Tag

Empowerment

Cambodia
April 3, 2022

Joy and sorrow in CambodiaFeatured

After a two-year corona induced break, on March 13th, 2022, I boarded my flight with Singapore Airlines and flew to Siam Reap with a stopover at Singapore’s Changi Airport. After an unforgettable antigen test at Siam Reap airport, I was given a hearty welcome by Theavy Bun and Patrik Roux. Two years ago, I had been the last foreign visitor to avec Cambodia and now the first foreign visitor after the pandemic. The trip to Battambang went buy very quickly not only because the newly built highway reduced travel time by an hour, but also because we had lots to catch up on.

Reunion with my goddaughter after two years

“Schooling Days”

The dense program started the very next morning. Upon arrival at the Safe house, the three assistants Thida, Lida and Sanya were already loading the small truck – together with the bigger children – for the Chrapkrasang Primary School. The first “schooling day” after two years of pandemic absence! NGO AVEC has be running this schooling program for a couple of years and the aim is to make sure that underprivileged children attend school on a regular basis. The teachers support this program, and they get teaching materials as well as a little thank you. Already before the visiting day, the school hands out vouchers to the children and makes sure that the parents concerned are being informed as they must be present at school on this day.

Theavy and Patrik emphasize the importance of regular school attendance

Parents and children sit on the floor and Theavy controls if they are all present. Then, the children with a lot of absences are called and their parents are asked to explain why their children have missed so many days at school. Theavy points out the importance of education and then the distribution of goods starts. Every family is given 6 bottles of fish and soja sauce, 10 kg of rice, a carton of instant noodles and the students get a bag, a school uniform, a soap, and stationary utensils including exercise books.
Even though I participated in this “schooling day” already two years ago, I was overwhelmed by the perfect organization including the distribution of the goods to more than 100 students and their parents.
The next morning brought us to the Salabalat Primary School which is also attended by the children of the Safe House for another “schooling day”.

Parents Salabalat Primary School
Children Salabalat Primary School
On our way to Salabalat Primary School

Village Visits

As part of this schooling program, spouses Roux frequently visit the families of the supported children at home to get an idea of the family situation and the problems the family are facing. As WeCare-Association recently provided a donation to support three families we visited potential recipients.
Patrik and Theavy are very conscious about using donations in a sustainable way. Therefore, a lot of time and effort goes into choosing the right beneficiaries. The lack of property of the land where they live for instance, is a reason for them not being taken into consideration as the owner of the land might claim the donation. This is the reason why the first two families visited – unfortunately – can not be provided with a house. We visited these families whose already poor situation is ultimately aggravated by two handicapped persons.
The man of the first family is paralyzed, and a bowl has been attached to him with a scarf. He lies on a plank bed. His 92-year-old mother squats in front of the cabin and has her lunch. She is in the shade and this is a small success as the last time Theavy and Patrik found her lying unshaded and unprotected in the sun at 35°C. Her grandson managed to provide her with a little bit of shade only after he had been asked to do so. We left some food with them and left.
The next visit brought us to another paralyzed mother of 8 children – apathetically lying on a bare plank bed. There are human excrements under the bed. One of her daughters is present and cooking for the family.


Our next stop is a family with five boys who had been identified by Theavy and Patrik as potential recipients as the family generally had made a good impression. Not only do they own the land where they live but the father has a regular job as well. Upon arrival though we realized very quickly that there was something wrong. The mother was home alone with the five boys but already at the early age of eight years the eldest son shows massive signs of rebellion and disobedience towards his mother. Theavy has already tried to get more information about the family and there are rumours about the mother. Patrik and Theavy will continue to visit this family.

People on the landfill

Upon our return to the safe house the small truck was loaded again as we were to visit the people living on the landfill. There is a total of 32 families living on the territory of a garbage collecting company and I found out about their terrible living conditions two years ago. Therefore, I had decided that we were going to provide them with an emergency help to alleviate their lives at least a little bit. We arrived at a temperature of 35°C and very high level of humidity and the families arrived and helped to unload the truck. Theavy and her team had been there before and not only taken the names and numbers of family members but also given out vouchers to help for a smooth distribution of the goods.

Distribution of the goods
Wash pan
Living conditions
Children living on site


The families all were seated on the floor, and we distributed sweating with masks food, wash pans, storage boxes, mosquito nets, blankets, and mats. Subsequently, the people invited us to visit their homes. As it had rained the day before, the ground was muddy, and a smell of humidity was in the air. It is really depressing to see how people must live.

Samlot


The following day brought a pleasant diversion. We drove to Samlot around 84 km from Battambang to visit a graduate from avec’s tailoring workshop, whom we financed the setting up of her business. She runs her tailor workshop on the premises of her parents together with her elder sister who is a beautician. The two young women made a good impression and seemed to be happy with their respective businesses. The elder sister was looking forward to her imminent wedding and the entire family was already busy preparing the upcoming celebration.

Ad for tailor and beautician
The familie of the tailor
Visiting the beauty salon
In front of the tailor shop

On our way back we drove by a wonderfully green landscape with manioc plantations, mango trees and cashew trees all bearing witness of the incredible fertility of this area.

Siam Reap

In the meantime, the excitement and anticipation of the children in the safe house had reached unprecedented heights as our planned trip to Siam Reap was coming closer. In particular, the smaller kids had prepared their clothes already days ago. Finally, the moment has come! The rented bus was packed and filled with most of the participants. Those kids suffering from travel sickness had to take their place on the loading area of Patrik’s pickup truck to get some fresh air.


We arrived around noon in Siam Reap and directly went to lunch. It is incredible how much Siam Reap has changed over the last two years. Many foot and bike paths have been constructed. But many hotels and restaurants had to close their businesses. Especially, the big buffet restaurants with traditional dance performances catering to big travel groups had to close and will not re-open any time soon.

Lunch in Siam Reap

Our first impression was proven right when we visited the temples: There were only occasional encounters with single foreign tourists and there were some Cambodian tourists. Unfortunately, this has a terrible impact on the local economy as they desperately need foreign currency.

One of the highlights for all of us was the visit to a local buffet restaurant where the children could fill their bellies as much as they wanted. Words cannot describe the joy with which they presented their full bellies and the happiness in their eyes.

Again and again, I am surprised by the discipline and consequence of Theavy and Patrik educating the children and the fruits their education bears: As the pool was officially closed upon our return to the hotel, the kids were still allowed to swim but they were told to behave and to be as quiet as possible in order not to disturb the few other guests present. There were around 25 kids in the pool, and one could hear not a thing.


The following evening, we visited the centrally located Pub Street and once again we saw many very happy faces when they were all offered some ice cream. Sadly though, the former center has been reduced in two years to one street only where there are few open restaurants and bars. They fight for the attention of the few tourists with very loud music. It will take a long time for tourism to recover.
Saying goodbye, after a very intense and exciting time spent together, was very sad. The kids gifted me with crafted presents and even more touchingly with happy eyes and tons of hugs.

The taxi driver asked me to take a picture with him, as I was the first tourist, he drove to the airport in more than two years. The airport itself was almost empty and except for my flight to Singapore there was only one other flight to Phnom Penh on the display.
Conclusion: I will be back, and these already very poor people will take a long time to recover economically from the corona measures. And I am extremely grateful to have the privilege to live such intense encounters and that I have the possibility to provide these kids with unforgettable memories which will strengthen their self-worth, and which cannot be taken away from them.

FGM Nasaru Learning Center
February 25, 2022

Let’s talk about FGM

Yesterday, I had the honor to be invited to the monthly talk of team members of Nokia Brazil to speak about our projects and activities in Kenya.

I spoke about our collaboration with Agnes Gitonga to educate women and girls in remote villages about the dangers and consequences of FGM (female genital mutilation).  We showed pictures of our Nasaru Learning Center for Masai Girls and explained how it came into existence.

Opening of the Nasaru Masai Girls Learning Centre in 2019
Boarders supported by WeCare-Association
Vocational training provided by Lilian

The dorm was a request from the Iloshon School Teachers as they had noticed an important dropout rate of girls in higher classes as they became pregnant on their way to and from school. The girls and boys of Iloshon primary school must cope with a walk of up to 10 km one way to get to school. Consequently, adolescent girls face a higher risk of getting pregnant.

Dorm provides social control

The boarding not only gives the girls more time to study but also protects them from being subject to FGM – at least to some extend as the school presents a social control and girls whose lower teeth have been filed as sign of their readiness for FGM are easier identified. FGM is a coming-of-age procedure for Masai girls and even though officially forbidden by law is still being practiced. It is the official end of the girls’ childhood and marks their transition from girls to woman. As women they can get pregnant and can be married off…which is the end of their education. And this triggers a vicious circle of illiteracy and poverty.

Great participation

It was beautiful to see and hear how interested the Nokia team members participated. One team member’s daughter had done research on Masai customs at school, and had discovered that via the PLAN INTERNATIONAL organization there have been some initiatives in the Kajiado County to substitute the FGM procedure with a less harmful celebration providing the girls with books. As the schools we are working with are in the same district we are trying now to get into touch with this group of young men.

Another learning of the talk was to emphasize the importance of spreading the word. We need to talk about FGM, and we also need to talk about the poverty of these communities in remote areas.

Thank you very much to all participant Nokia team members and to Vanessa Iglesias for the invitation!

An actress impersonates a child bride getting married to a much older man. Part of an Amnestiy International Campaign to end child marriage.
Africa Nasaru Learning Center
February 10, 2019

Child Marriage

On february 10th 2019 is World Marriage Day. This day honors husband and wife as the foundation of the family, the basic unit of society. It salutes the beauty of their faithfulness, sacrifice and joy in daily married life.

But how is this married life perceived by minors and what are the consequences of child marriage for the lives of married minors – most of them girls ? What are the consequences for society ?

Child marriage is a formal marriage entered into by an individual before reaching a certain age. In many cases , only one marriage-partner is a child, usually the female. According to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child’s definition this certain age is 18 years.

According to UNICEF an estimated 12 million girls are married away prematurely every year – with dramatic consequences:
These girls are deprived of their fundamental rights for protection, health, education, play and relaxation.
A marriage immediately ends childhood for the girls turned wives. From the day of their marriage, their lives are dominated by sex, motherhood and responsibility for the family’s life and household.

Moreover, complications during pregnancy and childbirth are very common in this group of age as their bodies are not yet sufficiently developed to cope with pregnancy and childbirth. The risk of maternal death is twice as high for girls aged 15 to 19 as for women in their 20s and five times higher for girls aged 10 to 14. Globally, around 50.000 teenager girls die each year during pregnancy and childbirth. The risk of a stillborn child or an early death within the first week of life for babies born to mothers aged 15 to 19 years is 50% higher than for babies born to mothers aged 20 to 29 years.

But there is also an impact on society ! These young women cannot live their potential and thus do not contribute to the GDP of the countries. Therefore, it comes as no surprise that those 20 countries with the highest rates of child marriage are countries with an extremely low per capita gross domestic product (GDP).

20 countries with the highest rates of child marriage *

Country Child marriage in % GDP per capita **
Niger 76% $1’200
Central African Republic 68% $700
Chad 68% $2’300
Mali 55% $2’200
Bangladesh 52% $4’200
Burkina Faso 52% $1’900
Guinea 52% $2’200
South Sudan 52% $1’600
Mozambique 48% $1’300
India 47% $7’200
Malawi 46% $1’200
Somalia 45% NA
Nigeria 43% $5’900
Eritrea 41% $1’600
Ethiopia 41% $2’200
Madagascar 41% $1’600
Nicaragua 41% $5’900
Uganda 40% $2’400
Sierra Leone 39% $1’600
Cameroon 38% $3’700

*Child marriage prevalence is the percentage of women 20 – 24 years old who were first married or in union before they were 18 years old.
** Estimate 2017

Sources: UNICEF State of the World’s Children, 2016. It is based on Multiple Indicator Surveys (MICS), Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) and other national surveys, and refers to the most recent year available during the period 2008 – 2014. CIA Factbook, www.cia.gov

UNICEF’s press release from March 6th, 2018 talks about a globally decreasing prevalence of child marriage over the course of the last ten years by 15 per cent. Without further action more than 150 million additional girls will marry before their 18th birthday by 2030. However, to end the practice by 2030 – the target set out in the Sustainable Development Goals – progess must be significantly accelerated.

As Anju Malhotra, UNICEF’s Principal Gender Advisor put it, « Each and every child marriage prevented gives another girl the chance to fulfill her potential. »

Child marriage is a violation of human rights !

The organization girlsnotbrides.org estimates that in Kenya 4% of all girls are married before their 15th birthday and 23% before their 18th birthday. According to the UNICEF study «State oft he World’s children, 2016» 482 000 Kenyan girls were married before the age of 18. Girls in rural areas are more prone than girls in urban areas.

This is why we would like to support the girls of Iloshion!



We want to spare them the fate of child marriage and want to provide them with a proper school education. Therefore, in 2018 we started the construction oft he Nasaru Learning Center for Masai Girls. This center will be finished soon and will be able to host a total of 72 girls.

We are planning to add a market garden to teach them gardening, how to deal with water and to grow their own vegetables for in improved diet for themselves as well as their future families. Moreover, they should be taught how to elevate chicken which also are a possible dietary enrichment and a potential source of future income. Thus, we are going to provide them with a chicken coop as well.

For these two side projects we are still looking for donations! Every donation counts – no matter how small !

Thank you !

Photo credit title/header picture
This picture was taken as part of a campaign by Amnestiy International to end Child Marriage. A young actress impersonates a child bride aged 10 getting married to a much older man. Picture: AFP

Cambodia Femmes des rizières
January 9, 2019

Volunteering in Cambodia for Femmes des Rizières – a very personal report by Gabrielle Friedmann

A history about fashion…
A history about humanitarian and humanity…
A history about loving and sharing
Briefly: A wonderful history

 

Today my five months volunteering as the first designer for the brand «Femmes des Rizières» (Woment from the paddy fields) come to an end. «Femmes des Rizières» is the brainchild of the Cambodian NGO avec in close collaboration with Swiss based WeCare-Association.

Early in July 2018 I left Paris to travel to Cambodia. Already before this adventure began I was full of ideas and thoughts, I dreamed about it and I tried to imagine how it would be ….as I am a naturally optimistic person, my head was full of idylic images which even to me did not seem very realistic. Never in my wildest dreams could I have envisioned how extraordinary and exciting this mission was going to be.

 

Upon arrival at the Safe House of the NGO avec in Cambodia I found myself in the middle of a small paradise which has become home to 34 children and 3 substitution mothers over the course of the last 10 years. A safe heaven for these children who had to live through dangerous situations, injustices and fear in their earlier lives.

Between myself and the children things clicked immediately and the five months were filled with lots of fun and laughter and many very spicy dishes were shared as well – which occasionally were a huge challenge for me.

The close contact to these kids taught me that there is something that cannot be taken away even from poor people and that is joy. Joyfulness cannot be bought and you cannot loose it either. It might get out of sight occasionally but is always lingering somewhere close, somewhere inside the person.

Moreover, I am convinced that one of the main reasons for the SAFE House of the NGO avec being such a magic place is that upon arrival you perceive above all this joyfulness.

Then. My adventure as woman from the paddy fields…

In the beginning there were the tailors, the name of the brand, the logo and more goodwill than I had every seen before.

The tailors, who above and foremost are women from the paddy fields, have an incredible power and inspiring force. They are young, beautiful and often have at least two young children and they are fighting like lionesses about their survival now and never loose their smile when thinking about tomorrow.

Together we have developed a collection of a total of 27 models with 2 or 3 color variations for each model. An incredible achievement ! Every time I think about this collection I am overwhelmed by joy.

I would like to tell my former colleagues: Women from the paddy fields, you are beautiful and like Apsaras, those goddesses of feminity with their incredible force and their glow. I would like to thank you four for these five intense months: We have been working a lot but we also had a lot of fun and I just loved it !

Of course I hope, that this project will be successful and able to achieve its goal to provide young Khmer women with a work that is fairly remunerated and they can rely on. Those women really deserve it !

In particular, I would like to mention Susi (WeCare-Association), Theavy and Patrik (NGO AVEC), the three guardian angels of the project who were closely accompanying the mission and all people involved – and there were a lot of people ! Without the three of you the mission would not have been as extraordinary! You are witty, openminded, patient and interesting – I have to stop here as Patrik has told me often that too many compliments are boring😉. I consider myself very lucky having met the three of you and above all that I have been given the opportunity to participate in the development of this project.

Last but not least I would like to thank all those wonderful people I met over the last five months. I am leaving very proud of all our joint efforts and achievements. It was a wonderful story and I am completely overwhelmed.

Cambodia Education Empowerment Femmes des rizières
September 14, 2018

Femmes des rizières – A typical day in the life of Sophan

As we are about to launch the social label Femmes des rizières pretty soon, we would like to take the opportunity to get to know those Femmes des Rizières – the women of the rice fields, whom we had in mind when creating the brand name.
Sophan is a young Cambodian woman 25 years of age. She has been living in the Safe House since 2010 together with her two younger sisters. They share a room with 14 other girls and on a typical day she gets up between 05:00 and 05:30 o’clock as they have to do some homework with the younger children before they go to school. Sophan graduated from high school 4 years ago and right now she is already in her third year as a student at the university of Battambang with her major being management. She also benefits from the computer courses offered in the Safe House and is attending them in the morning and in the afternoon. Moreover, she teaches English at the Safe House to the younger children and she enjoys this a lot. During her lessons she tries to teach the children in a playful way and so they sing, dance and also play games – in English! On the weekends she has to continue her English studies at least for two hours. In her spare time she likes to ride the bike to the rice fields together with her friends from the Safe House or to just hang out with her friends. She is a very talented photographer and an avid reader. She also likes to play Volleyball. Her younger sister is 22 years old and is also already studying at the university with her major being English. She has also taken up teaching English at the Safe House. Her youngest sister, who is a little bit shy, is still in high school and she loves drawing and dancing. They have changed a lot since they arrived at the Safe House a couple of years ago and they have turned into very lovely, intelligent and well educated young women who are striving towards a bright future.

Cambodia Femmes des rizières
September 6, 2018

The making of “Femmes des rizières”

The concept for Femmes des rizières was developed in 2017. The idea about Femmes des rizières was to create a brand under which we can commercialize the work of the tailors’ atelier within the Safe House in Battambang, Cambodia. The tailors’atelier is now in its fourth year and there have been around 40 young women who have been trained to be a tailor so far.

The idea is to allow them to work independently and to earn their living in order to make them financially autonomous.

Once you have a concept it is extremely important to get some energy into the project, i.e. to involve people and to fill it with facts and activities. Among other challenges, the biggest challenges we were facing were two: we did not have a designer and we did not have the fabric.

We came up with a profile and a job description and placed a search online. We were overwhelmed by the number of extremely qualified applications we received. Consequently, we arranged one-to-one skype interviews with a number of candidates. In the end itw as clear, Patrik and myself had come to the same conclusion and we chose Gabrielle. For me it was like love at first sight. I was immediately intrigued by her natural and gay character. From the very beginning, Gabrielle showed a lot of enthousiasm for the project. The details were arranged rather quickly and after a short briefing and first encounter, Gabrielle was off to Cambodia on July 5th, 2018.

She was greeted at Siam Reap airport by Sophan Phoeun, who lives and works in the Safe House and who was chosen as Gabrielle’s interpreter and guide during her stay in Cambodia.

Gabrielle adapted rather quickly to her new home away from home and immersed herself immediately into the huge task at hand.

After a week she presented already her first inspiration boards for products as well as for dying techniques. One of her first big trials was the ecoprint project, ie dying with natural ingredients such as vinegar and plants and leaves. She then spend a couple of days to dye different fabrics and the results were very promising. The production of the first prototypes followed without delay.

 

In order to really fully immerse herself into Cambodia, its culture, landscape and people, she went to the capital Phnom Penh guided by Sophan where they also were on a scouting mission for fabrics.

Gabrielle was inspired by the paddy fields, the colorful markets, the beauty of the women on the rice fields who reminded her of the beautiful Cambodian Apsaras – half goddesses half dancers. Some of the adjectives she is using to describe the style of « Femmes des rizières » are white/aired, casual/elegant, handmade, fresh and natural.

The handmade of course is right at the core of this brand as we really want to provide the young tailors with a better future and above all with a perspective to become autonomous women who will be able to finance themselves and their families and thus will be able to take their own decisions.

Gabrielle then came up with the following brand introduction and definition of the future brand’s target group:

 

To all the Apsaras in this world

Similar to nymphs, fairies or even angels, the Aparas represent the pure and fragile side of feminity.

As goddesses they used to spend their time dancing, laughing and singing and in doing so they provided the world with the opportunity to contemplate their beauty. But times have changed and the Apsaras adapted. Study, work, travel… in their own interest they learned to hide occasionally.

But they never ceased to exist… and you know that because you are them – all women of this world.

You represent this new and discrete beauty, this delicateness one cannot get enough of, the sweetness of this planet, the Apsaras of the 21st century.

Femmes des rizières…

This brand is for you as well as for us. Friends, mothers, daughters, sisters or partners… this brand is about women and about the secret Apsara in every woman.

Here we are surrounded by paddy fields. No matter where, on the beach, in the mountains or in the desert …. There are extraordinary women everywhere.

Our creations come from the paddy fields but are for all the women in this world.

Eventually, the beauty oft he Krama stroke Gabrielle and she decided to make this wonderful garment into an integral part of the collection.

The Krama is a traditional Cambodian garment with multiple uses : it is worn as scarf, to cover the face as a protection from sun or dust, for decorative purposes, as children’s hammock… Traditionally, the kramas contain a gingham pattern of some sort. The Krama ist he Cambodian national symbol.

At this point, Gabrielle has decided to extend her stay in Cambodia and wants to spend an additional two months at the Safe House to really advance the project. We are very happy about her decision and will keep you posted….

Farm in Africa Masai Mama Africa Center (MMAC) Uncategorized
September 1, 2018

Susi and Manu go to Africa – Part 2

Also this year we – Susi and Manu – decided to travel to Kenya in order to personally check on the situation there. Not only did we want to see the development of the projects with our own eyes, we were very curious about the longterm effects of our projects on the development of the villages.

View from the car on the road
We did not really know what to expect and thus were very excited. The atmosphere in Olpirikata was very cheerful. As we arrived on a Sunday, the local population had decided to reduce the usually very long mass ceremonies, however, we could not avoid having to sit through a number of relatively long sermons given by lay priests. It was a very warm welcome.

After the opening ceremony, we headed straight off for our visit to the farm or Acacia Camp as the locals call it. The local Masai population has provided 18 ha of land for the farm project, which now includes a stable for 20 dairy cows, three greenhouses, a couple of vegetable fields, fenced grazing land for the cows, a hens’ coop with 250 chicken and 500 Aloe Vera plants. The greenhouses were necessary to protect the young and fragile vegetable plants from the strong and frequent winds in the savannah.

Upon arriving at the farm on time for the vespertine milking at 5pm, we were surprised to find a queue of people lined up with their own plastic containers to buy fresh milk. The plastic containers faintly reminded us of laundry detergent containers. The people had formed a proper line and were waiting patiently until it was their turn.

Masai milk cans

John Sawa Tuwei is responsible for the farm and is also in charge of the other 6 men and 3 women who are employeed at the farm. The men take care of the cows, ie. they feed, nurture and milk them, and also manage the sale of the milk. They also take care of the fields and the greenhouse and are greatly supported by Antonio, a collaborator of La Nostra Africa who lives in Olpirikata permanently. The three women take care of the hens’ coop and sell the eggs.

Generally speaking, the atmosphere in Olpirikata is very good – thanks to our well project, the village has been spared from last year’s drought and they have enough water for the population as well as for the cattle. The fact that fresh milk can now be easily bought at any time is perceived as a miracle. You can see children waving happily with their milk containers and the local shop owner was able to increase business by selling Chai (sugared tea with hot milk), which has turned her shop into the local Starbuck’s of Olpirikata.

On this trip, we stayed overnight in Olpirikata for the first time, that is to say, we slept in one of the rooms of the Massai Mama Africa Center. We were fed well and enjoyed tomatoes, eggs and milk from the farm. Since Giorgio also wants to teach the Massai how to make cheese, he brought a lab-ferment from Italy for the first trial with local milk. After adding the lab-ferment to the milk, he let it rest for 24 hours and then made the cheese. We got to be the guinea pigs for this first cheese production and we survived!

The following day we travelled to Iloshion to participate in the celebrations of the first stone laying for the Nasaru Learning Center for Massai Girls. Iloshion suffered a terrible drought last year and people there are worse off than those in Olpirikata. Nevertheless, they provided us with a very friendly and warm welcome with children forming a guard of honor for us. It was very emotional!

We then had the opportunity to observe the children at break time at the local elementary school:
All children bring a little bit of milk in a plastic container to school. This milk is then poured into a huge pot where the women prepare the porridge as a snack for the break. At break time, the kids make a line in front of the pot and everybody gets a portion.

 

Then we visited the new administration building of Iloshion and interviewed and photographed numerous children and adults.

After a typical Massai ceremony with lots of speeches and gifts, the whole assembly was directed towards the future construction site for the Nasaru Learning Center.

It was a very big group walking through the savannah as a rather big number of parents had arrived especially for the celebration. The teachers told the children to form a line along the floor space of the future building. This was very impressive as this way one could imagine the dimensions of the future building complex. Symbolically we laid the first stone and then distributed some sweets to the children. A touching moment we had been looking forward to for a very long time!

Our next stop was the Boma complex of a family in Olpirikata. We were invited to discuss a potential future project. The family would be willing to provide land for this project which is still in the planning stage. Although we, as two women, were treated with a little bit of suspicion, we were once again given a very warm welcome.

Our dinner consisted of pizza prepared by Antonio with homemade cheese and tomatoes from the farm! As we were a little scared of potential bacteria, we washed it down with a little bit of gin – strictly as a safety measurement! The nocturnal way to the bathrooms proved to be an adventure which definitely will have a positive impact on Susi’s and Manu’s friendship. Experiences like this are bonding and will never be forgotten. Generally speaking on trips like this one, bodily functions turn into very repetitive and interesting topics!
Next on our list was a visit to Singiraine. This is a village with a population of about 2,000 and does not have any water even though there is a river bed right next to it. Singiraine unfortunately is proof of the German saying, “the opposite of “well done” is very often “well meant”. Actually, another NGO intended to build a dam but unfortunately the project was abandoned before termination and thus the population is still without water. The people, ie the women of Singiraine, have to walk 10 km and more to fetch water! Giorgio from La Nostra Africa is working on the evaluation of a project – in close cooperation with an Italian university – to finish the dam.

After a long and very tiring journey back to Nairobi, we went to see furniture to find inspiration for our next project. Information about this project will follow soon…. And then our short but very intensive visit had come to an end. We left Kenya full of new impressions and ideas and know one thing for sure: We will be back!

Cambodia Femmes des rizières
June 4, 2018

Great News – Femmes des rizières!

We are so excited, we just can’t hide it!
Today we have great news for the further development of our «Femmes des rizières » project, which will provide young women in Cambodia with a perspective for an autonomous future. You can find details of the project here. We are very proud that we can now present the designer for the project. Her name is Gabrielle Friedmann and she is very talented and for three months starting on July 5, 2018, she will be working on the basis for the very first collection of «Femmes des rizières». Gabrielle is 22 years old and graduated from the famous fashion school L’Atelier Chardon-Savard with a bachelor degree in fashion design. She gained her first practical design experience during an intership at the Parisian avant-garde label «Minime» and working for the French ski and sportswear label «Black Crow» in Chamonix. Apart from her passion for design, she loves travelling, hiking, skiing, writing and music. Moreover Gabrielle is interested in philosophy and psychology and has recently developed a strong interest in stone healing (lithotherapy).

We have asked Gabrielle a couple of questions in writing to give her the chance to introduce herself and she will report regularly from Cambodia to update us on the project development.

We wish Gabrielle all the best and are looking forward to her first design proposals.

Now, it is up to the Gabrielle:

Q : Can you shortly introduce yourself ?
A : Hello, I am Gabrielle, I am from Paris and am 22 years old. I recently graduated from the Atelier Chardon Savard as a fashion designer and this formation gave me the chance to group many different activities around my great passion for fashion design.
Q: Why did you apply for the internship in Cambodia?
This intership was approximately (or totally) the intership of my dreams as it comprises a lot of things I like : creation, travelling and the chance to get to know Cambodia, discover a new culture and work on a beautiful project for a good cause.
Q: What are your objectives for Cambodia ?
A: For Cambodia, my objectives are to find the ideas and to create the products with the identity of            «Femmes des Rizières ». They have to be as creative as qualitative and also representative of the beautiful soul of this brand.
Q: Is there anything you are afraid of ?
A: I am rather excited than afraid. I can’t wait to be there on July 5th. Of course, maybe once I will be on the plane I will be a little nervous because this adventure is totally new for me but anyway, it’s fantastic !
Q: What is your biggest challenge ?
A: My biggest challenge will be the time as I will stay only for three months. Therefore, the biggest challenge will be to be inspired and effective at the same time.
Q: How do you like to spend your spare time ?
A: It depends on the mood , I like reading, drawing (of course !), making jewellery, sports, travelling…

Thank you very much, Gabrielle!

Enclosed you find a couple of Gabrielle’s designs:

Cambodia Education Empowerment Safe House
January 29, 2018

Tailors’ Workshops

On November 16th, 2017, the graduation ceremony for the tailors took place already for the third time. A total of 15 graduates proudly accepted their diplomas which were handed over by their teachers together with Theavy Bun.

The girls proudly accepted their diplomas – some of them very timidly.

Following the ceremony they presented themselves in their graduation works, i.e. their beautiful yellow and orange dresses.

Thanks to Theavy who has undertaken a major effort, 10 out of the total 15 graduates have found a job. One girl will open up her own tailor’s shop and two will continue their education. Two young women have to take care of their respective families. Bravo Theavy!!! The project was completely financed by Fondation Le Solstice – an impressive project!

Kids watching the work in progress.
Africa Farm in Africa
October 24, 2017

Building a farm in Africa

On July 17 2017 the construction of the long awaited farm finally began. In the first week there were 10 workers present who started clearing the land. The Masai people have dedicated a  total of 18 hectare of land to the project which they call «Acacia Camp».

The arrival of the tractor in the following week accelerated the work progress.

Schoolkids are curiously observing the consctruction progress.

 

The fencing of the farm started on July 25, 2017. 43 Masai men were ready to take up work at the farm. Unfortunately, they had to be informed that there only 10 men could be granted a job at the farm. We hope that the project will grow soon!

Until August 20, 2017 500 aloe vera plants were planted alongside the 1 km border of the Acacia Camp. The sap of the aloe vera should be used to produce a soothing cream.

The stables slowly are taking form as well.

 

On August 28,2017 Giorgio Girella went cattle shopping at the Gogar Farm. This farm is owned by an Englishman who has been living in Kenya since 1949 and today owns 16.2 km2 of land with 1.100 cows. Giorgio bought a total of 20 cows of which two were in calf. The first calf of the Acacia Camp will be born in November and the second calf is due in March 2018.

10 days later the cows, including pedigree, were delivered to Olpirikata.

Finally at home!

The cows in their new home.

The cows in their new home.

On September 8, 2017 a total of 40 liters were milked and sold at the Kajiado market for 0.70 Cents per liter. Consequently, seven men earned 3 Euro a day. On the same evening 28 liters of milk were sold directly to the population of Olpirikata who were queuing in front of the farm to buy milk.

The following week marked the beginning of the planting. The milk production has started very well. Every cow gives approximately 10 liters a day – usually the fine tuning of nutrition and milk production takes at least a month. Currently, the milk does not even be brought to the Kajiado market to be sold as people from other communities such as Karero, Ilailupa and Rruya are coming to Olpirikata to buy milk.

On September 28th 2017 was payday and the men were very proud of their work and the milk produced.

 

Lorenzo is a student at the University of Milan and writes his thesis on the project. The positive progress of the project is also owed to him and his commitment.

There is even a set of rules which has been established for the management of the stables which appear to be extremely clean and organized. The cleanliness is partly due to the men non having been paid for a week after disrespecting the rule of cleanliness.

The first vegetables have been planted and the first harvest will take place in a month time. Stay tuned.

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