Lucia & Workshops

Many of you may remember Lucia from last year's visit - she is the young woman (maybe 21 years old) who came to Patsy last year asking for employment to keep her out of prostitution.  She was the first woman Patsy employed on a fairly regular basis to make cards and beads, and thus right in at the start of the developing cottage industry.  This year she is looking much healthier and happier and has been baptised in the local Assemblies of God Church.  She meets weekly with Elizabeth (catechist) and Antsa (evangelist) to pray.

Yesterday, she joined the ever-growing craft workshops, which now have 4 more women than last week, and a young boy (around 10 years old). The young boy and his mother had travelled by taxi-brousse from Betioky (a bit over 100 miles away by road).  They had left at 7am and arrived at midnight, and come to class at 8:30 a.m. the next day!

The women are enjoying the classes so much and are so keen to learn that we added an extra day of class.

Lucia mastered the 16 strand Kumihimo braid within a few seconds (totally skipping the 8 strand version which the other women had learned first) and then nearly completed one of the embroidered cuff bracelets.   Today she started teaching two other women, and has taken the working diagram for another complicated braid home with her to work on.  She is a delight to have in class.

Lucia is on the right in white cardigan, Nivo next to her is wearing a winter coat and scarf all through each day of class  (and, if you could see me, I am wearing a sleeveless dress!)

Two of the other women are working on bead embroidery on pretty fabric.  This was not planned, but I was trying to dream up something to keep them occupied, and this seemed like the right thing to do.  So I showed them some photos of some of my work last year, and they are excited to be embellishing this mini-journal cover.  Other women are working on larger journal covers using a recycled lamba (traditional cloth) and denim.  Another group is creating their own-design embroidered bracelets.  Some are crocheting with plastic bags, and the young boy is working impeccable braids.

All in all, quite amazing!