Robertsport Community Works showcased at UNESCO Africa Week

We had the good fortune to have our community conservation and microenterprise projects featured recently at UNESCO's Africa Week in Paris. I designed two posters for the Liberia booth, both attached. If anyone wants the full files to use these at similar events, just let me know by email: elie(at)robersportcommunityworks(dot)org. 

Mama Liberia bags at conferences!

For the last year, Mama Liberia bags have been a hit at international conferences, upping the style stakes when it comes to conference bags and making a serious difference in the life of the Co-op, which has scaled up to 60 women when these large orders come in.

Check out these very cool photos courtesy of the EBD Group, one of our main conference patrons. Don't the bags bring color and life? I think so. Email me about bulk orders for your own event. Our artisan silk-screeners can place your logo anywhere!

The Co-op photo shoot

Thanks to the generosity of the U.S. Ambassador's Self-Help Fund, the Women's Sewing Co-op has funding for a website which we plan to launch in early 2011. As part of the marketing effort, we enlisted the help of a brilliantly talented photographer friend. The Co-op photos she took last year helped launch the group's international sales, and I'm thrilled she was able to work with us again.

Here are some teasers from the shoot. As you can see, the women enjoyed themselves.

Party at the Mama Liberia Sewing Co-op!

The Mama Liberia Sewing Co-op just had it's first party. I'm not sure why it took us so long, except that gathering all the women together seemed like a volatile event and I shied away from it for a few months. I think, despite a few hiccups, that it went well and they all had a great time. Parties like this are important for building their group identity and increasing their social capital. That, and they deserved it.
Here is Miriama, showing off the chicken stew they served with check rice, followed by pepper soup and fufu. I brought the chickens and soda, and the Co-op members all pitched in for the rest of the food. They had big pots with massive, rake-like spoons. Next time, I'll get to the party earlier so I can watch the cooking.
By the time I made it into the kitchen, the dancing had begun.
This is Joe, celebrating the Co-op by dancing happily in front of the Nana's bar. Thanks to Nana's Lodge for hosting our party!
This is my favorite photo, of the women looking at a slide-show of the photos we're going to use for their Mama Liberia website. As you can see, they like them quite a lot.
Here are Tina, Ma Bendu and Matilda (left to right), the three Team Leaders of the Co-op. They're each responsible for four tenured members and a wider team that is mobilized during big orders. These three wome have been with the Co-op since the beginning!
This is Jebbeh, who is using her sewing money to build her own house.
This is Miriama dancing with her daughter, little Bendu, named after Co-op Team Leader Ma Bendu. Miriama uses her sewing money to invest in her own transport business.
This is Josephine, who opened a bank account to save her sewing money. Josephine is trained as a nurse but hasn't found work in the local health centers. I'm not sure why and this puzzles me, as Liberian is in dire need of rural health workers. I intend to talk to her more about this in the future and see if she can't find a job in the area.
Tina, who organized most of the party cooking and serving, gets ready to serve the food. That's Jenneh next to her. Tina started a crab-selling business with her sewing money and Jenneh is building her own house.
I'm posting this portrait of rather happy looking Ma Bendu wearing lovely surfer boardshorts commissioned by some friends. They look good, right? She never managed to deliver them, probably because she likes them so much herself. You two know who you are, and if you want me to organize a duplicate pair, let me know.
Of course, someone has to do the washing up. Small Bendu and Jenneh volunteered, but didn't want to be left out of the photo taking.
And last but not least, the obligatory children's shot of little Bendu and friends.

To buy Co-op products, visit The African T-Shirt Company. Thanks to all for your support!

How the Sewing Co-op spends their money

For their bulk order we're sending out next week, we decided to take a group photo. Three of our tenured members were missing, but here we are (the sun was bright: we normally look much better than this):

Top row (left to right): Bendu, Matilda, Tina, Jenneh, Matilda, Botoe, Josephine, Famatta, Rose and Ma Bendu

Bottom row (left to right): Musu, me, Jebbeh

If anyone is in Liberia and would like to take more professional photos of the Co-op for their new website, please let me know. We could use them.

I also asked the members of the Sewing Co-op how they're spending the money that they're earning through the project. Here are their answers...

“With my sewing money…

• I was able to invest in my own video club business.” –Miriama
• I was able to send my children to school.” –Matilda
• I built my house.” –Ma Bendu
• I was able to start my own fish business.” – Rose
• I was able to start selling scratch cards.” –Bendu
• I am doing a crab business” – Tina
• I am building my house.” –Jenneh
• I was able to open by own bank account.” –Josephine
• I am saving my money.” –Botoe
• I am going to built my own house.” –Jebbeh
  

Cool, eh?

One year of lapas at the Women's Sewing Co-op

The Women's Sewing Co-op--a project I mentor through Robertsport Community Works--is coming up on its 1-year anniversary. The women want to have a party. Most especially, they want me to make the same vegan chocolate cake I made for Bendu's birthday--and they want my recipe. They also want me to help them buy identical lapas so that we can all have matching dresses. If/when this happens, I promise to document it.

You can order bags here!

While I go up to my Tides kitchen and bake for them, here are some of the coolest lapa prints the Co-op has sewn together in the last year:

Gorgeous lapas

Whitewater
Frog feet

Cat tails

Yellow lanterns

Pineapple (so far, the Co-op's all-time favorite)

Cowrie

Plenty fish

Snake eyes

Jungle

Ladybug

Taxi


Tree lapas

Yellow trees

Klimt trees (aka Klimt deforestation)

Leaves


Wildlife lapa
Big butterfly

Honeybees (a favorite)

Peacock

Snail

Blue goose

Free bird

Migration


Entertaining lapa
Camera

Pharmacy

Rooster

School

Tropical palm trees

Bunnies

Aquatic lapa

Big fish

Plenty fish

Oyster

Sting ray

Sea creatures

Fish pond