Second Day of Class

Friday, the second day of class went well. I have to rely to some extent on Patsy's assurances here, as I find it hard to assess without being able to have direct conversation with women.  They are certainly working very hard and are dedicated to their project.  They are mostly very quiet in class, with only necessary talking.

Each of those who stayed for the two days had finished their first bracelet cuff by the end of lunch. Some took them to work on during their lunch-break to get them finished.

Patsy was inspired here and they each took a cuff randomly from a bag, and then assessed it and reported back to the group. Most stood up and seemed to be quite forthright about uneven stitches, rows of stitches not being straight, and were striving to for perfection - which is just what we need if these products are going to be sold through a Fair Trade store.

 

Tiny Meza was gentle with the cuff she was holding, and declared it to be "Soa" (Good) and not to need any changes, at which point its creator, Elizabeth, said it wasn't and pointed out all its faults!

They will learn together, and work together to create great products.

The discussion over how to price them got a bit heated, but apparently that is normal for the culture.  If it had been in America, I would have tried to diffuse it!  The eventual decision is to hold off until they have had chance to practise making more of them and know how much time that will take, which is a very reasonable approach.

We are making an excellent start to the beginning of a small cottage industry here in the poorest part of one of the poorest countries in the world.  This will help the people to have enough to eat, and rescue those women who practise prostitution in order to provide for their families.

Hot Water at the Gathering Place!

Hurrah!  The solar panel has been successfully connected and we can have hot water showers here in Toliara - so much nicer than cold!

St James the Less Garden South-West is flourishing...

 The garden which Glen Tracy and Eric Robison came to landscape  in January this year is flourishing.  Some plants are doing better than others but many are growing well, and the ground cover is beginning to fill in spaces in the beds.  It is winter at present so things are not flowering as much as they would in other seasons, but it is looking so much better than it did a year ago.

First Day of Class

Yesterday was the first day of class for the women.  Instead of the 12 women I was expecting to come, 22 were invited and 19 arrived – so I didn’t have enough folders for everyone!  I gave each of them a propelling pencil to write with, and our translator, Zafy, had to explain to some of them how to get the lead down to write with it!

I was humbled to discover that three of them had travelled from Fort Dauphin by taxi brousse (one of those buses laden with people squashed in and bags sky high) for FOUR days to get here.  They are staying for both weeks.

Everyone listened very attentively to the critique of the work that had been sent to the States to sell, and seemed to understand the principles I was explaining to them:

• that their embroidery is wonderful and their products beautiful, but that they could be made more appealing to American eyes
• we’d like bigger sized bags
• they needed to use fabric that was not going to get dirty as quickly as the white they had been using 
• that tablecloths (unless commissioned) are not a good idea because everyone has a different sized - table (I didn’t mention that not many of us like to launder them nowadays)

… and so on.

Then we started sewing – about 1/3 embroider already, but I suspect some had never held a needle and thread before.  Zafy (despite declaring it women’s work – and laughing when I called him sexist) got the hang of everything very quickly, and supervised parts of the work.  I was amazed that after he had seen me explain ladder herringbone stitch to one woman, and demonstrate 2 stitches, he was then able to tell her exactly what she was doing wrong and how to work the stitch correctly!

I can’t get one of the women out of my mind.  She can’t read or write, and spent about an hour threading the needle, tying a knot, putting the needle through the felt, cutting the knot off, tying a knot, putting the needle through the felt, cutting the knot off, tying a knot, putting the needle through the felt, cutting the knot off… After about an hour she managed to make a stitch, and finally a row of running stitch.  I tried to look at her work to help her, but she bowed over it and cowered away from me. I stroked her back gently each time I stood by her, and that seemed to help.  Later Patsy told me she can’t read or write, and may have been beaten by a teacher.  She left early – not feeling well, I guess she was too stressed.  I hope and pray she comes back today.

Both the morning Bible Study and the Afternoon silent prayer session seemed to be well received. 

Here's hoping today goes equally well.

The Cathedral is growing!

It is amazing in this day and age to see a Cathedral being built - and especially when the scaffolding being used looks as if it would have been in place in the Middle Ages!

Market Research

In the first session, Sue needed to present the results of her market research in relation to the crafts that Glen Tracy and Eric Robison had transported to the US a few months ago.   In some cases, this represented criticism.  None of us enjoy receiving criticism.  In this case, the risks of causing offense or despondency were increased by the fact that the criticism had to be conveyed from one language and culture to another, and – while from a woman to women – was mediated by a male interpreter, Zafy.    That’s probably about as tough as it could get!  Sue had understandably been concerned about how this presentation would go.  Patsy (who of course speaks Malagasy) was also present, and says that the words were good. 

 

Phew!   Now the sessions can move on to making things.

 

Speaking of Zafy, one has to admire a guy who can make an intelligible job of translating explanations about an unfamiliar craft!   Last year he interpreted for the banner-making, as well as sessions for children and Matthew’s voice workshop.  We are so glad to have him again.   

 

Simon

Handcraft workshops have begun

Sue wrote yesterday that Toliara “

looked remarkably prosperous after the villages we travelled through”.    She is absolutely correct – but what a reflection of the extreme poverty in those villages.

 

Sue’s handcraft workshops began an hour ago.    One, two or three ladies have come from each of the outlying multi-church parishes that make up the Diocese of Toliara, with several from the Cathedral and Toliara.  

Many have travelled up to four days to reach here, and are dressed in their best clothes for such a major event.  We long for them to go well, and that the women attending them will be able build upon what they learn so that they can produce items readily-saleable in the US.   This would be one small step to ameliorate the poverty.

 

Go Sue!

 

Simon

 

Technology Old and New

Having arrived in Toliara an hour or two before Todd and Patsy, we went into town with their housekeeper, Jeanette, to do some grocery shopping.  Jeanette also took us to various other stores so Sue could gain an idea of what kinds of handcrafts materials are available in Toliara.   One store sold a great variety of used goods.  I was especially struck to see a small metal plough standing in front of some satellite dishes!

 

Simon

Arrived in Toliara

We, our bags of supplies, and Todd & Patsy, have all arrived safely in Toliara.  So the initial stage of our adventure is complete. 

 

Todd and Patsy drove in about 33 hours the distance we covered in a week.  Our week included some sightseeing, but how they do the trip at the best of times, let alone when they are both recovering from typhoid beats me.   We’ve packed them off to bed straight after our meal.

 

The various alarums so far would have had us totally freaked out if we had not been to Madagascar before.   As things stood, however, it’s been a wonderful trip down from Tana. 

 

Simon

Arrival in Toliara

As we at last neared Toliara, I cried tears of joy when we saw the other side of the table mountain that can be seen from The Gathering Place.  I knew we were nearly there.  “Are we nearly there yet” being the familiar cry of all children on long road trips!

I cried again when I saw The Gathering Place and when Jeannette and I exchanged a long hug and happy dance!  It is wonderful to be back, and it looks so familiar, but so different.  The garden, which Glen and Eric came to create with the local people is looking good.  Most of the plants and trees have survived, and some are really thriving.  A few were eaten by bugs, and the wind yesterday was so strong it blew all the leaves off one plant!  It is winter here now, so we are not seeing it at its best, but as it matures it will be even more beautiful, and it is certainly a huge improvement on the scrubby grass which was here last year.  The grass has grown back on the leveled ground.

And then the other huge change is the Cathedral.  As I write, I am sitting at Todd and Patsy’s kitchen table, looking through the dining room and beyond to the Cathedral, with the sunrise behind it.  The roof is in the process of being added and a tower too.  The wooden structure for the tower is partly in place.  Seeing the wooden scaffolding in place is like being transported back in time to the time when many of the English cathedrals were constructed.  

I was the only one awake in time for morning prayers today. Todd is still very weak from the typhoid and was told by Patsy to sleep as long as he could.  (Patsy got drugs sooner and so is recovering faster.)   I have not been sleeping much this trip – time zone confusion, and just waking feeling refreshed after only a few hours.  Last night I slept for over 8 hours – the longest I’ve slept here, as it felt like being home arriving here! I woke, wide-awake at 4:26 a.m., so decided to get washed and dressed ready for 6 a.m. prayers.  I found the key to get out of the apartment, but not the one to the gate at the bottom of the stairs.  The night guard also didn’t know how to find the key, and I managed to communicate with him not to wake up Pierre to get his key.  So my morning devotions were held on the stairs at the gate!! 

It is wonderful to be back, and for all of us to have made it here – with all our luggage!  Simon, Jacky and I went to the supermarket with Jeannette yesterday for food and also explored the local crafts and haberdashery shops, to see what is available locally.  This was encouraging as when the women have used up the 200 pounds of supplies you all gave us to bring, they can readily get more embroidery floss, ribbons, braids and buttons.  Thus was the first time Simon and I had been into the interior of the market area.  It was very cool and shaded which was a surprise, but the open drains down the sides of the alleyways were less welcome.  I am glad it is not a hotter time of year, as the smells were quite bad enough!

Having done our trip into Toliara (which looked remarkably prosperous after the villages we travelled through yesterday) I am free today to sort out the supplies, and get ready for the workshops with the women which start tomorrow. 

I felt a huge sense of peace settle on me as we sat in silence before saying Grace at last night’s meal.  It is good to be here.

Sue

Bruce, Shay, Simon & Esmerelda!

At Jardin du Roy!

Ilakaka sapphire mines

Drove through the town in this BBC article yesterday - and will do so again tomorrow!

 

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-32962318

Also saw them panning for gold in the river there (and doing their washing!)

 

Simon

Isalo National Park

We had a wonderful morning walking through the Canyon Namaza and visiting the Blue Pool and the Black Pool, seeing more lemurs, lizards, chameleons and medicinal plants.

Air Mada (and sometimes madder)

In a restaurant in San Francisco – or so I am told – there’s a sign stating that the furthest inhabited spot on the planet from that city is Fort Dauphin in Madagascar.   Our flight from Paris to Madagascar lasted 11.5 hours.   The island of Madagascar is separated from continental Africa by the Mozambique Channel, an arm of the Indian Ocean that is 260 miles wide at its narrowest point.     So Madagascar is remote.

 

Madagascar is also large – it is about as long as the distance from the Gulf of Mexico to the Canadian border in Minnesota.

 

In evolutionary terms, Madagascar’s remoteness underlies its unique and wonderful flora and fauna.  In economic terms, Madagascar’s remoteness and size make international and internal air travel vital to the tourist and business sectors of its economy.   International passenger traffic is dominated by Air France.  Air Madagascar, 90% government-owned, has some international routes and is the sole internal carrier.  Roughly 250,000 tourists visit Madagascar each year, and my guess is that most take also at least one internal flight rather than make long journeys on the country’s inadequate roads (see post about “N7”).  For instance, it takes about an hour to fly from Toliara to Fort Dauphin, but about three days by road (in seasons of the year when the road is passable at all).

 

Air Mada’s current strike is therefore very disruptive – and moreover comes just as the main tourist season is building up.  At Manga Guesthouse we met a French family struggling to figure out how to reorganize their vacation.  We feel it was providential that we had chosen to be driven from Tana to Toliara.   Our driver was arranged through Transmalala, a small travel business run by Alain, the husband of the Treasurer of the diocese of Toliara.  Alain is most concerned about the potential impact of the strike on his business.

 

Alain is very justifiably concerned.  Press reports suggest that a prolonged strike could overwhelm the precarious finances of Air Mada.   It is sad to think that whatever good  may come of our efforts to assist the development of handcrafts in Toliara could be dwarfed by the impact of an adverse outcome of the Air Mada strike.

 

 

Simon

Wonderful Service at Trinite Masina (Holy Trinity) Sakaraha

Revd Hery and his wife, Olivia and the congregation at Sakaraha gave us a spectacular welcome today - with special "Tonga Soa" (welcome) banners, singing and dancing by the youth and Mothers' Union, and a delicious lunch. We were able to go with Jacky Lowe and Bruce and Avery Mason.

Rev Hery & his wife, Olivia

Bruce Mason

Sue was thrilled to see that the Church had a set of the banners that were made last year, hanging at the front. 

Spectacular fauna!

During our visit to Antja Reserve (see earlier post) two varieties of larger fauna were to be seen.
One, the well-known Ring-tailed Lemur is endemic (original and unique) to Madagascar.

The other, the Greater Useless Wombat, is an invasive species that arrived recently in Madagascar via Europe, and is relatively obscure.  The Wombat's red ruff  and crest enable it to hide among the bracts (often but mistakenly regarded as flowers) of the poinsettia trees (otherwise known as Madagascar plants, by the Malagasy).

(Composed by Simon not Sue!)

The road goes ever on and on...

......but at last we got to see some lemurs! 

Ring Tail Lemurs at Antja Park

RN7 photos - rice fields

Light green fields are rice nurseries

Ploughing the muddy soil, by spade

Carrying the young plants from the nursery to the field

Planting out the young rice plants - now about 20 cm (8 inches) high

Rice fields on RN7 from Fianarantsoa to Betsileo

Saturday - Jardin du Roy

After a delightful morning in the sunny Antja Park, watching ring-tailed lemurs in the trees and on the rocks a few feet from us, we had a hot drive to tonight's hotel.  We have left the highlands and are entering the heat off the south.  It was somewhat disconcerting to arrive travel-weary, feeling dusty and grubby in clothes stained with the red soil on which we sat to eat our picnic lunch and (in my case) the carrot juice from my sandwich, at a luxurious hotel.  Entering reception we were presented with scented, chilled facecloths to clean our hot hands and faces!  There were even bougainvillea flowers entwined in them.  Having regained some composure from that surprise we were then given sugar-rimmed glasses of hibiscus juice.  We have entered a different world - all for about $120US a night for our room.  Dinner tonight (3 courses, including duck and foie gras) cost us around $15 a person - with complimentary lychee rum.

Breakfast fruit at Jardin du Roy - papaya, pineapple, cactus, mandarin & banana

Bruce & Shay Mason & Simon - at last we're in the same place!
With Esmerelda too!

View from our room at Jardin du Roy

The best thing since sliced bread

Much as I may consider myself the best thing since sliced bread, I suffer occasional bouts of realism.  [Realism is like malaria in respect of recurring in bouts, though I am glad to say I have no personal experience of the latter -  nor, if Sue is to be believed, much experience of the former.]  While suffering from such bouts, I realize that I am the sidekick on this trip.

 

I will, I hope, make a useful contribution to the quality of diocesan bookkeeping.  But a far larger contribution may be made by the sessions Sue is scheduled to hold to train local women in various handcrafts that Sue’s research suggests can readily be sold in the US.   If those sessions are successful, it will be possible to offer various handmade items  at attractive prices while still providing the women income that would be significantly ahead of Malagasy levels.  [Of course, there’s more to it than that – international shipping, import/export permits, taxes, etc – but let’s check first that there’s a show worthy of being put on the road.]

 

It’s exciting to think that we might play a part in economic development for some of the world’s poorest.   Sue and I are very grateful all those who, sharing this excitement, contributed all kinds of thread, beads, and so on to bring with us.   More on all this in future posts.

 

Eucalyptus

Eucalyptus trees were introduced to Madagascar from Australia when the counties narrow gauge railways were built.  Sadly, very little of the rail network is still used, save from a freight line to the capital from an east coast port, and a delightful passenger service, mainly used by tourists, pulled by a railcar which (if memory serves) was acquired from Germany by France as part of the reparations for World War I.  The eucalyptus trees remain, and other than various endemic pine trees, seem to be the main trees in most of the terrain we’ve passed through.  Eucalyptus grows quickly and responds fairly well to crude coppicing (i.e., a tree may well regrow after most of it has been cut down).  That’s important in a country where the main fuels are wood and charcoal.  Nevertheless, over several hundred miles, I have yet to see a growing tree as broad as many of the hewn stumps I have seen.   Madagascar’s forests are on a downward spiral that has been several decades in the making.  And with a rapidly growing population (around 50% young people), it’s hard to see that turning around.  Eco-tourism makes a significant contribution to the incentives to conserve what remains.

 

We passed today through a region with greater tree cover.  It was very striking what a difference it made, not just visually, but to the wellbeing of the people.  Where more wood is available, there’s enough timber to support tiled roofs, to construct attractive and useful balconies, and to make local furniture.  In all other respects, the terrain, the agriculture, everything, very closely resembled all the other areas we had passed through.  The better state of the forests was the only apparent cause of significant differences in wellbeing.  

 

Simon

N7

We have internet connection again today, so I'm able to add some of the posts Simon was busy writing last night (Friday night)

Thank you for those of you who kept our concerns for today’s drive in your thoughts and prayers.  Our driver’s warning that we were in for a 6hr drive on a twistier and worse portion of the road than the last two days had made travel-sickness a possibility.  It all turned out fine.  Interestingly, we are less road-weary than we might have been from a 6hr drive even in the US.

 

I’d been curious to experience N7.  In France, roads are labeled “A” for Autoroute (the equivalent of US interstate/expressway;, or of UK motorway), or else “N” for Nationale, “D” for Departmentale, or “C” for Communale(?), depending on the level of government responsible for them, and are almost invariably beautifully  maintained.   Nowadays, an “N” road will have a bypass around any large town.  In Madagascar the major roads are labeled “N” for Nationale.  N7 runs for over 500 miles from the capital, Antananarivo, to Toliara. 

 

N7 is the paved road in most of the regions through which it passes.  Don’t let “the” conjure thoughts such as “premier” or “par excellence”; instead think “one and only”.   It passes through settlements large and small.  Vehicles share it with chickens, oxcarts, man-pulled carts, whatever.  We have seen a few maintenance crews, but today there were sections that had more potholes than tarmac.  But at least you see Madagascar, rather than acres of barren roadway.

 

Simon

More photos

Dancers at Hotel Artisan, Ambositra

Chambres du Voyageur , Antsirabe

Bishop Todd has typhoid

Todd, Patsy and the Mason family are still in Tana, and we have just received an email telling us that Todd won't be able to travel as he has tested positive for typhoid.  No more news yet - anyone who wants to pray, please do so.

We are about to set off for a 6 hour drive

Wrapped in a blanket!

Merina tomb, near Antsirabe

It’s winter in Madagascar – and therefore cool at night – and even cooler in the highlands where we currently are (I think around 45 degrees F usually).  We are staying at the Hotel Artisan at Ambositra and have two wonderful Malagasy style bungalows (one for Simon and I, and one for Jacky), each with lofts and balconies, but no heating.  So I’m currently wrapped in a blanket, writing this blog, and it’s only 6pm.  I don’t want to think about how cool it will be by the time we get up at 6am!  Last night was not warm in the room, but at least we had a small electric heater.  Both the last two places have had hot water for the showers, thankfully.

It is however a beautiful hotel, which we arrived at in time for a late lunch, and ate on the terrace watching Malagasy dancers and musicians.  The drummer is blind but played well.  They put on a wonderful performance.

Yesterday’s hotel (Chambres du Voyageur at Antsirabe) had beautiful gardens and pools, two cute dogs, a dovecote, and several radiated tortoises. 

We have visited a mineral and rock polishing workshop, Jean et Freres wood-carving shop (from which Bishop Todd has bought the tall figured crèche and Stations of the Cross for the Cathedral), the Church of a Benedictine Convent and the shop of a silk-spinning & weaving collective.  We have also seen some of the lovely paper which is made near here, with flowers pressed into it as it is made.  Needless to say, we now have quite a collection of beautiful souvenirs, which will be staying here in Ambositra, at the home of our driver Jocelyn’s parents-in-law, until he makes his return journey next week. There just isn’t space in the car for all of them.  He will then take them to his home in Antananarivo, and give them to us on our last 2 days in Madagascar. 

Rice fields

Tomorrow is a long drive on windier roads than we’ve already travelled.  This is quite daunting as the combination of not enough sleep, time zone confusion and lots of bends, swerves and potholing avoidance, means that those of us on the back seat are both suffering from motion sickness.  The oldest male of the party is by Malagasy custom always given the front seat.  We may have to break with this tradition tomorrow!  

Quilts in Addis Ababa and Manga Guesthouse!

Hi All

 

I’m writing this while on the plane flying over Addis Ababa, thinking of all the quilts that have been made at St James the Less, now on the beds of the orphans getting ready to go sleep there.

 

I expect that by the time we get to Manga, I will be too tired to write, but might manage to hit send! So, if you get this we have arrived safely, and are going to have a few hours sleep before driving on to Antsirabe. We met Jacky Lowe from Florida at Paris airport. She had missed her flight from Fort Lauderdale to Atlanta, and begged people on the standby flight until she found one lady willing to give up her seat to Jacky! How gracious!

 

We met a family from Cleveland boarding the plane – how could three English people resist talking to a young man wearing a Manchester United shirt? The family were bringing a tall young Malagasy man back to Madagascar, to his roots for the first time in 15 years since he was adopted.  They are also part of a medical and water providing mission.   They will be staying at a Jesuit house in Antananarivo and visiting the orphanage he came from.

 

Food on Air France is still very good – even here in economy class. We got our two seats together and didn’t have to sit in a row of three – and there were only 16 of the 400 or so seats in that configuration!

Later that night:

The younger son of the family from Cleveland was stellar!  He got to the front of the baggage collecting line at the conveyor belt and offered to pass out our 50lb bags, as well as theirs (and they had 5 apiece!  This helped us enormously, and speeded up our leaving the airport a lot, as he passed the bags to me, Simon then took them through the crowd to Jacky who was waiting with the carts

 

3 am Wednesday July 1 – we arrived safely – with all our bags and nearly a million ariary each!  Unfortunately there was no internet connection available at Manga (not the first time we’ve experienced that there) but it was good to see them all again (this is now our 4th stay there). So we couldn’t send this message immediately.

 

We are now at our second night’s hotel, and one guest at a time can connect to the internet after 5pm only!  It is beautiful – with lovely gardens, and 2 cute dogs.  Our driver arrived in good time this morning, and we managed to fit 4 suitcases into the vehicle he is driving us in.  Alain from the Diocese is going to return to Toliara on Saturday by taxi brousse taking the other 4 bags.  Please pray that they get there safely, as almost all our supplies are in them.

 

Or he may drive Todd, Patsy and the Mason family down instead!  We’ll find out more on Saturday, if they all get to the same hotel, prior to the service at Sakaraha on Sunday.  Please pray for Rev Hery – the priest at Sakaraha who is in hospital after a motor-bike accident.  He may be released today.  Bruce tells us Todd is planning to do a confirmation service at Sakaraha on Sunday as we were going to be there.  We’ll see what happens.  Todd and Patsy are due at Manga guesthouse tonight.  Bruce and family seem to be having a great time with the street children’s ministry.

 

Thank you all for your prayer support

Sue

 

 

Thanks be to God

- and thank you for all your prayers.  We clearly need them!!

 

I have just checked the Air France website and it now says that the strike action which was going to affect us has been suspended!!  It looks as if we might get through France ok, which is a big relief.  

 

Industrial action called by French air controllers from July 02 to July 03, 2015

Update on June 28, 12:30 (Paris local time)

The first call for strike action issued by four French air controllers' unions from June 30 to July 01 has been suspended.

For the moment, the two others trade unions maintain their call for strike from July 02 to July 03.

Currently, negotiations are still going on between the involved parties. If this industrial action is confirmed, French Civil Aviation Authorities will give instructions to all airlines.

Accordingly to these instructions, we will adjust our flight schedule.

We will inform you soon and make our utmost to assist you to minimize the impact of this industrial action on your travel plans.

 

 

Sue

Will this Mad-venture happen?

We’ve just tried to check our seats on Air France flights and found:

Industrial action called by French air controllers from June 30 to July 03, 2015

Update on June 26, 21:00 (Paris local time)

A first call for strike action has been issued by four French air controllers' unions from June 30 to July 01 and a second call by two others trade unions from July 02 to 03.

Currently, negotiations are still going on between the involved parties. If this industrial action is confirmed, French Civil Aviation Authorities will give instructions to all airlines on Monday, June 29, early in the afternoon, for the flights planned on June 30.

Accordingly to these instructions, we will adjust our flight schedule.

We will inform you soon and make our utmost to assist you to minimize the impact of this industrial action on your travel plans.

We are due to arrive in Paris on an Air France flight on June 30, and leave a few hours later for Madagascar.  It will be very disappointing not to get to Mada after all the work we have done preparing.  Please join us in praying that we do (and preferably without hitches)!

Mad-venture 2015!

Earlier this week, we were told that the driver taking us from Antananarivo (Tana) to Toliara could not fit all the baggage (i.e. all those wonderful, donated supplies) into his latest vehicle.   

So after a few days of concern, we were mighty relieved this morning to hear that it is big enough - a Landrover Freelander 4x4 that can take all three people + 8 suitcases + 3 pieces of hand luggage. That brings a lot of peace to our minds about the week’s drive from Tana to Toliara. 

 

The next need is for Air Madagascar to allow Air France flights into Tana! 

  

Simon searched the internet this morning and discovered that the strikers at Air Madagascar have blocked an Air France flight from entering Tana:

http://www.coastweek.com/3736-latest-news-Air-Madagascar-staff-ambush-France 

 

We are flying Air France from Chicago O'Hare to Paris to Tana.  So here’s hoping and praying that we (with all our baggage) reach Toliara  in a smooth and uncomplicated fashion!!  

Sue

Plarn Sundays!

The folks of St James the Less, Northfield, seemed remarkably unfazed that I had arrived at church lugging a large black trash bag, and was recruiting them to spend the post-service coffee time cutting the tops and bottoms off a seemingly endless supply of plastic carrier bags.   Maybe they know I’m crazy and consider it safer to humor me!  Anyhow, a bunch of recruits duly processed several hundred carrier bags, so that Sue can have a supply of plarn for the crochet portion of her intended craft lessons in Toliara. 

Plarn?  It’s short for plastic yarn, and all kinds of things can be made with it – just Google “plarn” to see for yourself.  So far, Sue has designed several items, including holders for the iPhone 6.   Whether Malagasy women take to plarn, and what they will think to make with it, only time will tell.  But there must be something to be said for a free raw material, especially in poor countries.  If plarn becomes a sought-after resource, the world will look more picturesque without discarded plastic bags festooning thorn bushes. 

Why are we taking bags with us, when there are plenty adorning the roadsides?  At present, Todd and Patsy are in the USA, and thus not present to galvanize the people into collecting, washing and drying the plastic grocery bags.  Sue wanted to be sure she had some raw material to work with in class.

Cutting up the bags wasn’t exactly hard work, and it gave an opportunity to chat ... and the task would have taken Sue and I on our lonesome a positive age.   Moreover, it gave others an opportunity to learn more and get involved in the whole project of seeking to be of service to the people of Madagascar. It also meant we could recycle the unusable parts of the bags (handles and ends) while we are here in the States, rather than discard them in Madagascar.  The trimmed bags were then rolled up tight into bundles that will fit more readily into our baggage. 

To those of you who participated today: thank you.     Sorry you missed it?   Come to St James the Less, next Sunday (June 20th) at 9 a.m. to cut the remainder of the hoard!   If you can bring your own sharp scissors as well, that would be good, as some of the church’s are not that great.

Simon

Supplies abound!

We are thrilled with the response to our request for supplies - both from members of St James the Less and from members of the North Suburban NeedleArts Guild.  We weighed the boxes on Sunday to see if we could take all of it with us.  There are 4 suitcases worth of supplies  - 187 pounds weight! The people of the Diocese of Toliara will be so excited when they see it all - and will be very busy making things from it for a long time!

Thank you all!

Sue & Simon