's kind gesture.

Thanks, Sara!

Come see us in Englewood on July 27

2008-07-21T15:34:00.007-06:00

Our next sale will be:

Sea to Sea Bike Tour--Denver Rally

Sunday, July 27

Englewood High School

3800 S. Logan St.

Englewood, Colorado

9:00 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.

and then

11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

Please note that there is a one-hour church service starting at 10:30 and the booth area might not be open at that time.

The Sea To Sea Bike tour includes more than 200 bicyclists riding across the United States (and part of Canada) from Puget Sound to the shadow of the Statue of Liberty. The purpose of the tour is to raise awareness of and to inspire others to work to end the cycle of poverty locally, nationally, and globally. To learn more about the tour and its purpose, visit http://www.seatosea.org/.

A Little Something was invited to participate in this event because of our mission and commitment to empowerment through education and self-sufficiency. The rally is not a crafts fair or festival like those we normally attend; rather, it is meant to bring people together to learn about and connect with volunteer opportunities that build supportive communites and programs that contribute to ending the cycle of poverty.

Sharon (who is a former Very Serious Cyclist herself) will be wearing two hats at once and hoping it's not too hot, as she is the volunteer coordinator for the Colorado Refugee English as a Second Language In-Home Tutoring Program and as a member of Team A Little Something. If you're not busy next Sunday morning, stop in and maybe buy a nice necklace or a woven bag, or just chat with us about why we do what we do. Of course, if you'd like to be a home tutor here in Denver, Sharon would really like to talk to you!

Since this event will be relatively small, it would be a good time for you to come and shop with us--take your time, try things on...We hope to see you there.

We were our own best customers

2008-07-21T14:27:00.008-06:00

It's probably something that every veteran crafts seller already knows: Sometimes, even the best planned events aren't as successful as we expect them to be. In this case, on Sunday we participated in an arts and music festival in the city's largest park.

We made a checklist:

Jewelry? check.
Weaving? check
Knitted items? check
Display? check
Banner? check
Cooler full of bottled water? check

The festival should have been great, considering the location, time of day, and overlap with another event. It just didn't turn out that way. It was a very hot weekend--102 degrees in the park--and the event sort of fizzled in the sizzle.

We sold a few things to the festival goers, and then our helpers started showing up. Slavica, who oversees the ESL program at Emily Griffith, bought a beautiful traditional woven Karen bag, but missed out on a darling red charm bracelet that Hajia bought from Haiffaa. Jaime bought a scarf and a necklace. Cathryn looked at everything and spent quite a bit of time seriously considering a woven Karen blouse and skirt. All in all, those of us who were there to work at the booth did the bulk of the shopping.

We are lucky to have access to a new EZ-Up canopy and as of this weekend, a brand-new banner. This may seem inconsequential, but these things really do help us look more professional. More important, I drive a Jeep, and although gas prices will do what they will do, this is the official A Little Something haul-it-all vehicle. As long as this project goes on, I cannot get rid of the Liberty. It is the only vehicle of those owned among us that is long enough to haul the EZ-Up, plus accommodate all of the other things that go into creating a mini-boutique in the middle of a field.

The booth looked great, we had plenty of help late in the day, and everything was on course for a profitable day, but in the end, we only sold a few items. It was just too hot, and it was the third or fourth consecutive day of just too hot. We went through almost a case of bottled water, plus some Gatorade for the electrolytes.

All was not lost, though. Since business was slow, we had a chance to fine-tune the displays and walk around a bit to check out the competition. Jaime spent most of the day tagging all of the new jewelry and reuniting earring and necklace sets.

We get to do this again next week, albeit on a much smaller scale. Let's hope for strong sales, lots of volunteer recruitment, and many opportunities to educate visitors about refugee resettlement and the A Little Something project.

Introducing...More dynamic women!

2008-07-11T16:28:00.012-06:00

We've talked about it for almost a year. We talked about it some more. We tested the waters with some sample products. This week we finally had our plans in place and so we were able to formally launch the next part of A Little Something: The Karen Weavers' Cooperative.

That name is still under construction as we will surely have more than just ethnic Karen women from Burma in our fiber arts group. We hope to eventually have other Burmese ethnic groups, as well as weavers and knitters from Nepal and Bhutan. (more on that in a future post).

Today we scheduled our first informational meetings for the women. Things got off to a somewhat discouraging start when our first meeting went completely unattended. Jaime and I, along with our translator, Margaret Htoo, decided not to let this influence us too much. We drove across town for the second scheduled meeting. This time, things went better.

Margaret, who is a weaver herself (and a little dynamo!), left Jaime and I at the steps of the apartment building where the meeting was to take place. She went around the neighborhood and knocked on doors, gathering up prospective participants and asking them to remind others that it was time to meet. As Jaime and I were chatting on the steps of the building, I looked up to see Margaret half a block away, with a small train of Burmese women in tow. Having escorted her first group to us, she set off once again to shepherd a few more to our part of the street.

I am normally a person who prepares her comments, who makes notes on index cards (middle-aged memory lapses--ugh), and who has an agenda for every meeting. Maybe it's the heat, maybe it's my insomnia-induced fatigue, but I decided to just wing it. That seemed OK until we went inside and the women filed into the room. I stood in the room and realized I had no idea how to approach this group.

We have known the African women for a few years, and I, for one, am more familiar with them personally and culturally. As I set to work assembling a small photo display, I hoped that Jaime and I would explain the project in a way that would engage the women's interest and not in a way that would leave them thinking we were going to exploit them.

My worries were unfounded. The Burmese women do not harbor the trust issues that we encountered with our foundation group. They were polite and curious, they laughed at all of my jokes (and I give lots of credit to Margaret for being able to translate the nuances of my humor), and they nodded often as we explained the details of the project.

As I took a break from talking, Jaime took over and as she spoke, I looked around the room. We had seven women there for our first meeting. They range in age from 15 to 62. Some are educated, some are not. Three are so quiet, I could not hear them introduce themselves, although I was standing only a foot away. Margaret speaks English very well, our veteran ALS member, Htee Ku Paw, is a solid intermediate speaker, and the rest of the group comes in at zero English. A couple of the women have been here since last summer whereas two others arrived only last week. All of these women lived at least a decade of their lives in the Mae La refugee camp.

I don't know that if I had been relocated only a week ago that I would be up for joining a group of any kind. In fact, I would probably still be recovering from jet lag. Not these women. They are eager to get going.

When Jaime and I finished our part of the presentation, we asked the women if they had questions. They looked at each other. They looked at us. They looked at us. They looked at Margaret. Finally, Ko Gay said something very brief to Margaret. Margaret translated: "They want to know when they can start."

At this point, the women all started chatting at once. There was a lot of hand gesturing in the air and discussion among the whole group. Margaret leaned over and said, "They're talking about where they can weave and how they can set up their looms. In Burma and Thailand, we lived in bamboo houses, so you could tie the loom onto a post on any wall. It's not that easy here." (click here to see a slide show of Karen weavers in a refugee camp in Thailand.)

I had a laugh at my own expense. I've been thinking about the details of this project for a long time, and I have a vision of the many things we can do. I know that the Karen weave with a variety of fibers, and many spin their own. Traditionally, the weavers use homemade vegetable dyes to hand-color each skein of silk or cotton. I have envisioned us all working together outside of one of the apartment buildings, having "dye days" and warping fiber, making skeins, and building looms. Margaret's comment had just brought me back to reality with a big thud. Forget finding a community workspace; we need to find a way to use backstrap looms in modern Denver apartments!

As the meeting wound down, Jaime made a somewhat humorous observation. When we meet with the African women, the meetings are noisy and boisterous. There is spirited debate, and we are bombarded with questions. Side conversations go on while we're talking, it's hard to stay on topic, and every point has to be considered from many sides and with many "what ifs."

The Karen women, on the other hand, listened quietly, inquired politely, paid attention, and trusted us without question. Jaime and I realized that we hadn't ever had an A Little Something meeting that was so...subdued. Things are going to get interesting when the whole group is together. Furthermore, we've found that if we plan things more than a week or so in advance with the core group, they forget about those events when the scheduled day arrives. Last-minute wrangling works best. Margaret, on the other hand, very politely admonished us for not giving more lead time in getting the word out about the meetings. She recommended--several times--that in the future, we plan ahead.

Although there were only seven women at the meeting today, we know that there are at least seven more who wanted to be there but who had appointments or English class in the morning. In addition, there are other Karen women who don't weave but who wish to apprentice, and a few more who don't know any crafts yet, but want to learn to make jewelry.

Something is happening to our project--excitement is growing. It feels like we're on the verge of something much bigger. I think we're about to...bloom!

(The newest ALS members, in order pictured: Margaret Htoo; Paw Ku Thay; Hai Gay Moo; Paw Pah; Ko Gay; Than Myint Yee.

Dispatch from the dining room floor

2008-07-01T15:11:00.011-06:00

The other day, I sat on my dining room floor (the current official headquarters of A Little Something) and started going through the latest batch of necklaces and earrings the women turned in. Last week, Anna and Jaime went visiting, and spent some time with Sharifo and with our newest member, Sahara, and Sahara's daughters.

As I sat there on the cool hardwood, I looked over the work and I was stunned to realize that Sahara and Company had started making very pretty, truly original designs right off the bat. This group has an innate sense of design and color that is right-on. The technical skills need some work, but that will come with time and practice. In the meantime, I plan on inviting some friends over for afternoon iced tea and cookies, and when everyone is comfortable, I'll pull out the jewelry so we can make adjustments and then tag and bag. Hee hee.

I digress. After Anna and Jaime finished their rounds, Anna called me to let me know she had some things to drop off. She sounded very excited on the phone--and that's saying something for someone whose natural speech patterns tend toward the very, very mellow. Anna hurriedly told me that she couldn't wait for me to see Sharifo's latest work--it was, for sure, the prettiest work she had produced so far. We thought that Sharifo would take a break or stop altogether once her baby was born, but having a newborn hasn't slowed her down one bit! Her creativity seems to have gone into overdrive since the baby arrived in May.

Fatuma, Khadiga and her girls, Zahra, Mama Moumina, Sharifo, and Sahara were all teaching themselves. They worked out the measurements and the counting, the symmetry and color combinations. Double strands, pendants, patterns, and convertible pieces--when and how had they learned these things?

When I learned to make jewelry, I didn't have a teacher to show me what to do. I learned from books, mostly (Margot Potter's Impatient Beader was a lifesaver!), as well as from magazines and online resources. It took me a few months to find my groove and to try to find my own design style. It didn't come all that naturally, but eventually, I got there.

Anna and I recently discussed how when we went back and looked at our own first pieces of jewelry, we realized what mediocre attempts ours had been. When we started working with the refugee women, though, we both found new enthusiasm and just as the women were trying, we also paid more attention to our creativity and attempted new things. Shortly after that conversation, I noticed that Jaime had also started creating very pretty pieces for herself. The three of us all had a few girly-girl moments along the way where we complimented each other on our lovely jewelry and accepted lavish compliments from each other.

As I pulled more necklaces out of the bag, I wondered if the women felt this same sense of happiness about their creativity. Were they enjoying the journey from making saleable items to making beautiful, original crafts? Did they wake up in the morning thinking of a color combination or a particular bead they wanted to use in a necklace? Do they share our excitement for the creative process? These kinds of questions are difficult for us to ask, and even if we had an interpreter, this kind of conceptual language doesn't translate well.

I wanted to think that the beautiful, colorful, and detailed work I was holding in my hands had been created with joy and not just with a sense of doing business. It seems to me that it's not possible to make something so wonderful without having put heart and soul and passion into it.

Some of the women in our program have survived things that are far too horrific to share with you. It is a fact that many of them suffered terribly in the refugee camps, and most experienced profound depression after they arrived in the U.S. In addition, all of them, every single one, lost someone very dear in one armed conflict or another. Now I marvel at their resiliency, their survivor mentality, their willingness to start over, keep going and to try something that is new--and possibly a little frivolous--along the way.

There is so much more than beauty in art. The things we create carry some of our personal history, our emotions, our ingrained experiences, and our personality in every piece. When you look at the bounty of beaded jewelry created by the women of A Little Something, you might be tempted to see only a barrage of color and sparkle. But if you sit beside me on the floor and hold these pieces, these small wonders, you will soon understand that you are bearing witness to a handful of miracles.

--SM

We ask for A Little Something for the first time

2008-06-29T19:45:00.003-06:00

Since A Little Something became a reality less than a year ago, we have tried our very best not to ask anyone for anything. We believed that by doing the work we were inspired to do, the things we needed would come to us, one way or another. To date, this has proven to be true, and even the most cynical among us has marveled at this phenomenon of abundance some have likened to The Secret (a book that none of us has actually had the time to read).

Now, after all of these months of things falling into place, we have encountered a situation we cannot resolve. For the past eleven months, we have managed to pull together this program without having a home base of operations. The supplies are at Sharon's house. The finished work and prepared kits are at Anna's place. Susan has the notes on each women's particular situation. The statistical data is at Jaime's office, while the participant files, PR materials, and main phone number are at Sharon's office. We have reached a point where our project needs an office of its own, a home for A Little Something, a central point of operations.

What is standing between us and that is approximately $700. That is how much we need for the first month's rent plus a month's deposit on a small (verrrry small) office. We aren't looking at any posh downtown suites; instead, most of the places under consideration are no more than 300 square feet--about the size of a moderately large bedroom. If we're lucky, we'll get into a place with utilities included. Actually, on our budget, that's our only option.

We haven't yet worked out the logistics of accepting a monetary donation for this purpose, but if you know of anyone who could help us out with $700, please contact me, Sharon, at beadwomen@gmail.com. We hope that our legal advisor, who also donates her time, can help us make this an easy transaction for...someone who has $700. We might even be able to pay you back some time in the future.

We always feel uncomfortable asking anyone for anything, so although we find making this request to be awkward, it's something we're willing to do because our office needs are very specific and we are willing to ask for help getting not just a place, but exactly the right place for us (which we've found but lost out on more than once).

We humbly put this request out there, and if this is the right thing to do, we know it will come to pass. Here's hoping.

Precious Potential

2008-06-25T11:58:00.004-06:00

I invite you to share in a five-minute food-for-thought snack. You'll feel a sense of fullness you didn't expect. I encourage you to also click on the two orange links at the bottom of the presentation screen: About and Fact Sheet, as well as any other links that appear.

Go to: http://www.girleffect.org/.

After the initial presentation, please wait just a moment for the second part of the story to load. Take a look at the "Learn, Change, Share" words on the the screen. Click on the words for more information and some insightful videos.

As a friend of a program that has a huge stake in the education of women, I hope that you find inspiration in this short presentation.

Busy again!

2008-06-08T09:36:00.012-06:00

It may appear that we're neglecting our project, but really, the Chief Blogger has just been too overwhelmed with work and health issues to focus on posting updates. We're here, we're busy, and we want to give you a quick update.

(It was Diversity Day at school,
hence the exceptionally oversized African dress)

So, you know that I, Sharon, am under the weather, and that's a little bit of a setback. Anna is away for the summer, so Jaime and I are trying to figure out how to cover Anna's home visit marathon schedule. Susan is away right now, but when she's here, she has a lot going on shepherding Somali Bantu kids to their many summer activities. Community building can be exhausting work, but being tired does not in any way mean our enthusiasm is flagging.

There has been a veritable baby boom going on among the women of A Little Something. Several babies have been born in the last few weeks, and there are at least three more on the way--soon!

Our last two sales had mixed success. We're learning that it's a lot of work to get everything inspected, ready, and tagged. Setting up the booth takes a lot of time and and a good eye for merchandising.

We haven't had much success getting the Beadwomen to join us on sale days. We aren't sure if it's a lack of interest, anxiety about speaking English, or some other issue that makes them reluctant to take on the business aspects of the business. For now, we want to get the teen girls involved with the hope that they will encourage their moms to participate in the events and share the responsibility of running A Little Something.

The next phase of our project is taking shape. Since last summer, hundreds of ethnic Karen refugees from Burma have been resettled in Denver. Among the many talents the Karen bring to our country is their gift for weaving. Perhaps you saw earlier posts here about Htee, our only weaver in the program to date.

Our plan is to start a weaving co-op, capitalizing on a skill the Burmese women already have. Again, the intent of the project is not only to make money, but for the women to use art as a means to empowerment and healing. The scars of the Karen run very deep, indeed. Many of the younger women have spent their entire lives in refugee camps in Thailand and are facing a daunting life of opportunity and learning for the very first time. We hope that this part of the Denver Refugee Women's Crafts Project will bring together not only our artists, but local fiber artists who have time and talent to share, as well.

Our project moves forward, sometimes in spite of itself, it seems. Anna, Susan, Jaime, and I face immense challenges on a regular basis. Sometimes we make this up as we go along because we don't really know how to proceed. We have made mistakes, but we learn from them. We do our best and as much as we can--which is actually quite a bit when you consider that we work "regular" jobs that are both demanding and sometimes emotionally difficult. I'm never sure if we should keep that to ourselves or let the women know that we struggle in our way, too.

The summer holds promise for many new ideas to take shape and be put into action. We might have the opportunity to be vendors at the farmers markets. We have the City Park Festival of the Arts coming up on July 20, and on June 27, a small celebration for the Sea-to-Sea bike tour, as well.

We will celebrate our first anniversary in about six weeks, and when you look at the year we created--with so much help from people here and all over the United States and Canada--there is a lot to celebrate. We'll keep you posted.

Women's empowerment: Food for thought

2008-05-21T14:01:00.006-06:00

"For millennia women have dedicated themselves almost exclusively to the task of nurturing, protecting and caring for the young and the old, striving for the conditions of peace that favour life as a whole. To this can be added the fact that, to the best of my knowledge, no war was ever started by women. But it is women and children who have always suffered most in situations of conflict.

Now that we are gaining control of the primary historical role imposed on us of sustaining life in the context of the home and family, it is time to apply in the arena of the world the wisdom and experience thus gained in activities of peace over so many thousands of years. The education and empowerment of women throughout the world cannot fail to result in a more caring, tolerant, just and peaceful life for all."
—Daw Aung San Suu Kyi (from keynote address to NGO Forum on Women, Beijing, 1995)

Aung San Suu Kyi has been the democratically elected leader of Burma since 1990. After the election, the ruling military regime put Aung San Suu Kyi under house arrest, where she remained for most of the next 16 years. In 1991, she was awarded the Nobel Prize for Peace. She continues to work for the democratization of her country.

Stop in and maybe buy a nice necklace!

2008-05-12T17:47:00.009-06:00

We often get asked these very good questions: Where can I buy A Little Something's jewelry and fiber crafts? Do you have a store?

Well, we don't have a store (yet), but we do have sales. Usually, we attend local events such as craft fairs and festivals. In the near future, you can find us at these events. Stop by and say hello!!

Diversity Day Culture Celebration
Thursday, May 15 9-2
Emily Griffith Opportunity School
1250 Welton St., Denver
MAP

World Market
Sunday, May 18 11-3
Augustana Lutheran Church
5200 E. Alameda Ave., Denver, CO
MAP

City Park Festival of the Arts
Sunday, July 20 12-6
Ferril Lake/City Park
Denver, CO
MAP

The Honor Bestowed Upon Us

2008-05-07T19:00:00.003-06:00

(A note to our readers: This post was supposed to run a couple of weeks ago, but our resident blogger was still sick and in too much pain to finish the job--until now.)

This is pretty special, or else I wouldn't be blogging Against Medical Advice (shhh! Don't tell Dr. Brent).

Our friend in jewelry making, Margot Potter, has designated us as a recipient of the Arte y Pico Award. I'm choked up. I have nothing prepared. I don't know what to say. All of us Bead Women here at A Little Something are flattered and delighted by this recognition. Thanks, Margot.

Now, I am going to follow Margot's instructions to the cut-and-paste letter. We will choose our award recipients imminently. Winners, please follow along. Actually, there really are far too many of you out there for us to single out, but we'll do our best.

Here are the rules for the Arte Y Pico Award:

1) Pick 5 blogs who deserve this award for their creativity, design, interesting material and also contibutions to the blogging community no matter what language.

2) Each award has to have the name of the author and also a link to the blog to be visited by everyone.

3) Each award winner has to show the award and put the name and the link to the blog that has given her or him award itself.

4) Award winner and the one who has given the prize have to show the link of Arte y Pico Award blog so everyone will know the origin of this award. It helps a lot if you speak Spanish. (Cut and paste the info into your blog to make things easier).

Capitola Girl A fan and friend whose creative endeavors--stringing beads and stringing thoughts--are definitely noteworthy.
37 Days Patti Digh reminds us to live with intention and to do so as creatively as possible.
creativadoration From a lovely blogger in Montreal, a potpourri of crafts as functional art, plus other things that are difficult to describe.
How I changed the world today This is not technically a blog related to creative pursuits, but Julia will inspire you to touch the world and support the creative endeavors of people around the globe. Fair trade rocks, and if Julia knew us, she'd probably understand exactly what we're trying to do.

OK, we know our list is one blog short, but we woud have rounded it out with Margot's blog had anyone else nominated us. So, feel free to add an extra blog to your list when you create it.

Congratulations on your award, everyone!

Bead Expo, Part II

2008-04-27T20:03:00.007-06:00

Can you spot the troublemaker in this picture?

Some call it bribery, but we called it opportunity. The girls in our project were asked if they would babysit on Saturday in exchange for a trip to the bead expo on Sunday. The answer was..."Yeah. OK." Ah, the teen years and their enthusiasm.

Having rested our feet on Saturday night, Susan, Anna, and I were good to go on Sunday morning (well, me, not so much--the shingles episode isn't over, but it can be tolerated pretty well if there are beads involved). Seven young ladies were waiting for their day at the bead show, and as it turned out, it was a good thing our feet were rested because the girls kept us on our toes.

The girls had a set amount of money to spend, but with a very tough string attached: Nothing could be purchased without group consensus. Getting seven teen girls to agree on anything is a monumental challenge under the best of circumstances, but when it's an issue of personal taste, you can be sure there will be spirited discussion with every purchase. There was.

The three of us who were the chaperones today had our own agenda. We want the girls to acquire the social skills they'll need to be successful, respected young women. We want them to learn to work together, to develop skills related to negotiation, discussion, compromise, and fairness. We also want them to understand what is and isn't worth arguing about, and when it is or isn't important to stand one's ground.

We also wanted them to develop an appreciation for the beads they've been using for their creative endeavors. Until today, they had never even considered where their beads come from or what they cost. It's a lesson in value that all kids learn sooner or later, and today these girls learned that you can't buy everything you see and that not everything you like is worth the price. It was a day of awareness, thinking, deliberation and consideration. And beads. Lots of beads.

The girls, like the women on Saturday, were most drawn to anything faceted, sparkly, crystal, shiny, or bright. Anna helped them to see that such strong qualities must be tempered with more basic attributes if the dominant features are to be appreciated and not overwhelming.

The girls could barely contain themselves as they made their way from booth to booth. They wanted to look at everything, touch everything, buy everything, and touch everything yet again. They talked, laughed, compared, and went in seven different directions, only to be corralled and redirected, brought together and asked to focus (ha!).

At the end of the day, seven young ladies spent a day to remember and as they tumbled out the front door to the parking lot, they were already talking about next year's show and what they hoped to buy. They also saw some gorgeous jewelry they'd like to learn how to make, and we hope they feel inspired by the beauty they encountered today.

Technical note

2008-04-26T22:11:00.000-06:00

This blog is now set up for RSS feeds. If you need that information, then you know what to do. The widget gadget thingy is at the bottom of the right column on this page. And now back to our regularly scheduled blogging.

Together, we shop for A Little Something

2008-04-26T21:19:00.005-06:00

Slide show loading--read our post while you wait for the pictures to come online!

(To see this slide show LARGER and in a new window, just click on the blue link you see in the lower left corner of the slideshow screen, above. Hover your cursor over the bottom of slideshow screen and click the 'plus' symbol to slow down the speed.)

It was a landmark day. Today was our first field trip, and we didn't start with something easy. Four of the women--Khadiga, Fatuma, Madina, and Mama Moumina went to their first Bead Expo. Susan, Anna, Jaime, and Sharon went, too.

You don't normally see brightly dressed African women meandering through the bead show here, so we were pretty easy to spot. From the moment we walked in the door, we received a very warm reception. First and foremost, the staff of the Rocky Mountain Bead Society helped us set up our field trip, and they kindly found ways to make the whole endeavor more feasible. We owe them a debt of gratitude.

Joan Babcock welcomed us into her micro-macrame class and patiently worked with our students throughout the lesson. Although her class was full and it would have been easier for Joan to concentrate on her more experienced students, she made this afternoon a very special experience for our group. You see, the women of A Little Something have never taken a class with Americans before--at least, not side-by-side as peers. This kind of experience is at the heart of our philosophy of empowerment. It is a powerful moment if you are a person who has been marginalized your entire life.

The rest of the day was all about shopping! Beads, beads, beads, everywhere! We had a plan of perusing the entire exhibition hall and then circling back and buying, however, it seemed we could never progress more than a few booths at a time without being sucked into the Bead Expo Vortex that has such astounding gravitational pull that before you know it, you're in a booth with a strand of beads entertaining your hand.

The women had a set amount of cash to spend on beads and supplies for the program. They were supposed to work cooperatively to make their purchasing decisions and budget their money throughout the day. Well, that was the plan, anyway. Anna ended up managing the money because the women were all deeply mesmerized by sparkling Swarovski, Czech fire polish, faceted crystal and quartz, and a bajillion tubes of sparkly, bright seed beads. In other words, their reaction to their first bead show was exactly the same as anyone else's. The word "overwhelming" was uttered more than once.

Many people who encountered us were curious about our ensemble. The women answered those questions that they could, and the rest of us were happy to tell the story of A Little Something. Before we knew it, it was 6:00 and the hall was closing up for the night. We almost had to drag the women away from the sparkly pretties, but once we got outside, everyone realized the same thing: We were ready to sit down an put our feet up!

Today was a wonderful day. As the women climbed into the van and got situated, Mama Moumina told us something in Maay Maay. Then, she pointed to every one of us in turn, gave two thumbs up and said, "All good. Good, good, good!" Fatuma and Khadiga assured us they had fun. We all agreed we were tired, though.

The story doesn't end here. Oh, no. Tomorrow we're going back with the teen girls' group. More fun to come--we'll keep you posted!

A sister project reawakens in the spring

2008-04-22T13:17:00.010-06:00

If you haven't had the opportunity to read our earliest posts, then you might not know that our project is the spin-off of two other projects. One of those original projects is the Somali Bantu Farming Council, a partnership between the Bantu Community and Denver Urban Gardens. The project has turned some empty city lots in east Denver into bountiful vegetable gardens. The farmers sell their produce at the farmer's market. The garden also becomes a gathering spot for neighbors throughout the warm months.

Spring is here, and that means it's time for the community to come together to start preparing the gardens for another planting season. The Bead Women saw this gathering as an opportunity to tend to their creative garden, as well, with an impromptu jewelry sale. The day looked like this...

Volunteers assisted with the soil preparation.

Community members' work will yield farmer's market produce in a few months.

While the adults worked the soil, young Somali Bantu artists painted a mural for the garden.

The girls worked hard to tag and price jewelry for the sale. What's that behind the couch??

Why am I here selling jewelry? I'm not a girl!

We're still here!

2008-04-07T13:29:00.008-06:00

Sharon speaking! As the official keeper of the A Little Something blog, I just wanted to reassure everyone that it hasn't gone away--although I did.

The last few weeks have found me up to my eyeballs in lesson planning that went on throughout spring break, then battling an outbreak of shingles, and then attending a conference in New York City. Truth be told, I probably spent more time in my hotel room trying not to lose my mind from the shingles outbreak than I did actuallly attending conference sessions and meetings.

I only mention this because I know there are some of you out there who check in with our blog on a regular basis. Since I am the designated blogger, I feel it would be remiss not to let you know that this particular activity--and my hands-on participation in the crafts project--are a bit difficult for me to handle at the moment.

I know, I know, you're thinking "Why doesn't someone else take over for now?" Well, our project is just a little, little bit on the back burner, but only for a week or so. Anna was sick and then had to go out of state to help her mom who fell ill and was hospitalized. Susan had the flu and then laryngitis, and despite her best efforts, has had residual issues with a bug that just won't let go. Even Haiffaa and Khadiga have had some serious health problems in the last month. We're collectively a wreck!! My doctor hinted that perhaps we've all been pushing ourselves too hard, but I, for one, have chosen to ignore the possibility of "busyness" being our shared health hazard.

We may be down, but we're not out. I have to fly to Florida next week to help my mom who is going to have surgery. I hope to be back in the swing of things shortly after that. Stay tuned--our big field trip to the bead show is coming up late in April and that should be an adventure well worth blogging about!

We're working behind the scenes

2008-03-26T17:30:00.004-06:00

You may be wondering what the Bead Women of A Little Something have been up to. It seems we are all sick!

Our local school district is also on spring break, so everyone is busy taking care of kids, traveling, and generally living life.

In the meantime, exciting things are on the horizon. After tizzying herself with the dizzying mountains of information related to nonprofit startups, Sharon met with an attorney who attempted to unravel the confounding mysteries of the 501c(3).

Our deepest gratitude goes out to Elle Tauer, attorney, of Greenwood & Tauer, P.C. Elle will donate her time to walk us through the process of becoming a bona fide nonprofit organization, one registered with the state and the IRS.

This is a huge, huge step in our growth, and something we never could have figured out for ourselves. It's a daunting step, though, and it gives us a lot of food for thought regarding the future of the women we serve and the organization we are to become. It is not something to be taken lightly.

Perhaps we need to outfit Elle with some really cool, handmade jewelry.

In other news, we're planning to take as many of the women as we can to the big bead show coming to Denver next month. We're lining up big passenger vans, babysitters, admission-ticket money, and classes. We hope to enroll all of the women in classes so they can have the experience of learning alongside other jewelry makers. We also want them to see the big picture, so to speak, as it pertains to bead shopping. We'll reward the teenaged babysitters by taking them to the show the following day, and doing the whole thing all over again.

We hope that this field trip will give the women a better understanding of how beads are sold, new techniques yet to be learned, and how to budget their money when standing in the face of massive, bead-buying temptation. Wish us luck.

Haiiffaa's letter from the First Lady of Colorado

2008-03-04T20:33:00.002-07:00

Pictures from the Extravaganza

2008-02-26T22:24:00.008-07:00

The view from the bridge...Our table was located inside of University of Denver's signature glass pedestrain bridge that spans a major street to connect two buildings. The light wasn't great and all the glass made for a photographic challenge, but Jaime did what she could to document our participation. In the end, though, she who controls the blog, controls the pictures (bwahahaha!). Sharon detests having her picture taken, but she was happy to crop the pictures judiciously so you can't see the blogger, but you can see a little bit of our sale at the African Extravaganza.

Anna and a young customer discuss the merchandise.

Another happy customer. There were lots of "Oooooos" and "Ahhhhhhs" throughout the evening.

We were informed by these and several other boys that we are totally lame for not having any "more masculine" jewelry. We're still not sure what that means, exactly, but we've sent it out to our Research and Development unit for further exploration.

Share the Love!

2008-02-26T15:29:00.006-07:00

The Bead Women are always on the lookout for information about programs with a mission similar to ours. Today we found two! In one day!

In the spirit of sisterhood, of what Tammy Powley calls Sister Beadpower and what Margot Potter calls Super-Girlie-Good-Power, we share these stories with you. Please take time to learn about these amazing projects. You will feel inspired.

First, from the Concord Monitor in New Hampshire...

Drawing a bead on a living
New arrivals lend their hands to S.N.O.B. festival
Click here to read about how Congolese women in New Hampshire are beading their way to self-sufficiency.

Next is WEAVE, Women's Education for Advancement and Empowerment
Click here to read about how Burmese refugee women in Thailand are using traditional skills such as weaving to better their own lives and the stability of their communities. We hope to connect with this group so they can tell us how to procure the correct weaving materials (fibers) for the Burmese weavers of A Little Something. Here's hoping they answer our questions! You can view and purchase the WEAVE group's beautiful fiber arts via One World Projects, a fair-trade importer doing socially responsible work around the world. Check out the other projects they have going on in the global marketplace. Good stuff!

We meet our public and it makes our feet hurt

2008-02-24T20:34:00.002-07:00

Last week, the American women of A Little Something found themselves overwhelemd with responsibilities and engagments. Somehow, though, we managed to work our way through it.

On top of all of the usual contributors to the fast pace of our life, Susan, Anna, and Sharon are working with a small group of Somali Bantu girls as part of a self-esteem-building program. We meet with the girls once a week and attempt to show them how to make jewelry. That would be three childless women from twenty-something to fifty-something, trying to navigate the world of middle school girls while also trying to get the girls to settle down and focus for five mintes ("Are you listening to me? Don't look at her, she's not the one talking to you. Where are your crimping pliers? You can't use them in class if you leave them at home..."). Every time we walk into that building I wonder how anyone survives middle school.

On Friday night, we eventually all made it to the same place, although definitely not at the same time. We were in good company--the entire room was a fair-trade market with the like of Beads for Life and Handcrafting Justice just a few tables away. We weren't the only ones selling jewelry and fiber arts, and we worried that we would be overlooked in favor of more polished vendors.

Somehow, we were totally unprepared for the pace of the evening and the size of the crowd. We weren't even finished setting up when people started coming by. We talked--a lot. We sold a lot. We saw many, many familiar faces, and although some had heard bits of information about our project, few had any idea of just how much progress we've made in the six months A Little Something has been...something.

Through the course of the evening, we never had the chance to sit down, let alone take a break. We were sure to let visitors know that our crafters are right here in our city--you don't need to look to far-off countries to find women who are working to craft their way out of poverty. In between showing merchandise, we tried to fit in stories about the refugee women who created everything we had to sell.

Haiffaa was supposed to work the table with us, but she was working the room--she has a lot of fans after her stunning presentation earlier in the week. Khadiga's daughters heard the siren song of drumming, dancing, food, and fun, and we didn't have the heart to pull them away from the ballroom.

So, we worked, explained, greeted, laughed, talked, smiled, and generally connected with a very interested crowd. We talked some more, shook a lot of hands, wrote up sales, smiled 'til our faces hurt, and finally, when the night came to an end, we were all thirsty, hungry, exhausted, and proud--very proud of the women and the tremendous amount of work they produced just for this night, and for the creative souls and savvy style mavens they have become. We were even a little proud of ourselves, but what we felt more than anything was our feet. They hurt...but it was totally worth it.
--SM

No...Seriously!

2008-02-22T13:28:00.006-07:00

The Bead Women of A Little Something are busily rushing about getting ready to attend the African Extravaganza at the University of Denver tonight. We had this great plan that included having many of the women attend the event and help sell their work at our table. Everyone agreed it would be a good opportunity for the artists to meet their public, so to speak, but also for them get more comfortable speaking with people.

Once again, our plans went a little awry. Mama Moumina is quite ill and has been to the clinic twice this week. Fatuma's oldest daughter has her own school event tonight, so Fatuma doesn't have a sitter for the younger kids. Hajia stayed home from school because she's feeling quite ill. Khadija has been suffering from a chronic kidney ailment. Sharifo can't get a ride (and probably not a sitter). Bakhara is moving out of state tomorrow. We haven't heard from Htee.

The banner says that we're the Denver Refugee Women's Crafts Initiative, but tonight there will be mostly American women working our table at the event. We won't look very convincing as a refugee group. Maybe we need to write in "and friends" after the word 'Women' on that banner!

Sharon has the display in her car so she can go straight to the venue when she gets off at 4:00. If she gets off at 4:00. She was up late last night putting the finishing touches on things, making a sign, and ironing the new table covers. Anna spent the evening running all over town--by bus--gathering up last-minute jewelry creations, and then she was up until the wee hours pricing everything. Anna has all of the jewelry and crafts with her, but she's working late coaching soccer after school, so Susan will drive across town and pick up the suitcase full of merchandise from Anna at work. Jaime is bringing the cash box when she gets off from work, but she needs to stop at home first. Somebody needs to pick up Haiffaa, Shaza, and Shima, but nobody is coming from that part of town.

Believe it or not, the situation today is pretty typical here at A Little Something--and for women everywhere. We all struggle to fit everything in, to accomodate last-minute demands, to produce instant contingency plans. Despite the bumps along the way, we still get the job done, though, don't we? We network, we brainstorm, we work out the logistics, and we knit together support systems to keep life rolling along. We do what we can--and that's usually a lot.

We juggle like crazy and yet we still remember to find that place inside of us that inspires us to make beautiful things, to seek out new friends, and to just laugh when the chaos gets ridiculous.

We are laughing--please laugh with us!

SM

2008-02-20T12:37:00.003-07:00

African Community Center Presents...

African Extravaganza
A lively celebration of African food and culture
presented by The African Community Center

Wednesday, February 20
University of Denver, Sturm Hall
Faces of Refugees Photo Exhibit
and Meet & Greet the Artist
5:30-7:00pm

Refugee Voices
Hear remarkable stories of fear, courage, and triumph told by refugees fromSudan, Somalia, Burma and Iraq (Haiffaa Ali--from the crafts project)
Starts at 7:00 p.m.

<<<<<<<<<<

Friday, February 22, 6:00-9:00pm
African Extravaganza Featuring the Pan African Group
University of Denver, Driscoll Hall

An amazing celebration of food, music, drumming, dancing & lively African dress!

Take a walk through the African Market, featuring Fair Trade and local goods,
jewelry, handcrafts, spices, baskets, textiles and more.

Come enjoy this unique opportunity to celebrate African culture and Heritage!
<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
A Little Something (a.k.a., The Denver Refugee Women’s Crafts Initiative) will have a table at the event on Friday night. If you’re there, come over to say hi and maybe buy a nice necklace!
<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

Haiffaa again!

2008-02-19T13:02:00.003-07:00

Last week, Colorado Public Radio aired a story about refugee resettlement in Colorado. A Little Something participant, Haiffaa Ali, was part of that interview. The program's producers felt it would be beneficial for listeners to hear a more in-depth interview with Haiffaa, especially to compare her impressions at one year in the U.S. with the first impressions of the newly arrived woman featured in the first interview.

This story is about ten minutes long. Of all of the things the host said during the interview, I think my favorite was when he told Haiffa he was impressed and astounded that she was able to give a radio interview (without fear) after only one year of language acquisition.

It's a good story that should leave you wondering how you would cope in similar circumstances.

Click here to go to the Colorado Public Radio Website, and then scroll down to Monday, February 18 to listen to the interview.

Meeting of the minds

2008-02-13T21:19:00.007-07:00

Several weeks ago, we were faced with one of those realizations that is at once daunting and yet necessary to address.

When this program first started to come together, we envisioned weekly sessions with the women where we would teach a new jewelry or craft technique while giving the women an opportunity to spend time together doing something they enjoyed. The reality, though, showed us that the women have such diverse family situations that getting the group together was no small feat of logisitics. Transportation, childcare, Saturday errands...It put a big challenge before us.

The women have been working at home, honing skills and technique, but not engaging in the collaboration we had originally envisioned. To further complicate things, we caught wind of a brewing schism within the Somali Bantu community, and we felt that it was time to articulate once again what this project was intended to do. We also thought it would be a good idea to have all of the Bantu women together in one room so they could compare their creations and help each other with techniques that were giving them trouble.

Now that A Little Something is becoming...something...it seemed that the time had come to reiterate the explanation of what we were doing and try to work through any conflicts that might affect the success of the project or the women's willingness to be a part of it. It is the Somali Bantu way to talk, to discuss, to build consensus. Simmering resentments are not something we want to leave unacknowledged within the community of Beadwomen. So the meeting was convened.

Between us, we were able to pick up all those who didn't have a ride to the meeting location. Once we were together in the room, each woman spread out her finished work, and resumed work on creations in progress. There was a lot of discussion about the jewelry, and a bit of chaos as we handed out bead boxes to the newest members, replenished supplies for the others, demonstrated and gave refresher lessons on crimping, attaching clasps, opening and closing ear wires, and showed how to adjust wire length on bracelets and necklaces. We always speak as we teach, whether our words are understood or not. So far, it seems to be working.

As the women became absorbed in the morning's activities, the atmosphere became more relaxed. The noise level rose noticeably, and we teachers were kept busy in the happy chaos.

Eventually, the time was right to bring up the business of the day. We had a 15-year-old translator who tried her best, but we had two languages represented, which meant Hajia had to translate English to Kizigua, and then Mama Moumina translated Kizigua to May May. We're pretty sure things got lost in the translation.

Jaime, Susan, Anna, and I each took our turn explainaing what we wanted for the women in this program. We emphasized that it's not our program--it's theirs. We asked the women what they wanted. We explained that although we are managing things at this time, the ultimate goal is for the women themselves to acquire the skills and knowledge to do this themselves. We told them that we will always want to hear what they have to say, for better or for worse. We humbly explained that we might make mistakes since we are learning, too. We expressed with true sincerity that we could always be trusted to work in the best interests of these women, we would not take advantage of them, and we would not exploit them as others may have done.

The Bantu have long been marginalized, and within their own culture, women have had a particularly hard time of it. We told the women that we have been diligent about educating people about the Bantu people, their culture, and their plight. This news was very well received and the women expressed gratitude that we wanted to advocate for them. I also told them that if we could look past culture and race, in the end, we are all women, and as such, we share common concerns and goals. Women should help women. Nods all around.

Toward the end of our discussion, Mama stood up and addressed us directly. She assured us that no one in the Bantu community believes we would ever do anything harmful or dishonest. We have the trust and respect of the community. At this point, Mama M spoke to us passionately and at length. I was pretty sure we weren't being admonished, but whatever she was saying was snapping like a spark in her eyes.

Other than telling some of the women it was disrespectful to speak when we were speaking (...because we were putting in all of this time and effort on their behalf, they should show some courtesy and listen--just like a Mama), MM had a special message for us. The short version is this: The women are content with the current program setup. They are eager to learn more, including how to knit hats and scarves like those that Htee makes. The women are grateful that we are helping them to make money for themselves and doing so in a way they find enjoyable. They thanked us for telling people about the Bantu. And there was one more thing...

They wanted to thank you for taking an interest in them and for sharing your beads with us.

Tune In!

2008-02-12T12:55:00.000-07:00

Tune in on Tuesday, February 12th at 10:00am and 7:00pm on 1340AM in Denver or listen on the Internet-- and hear Haiffaa!!!(we're so proud)

Hear the story of one of Denver's newest arriving community members on NPR/CPR's Colorado Matters. Zuhal, an Iraqi refugee, arrived three weeks ago by way of Jordan. Interviews with a case manager, Our very own Haiffaa!!, and the director of the state refugee office are also interviewed.

If you miss the show or you don't live in Colorado, you can listen to it online via the station's Website by clicking here. Scroll down to select the February 12 program.

This 20-minute program provides an excellent overview of the refugee resettlement process and the isues that refugees face both abroad and in the U.S. This story is well worth the 20 minutes it takes to listen. Enjoy!

Busy, busy

2008-01-26T22:46:00.000-07:00

I know that lately we haven't posted as much as we did before the start of this year, but it's not due to waning interest. We've been busy. Anna has a new job, I'm totally overwhelmed with my "real" job, and there just aren't enough hours in the day.

That doesn't mean we've been taking any breaks, though. Anna continues to be out and about going into the homes of The Bead Women. I've been doing my administrative duties, as well as sorting, sorting, sorting donated beads and supplies, plus doing other things for the project that seem small but add up to a lot. I continue to be amazed by the sheer variety of beautiful things that have been donated. Unfortunately, they are dwindling quickly because our beaders are prolific.

Anna has been learning Arabic, and I hear she's an excellent student. I continue to not speak Arabic, Somali, Mai Mai, Karen, or Kizigua. My Spanish is pretty good, but it does me no good these days. Oh well...

We had a monumental day today meeting with the Somali women only. I'll post more about that in a day or two. I'm just waiting for Anna's pictures so you can see what it looks like when we're all together sharing our super sister power. Stay tuned!
--SM

We are not alone

2008-01-08T19:06:00.000-07:00

Some time ago, Anna, Sharon, Jaime, and Susan had the brilliant idea to seek out other projects like ours. We figured that since we had a lot to learn, we should learn from those who have already "been there, done that." When the learning curve is steep and you need to maximize your limited funds (and time), it helps if you can see where, exactly, others have been before you.

We're learning a lot from the incredibly helpful people at these organizations and we're probably avoiding some terribly deep pitfalls in the process. Conference calls are our new best friend! So many people have expressed curiosity about our project, it seems only fair that we tell you about some of these other projects that might be going on right in your area. If you see a local program on this list, please show your support, even if it's just with some encouragement. We know firsthand how valuable moral support really is.

Just click on the program's name to view its Website.

Raleigh Refugee Women's Microenterprise Initiative
Raleigh, NC
blog: http://rwmi.blogspot.com/

Our Story Together...The Refugee Experience
Rochester, NY

The New Hope Women's Sewing Cooperative
Chicago, IL

African Women's Coalition
Portland, OR

Somali Bantu Women's Cooperative
San Diego, CA

Growing into the New Year

2007-12-31T18:32:00.002-07:00

The year is coming to an end, but for A Little Something, the last day of the year brought us more new beginnings.

A few weeks ago, Sharon and Anna met Mama Moumina, the undisputed doyenne of the Bantu community. Mama M is a force to be reckoned with. In a community where major decisions are made among the council of elders, it is Mama who often determines the outcome of those decisions. And she is wonderful. Her commanding presence is softened by her mischievous sense of humor and her theatrical expression. Mama M is a comedian, a diva, and a little bit intimidating. And so it was we were honored and maybe a little bit nervous when Mama M said she wanted to join the crafts group and try her hand at making jewelry.

Today was Mama M's first lesson. When I arrived, I walked into a curtained off bedroom where Anna, Bakhara, and Moumina were seated on the floor, a pile of beads and jewelry-making supplies spread on the floor between them. Bakhara's two-year-old daughter was peeking around the curtain, trying to decide whether or not to come in or just launch an ambush on Anna from behind the curtain (it was the latter). The heat was cranked up high and the windows had long since steamed over.

I settled in to watch the lesson. Bakhara was patiently showing Mama M how to make earrings. Bakhara went through the first steps again and again, demonstrating the procedures and then assisting Mama M. The language was Mai-Mai, but the tone was that of an encouraging teacher. Mama M was a serious pupil but relaxed enough to shrug off her mistakes and move on. She really wanted to get it right, though--no false praise would do. I wondered: Would I risk learning something so unfamiliar (so publicly) at her age and station in life?

I looked at these women and thought about how it had been only a few weeks ago that Anna took a picture of Haiffaa teaching Bakhara, and as has been the way of things in this project, the newly-acquired knowledge was passed on to another woman almost immediately. I was struck by how Mama M, this respected woman of status in her community, patiently took instruction from a 20-year-old.

When Mama finished her first earring, she modeled it with more than a bit of sass. I took her picture, but it didn't really capture the playful showing off, the raised eyebrow, the hand on hip, the tilted chin and the flair that came with the pride one can only feel after finally figuring out how to do something that has been a challenge. When I thought about it, I realized that although Mama is known for her fiery personality, on this afternoon she was actually somewhat reserved and totally absorbed with the intricacies of turning a headpin.

The afternoon drew to a close after what seemed like just minutes. As we prepared to leave, Mama M asked for our phone numbers--in case she were to need further consultations. She smiled and in eloquent Mai-Mai, thanked us for our help. Anna responded quite competently in Mai-Mai. As we stepped past the curtain, I glanced back and saw Mama was still busily sorting beads. The curtain fell back into place, and Anna, Bakhara, her girls and I bundled ourselves up, said our goodbyes, and trundled out into the cold, snowy twilight.

It was a fine finish to a pretty good year.

--SM