It Was a Very Good Year..and all because of YOU!

In 2008, you were part of a lot of good work for a lot of women. Let's take a look at what women affiliated with Global Women's Artisan Alliance have accomplished this past year.

--Two dozen pairs of socks and eight warm sweaters to Navajo elders affiliated with Adopt-a-Native-Elder in Park City, Utah. The socks were knit by Kullakas cooperative, and the women received a fair wage for their work.

--Forty dolls went to the pueblo of Benito Juarez in Oaxaca, Mexico, and thirty dolls went to Chulucanas, Peru. Dolls going to Mexico were made at the Doll Making Marathon retreat at the Franciscan Retreat Center in Tampa. They were delivered by our friend and cooperative founder Pastora Gutierrez Reyes. The dolls going to Peru were made by the women of St. Anthony's Hospital, under the leadership of Audrey Steele. They were delivered by Anna Reschar on a Global Health Ministry medical mission trip.

--Kate Perez of Mount Airy Alpacas gave free web consulting advice to Cati Williams and the women of Yapuchiri and Kullakas for their new web sites.

--Payment for one fistula operation for a woman in Ethiopia, thanks to the generosity of the women of St. Anthony's Hospital, as well as a lovely blanket/wrap that was knit by the women of Kullakas to present to the patient at the Fistula Foundation of Addis Ababa, as a gift of hope and best wishes.

--Over $650 was raised for the Ugandan artisans of Bead for Life, and over $680 raised for ArtAidsArt through craft sales.

--Several women from St. John's, Newfoundland, under the leadership of Mary Mulrooney, donated seven dolls to go to South Africa children affiliated with ArtAidsArt. Carol Mitchell brought their dolls, and nearly eighty more handmade dolls donated by women affiliated with Dollies without Borders, to Cape Town, South Africa to personally be presented to South African children living in poverty.

--Over a dozen of you purchased Bolivian folk dolls created by the women of Kullakas, raising more than $300 in fair wages for the women.

--St. Anthony's Craft group sent over 60 handmade greetings cards to homeless and abused women in recovery, two dozen bracelets to teenagers at risk sheltered at Brookwood, A Home for Girls, five Christmas stocking loaded with gifts for Navajo elders, and a dozen dolls to the children of South Africa.

--The seniors at Bon Secours Place made five dolls for African children and did handwork for those in need.

--$3,000 was earned at the Fair Trade Holiday Craft Sale at the Franciscan Retreat Center of Tampa.

--Microloans were made to the following artisans and artisan cooperatives, through Kiva:

Zeby Solieva, seamstress, Tajikistan; Juana Gomez, embroiderer, Mexico; Halima Kiofonya, batik artist, Tanzania; Long Nhek, weaver, Cambodia; Mantillitas Sewing Group, Bolivia; Las Margaritas de Atitlan, weavers, Guatemala; Allah Ditti Baji, embroiderer, Pakistan.

Don't doubt for a moment that a few women, doing a few things here and there, can make a world of difference in helping other women throughout the world. Thank you for being one of those women in 2008. May 2009 be a time of peace and prosperity, for you and yours, and may you continue to know the deep joy found in giving to others.

With affection and continued best wishes

Karen Rushen O'Brien

The Things that Matter

This year, I'm getting a loom for Christmas. So is my husband, Stephen, although neither of us can weave.

We decided, with the way the economy is globally--which would be "horrible"--that we would hold off from buying a bunch of stuff at Christmas that we really don't need, and send the money to our "sisters" in Bolivia to purchase a loom with. Kullakas already has one loom, but really could use a second one, because their woven goods have been so popular and have sold well in the past. We're hoping that the purchase of another loom will help them get through these rough times by allowing them to make more of the products that sell particularly well, like their 100% alpaca shawls and scarves. 

We remain very grateful that, as of this writing at least, both Stephen and I have jobs that pay decently, and have relatively few expenses. We live simply enough; in fact, part of the reason I fell in love with and married Stephen is because he's an extremely "low maintenance" kind of guy in many ways. He simply doesn't need a lot of material things, and frankly neither do I. Now we're finding that a lot of the ways in which we've chosen to live over the past years are coming into vogue, as more and more people are asking themselves what's really matters in life, and how much do we really need to have.

Many of us are lucky to have a roof over our heads and three good meals a day, yet we see all around us many, many people losing their homes and their livelihoods. These are difficult times, and probably will be for awhile. I invite you this holiday season to remember those who are in greater need than yourself, and to ask yourself how you could perhaps make Christmas really special for them this year. Also, feel free to share with us what you're doing to have a "simpler" Christmas more focused on the needs of those who are not weathering this economic downturn very well. In doing something wonderful for someone else, I'm sure you'll find you're giving yourself a very special holiday also!