Posted by Robin Seyfert on March 04, 2012 0 Comments
Written by: Bree McKnight, Hand and Cloth volunteer
My first day walking into Hand and Cloth, I was overtaken by the
beauty that was beaming from the inside out of all the women. They
were all so warm and smiled so big whenever you walk in the room
saying, "Hello! How are you? I'm fine, thank you!".
What I realized most excited me is that I get to see and be a part of
God working in this new life of theirs. It is so encouraging to see
these women have sincere joy filled hearts, knowing that they have
come from circumstances that were far from easy or ordinary. These
women have endured sadness, pain, hardship and darkness in a way that
most people will never even understand. The good news is God has
given them a way to start over fresh and clean! When talking with the
women, the one thing they all would agree on is that they love their
new life here at Hand and Cloth and are happier than they ever have
been in their life!
It reminds me of a precious pearl. Pearls are created when a clam
sucks up all this dirt, grime and sand and over time it takes the
filth and turns into something absolutely stunning--a pearl! And that
is exactly what I believe God is doing with these women here in
Bangladesh. Most of the time you always just hear the first part of
every redeeming story, the part that focuses on the past and how the
enemy was able to steal, kill and destroy. I think that sometimes we
give him too much credit. Over here they are solely focusing on how
God can take something broken and turn it into something beautiful!
Matthew
13:44 "The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in
a field. When he found a pearl of great value, he hid it again, and
then in his joy went and sold ALL he had and bought that field.
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Posted by Sarah Aulie on January 27, 2012 0 Comments
There's a buzz in Chicago all about Dose Market. And this February 12th, Hand & Cloth is featured as the Dose Market Cause
Rebekah and I will be at Dose Market this February with Hand & Cloth's latest collection of kantha blankets available for sale.
While we're there, we hope to do some Whimsical Candy snacking and Cheap Tart tasting. And I'll certainly be visiting stalls such as Artfully Disheveled (love that shop name!) and Luxury Garage Sale (missing those Saturday morning garage sales with mom!)
A market filled with tea and spices, bangles and kishr, bootmakers and candle-stick makers almost reminds me of a market in Bangladesh...
Hope you can join us! When you spot the beautiful display of vintage sari kantha blankets - that's us!
- Sarah | Hand & Cloth
Blankets handmade by women. | Women handmade by God.
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Posted by Robin Seyfert on January 09, 2012 2 Comments
She shouldn't have taken the fabric,
it's true. It was particularly pretty. She didn't think we'd need
it. The anger flowed through my voice- harsh and strong. It brought
the desired result- the fabric returned. But her face was sad, and
she said she couldn't stay. I said I knew she thought we didn't need
it. I said I now saw that many were taking items they assumed we
wouldn't use. I announced what I hadn't realized needed announcing-
that nothing should be taken away, whether it looked like we needed
it or not.
But she didn't come back. And we
missed her and her careful stitches and her steady manner and wide
eyed son. One day, two days... and there she was.
She came into my office. I expected
excuses, complaints. My initial harshness stared me in the face as
she asks my forgiveness, says she knows she was wrong. But she talked
about that time away. How she'd gone to the streets where she used
to live. She saw her old life looking back at her and she knew she
couldn't go back. She spoke of her young years, with a stepmother
treating her as a slave. Never going to school. Never feeling love.
And she said this was the first place
she'd felt love- CUP and Hand and Cloth. A training center and a
job. A training center and a job.
I get so busy, and
I see that we are not keeping up with orders. That I'm weeks behind.
That my plans, policy projections are all horrendously out of date.
I forget that it's a place they come to for love, for dignity, for
making something beautiful, and simultaneously feeling something
beautiful. And I'm humbled as my tears trickle down and my
priorities are jumbled and I'm glad he's making me new too.
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Posted by Robin Seyfert on December 24, 2011 1 Comment
It has been a very busy few months as we tried to meet the Christmas demand for kantha blankets. So it was wonderful to take some time and remember the arrival of Immanuel, God with us, the event that changed everything. The staff arranged our party for Hand and Cloth employees as well as family members which included carols, drama, fun and food. Thanks to donors who gave extra money to buy all the children warm clothes and blankets (it's very cold here right now and people have inadequate provisions). Merry Christmas!
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Posted by Robin Seyfert on December 12, 2011 1 Comment
I look at your braids tied in rags. Like a young, innocent school girl. And I wonder what would you be like- if they hadn't hurt you, damaged you, exploited you? Would you still rage, cry, pound your head on the wall? Would you be able to better understand that you are loved?
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Posted by Robin Seyfert on November 29, 2011 2 Comments
When invited to do a presentation about
Hand and Cloth at the Nordic Club in Dhaka, I decided, on impulse, to
ask if any of the women would like to go along and tell their
stories. I had 3 volunteers. They practiced a few times including a
trial run right before the event. Recognizing they had never seen so
many foreigners at one time, I asked if they were scared. Their
quick reply was, “We're all human.” Still, I didn't know how it
would be when they actually got in front of an audience. They were
so wonderful! They spoke confidently, stayed on task for the most
part, and interacted well with individuals afterwords. Seeing them
bright, confident, proud made me optimistic that they will develop
into the leaders and entrepreneurs we want them to be. They were
encouraged by the enthusiastic response to them and to their
handiwork. One thing did baffle them, however. “Were they eating
LEAVES?” They may be ready to represent Hand and Cloth but not
quite ready to order a salad!
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Posted by Robin Seyfert on November 27, 2011 0 Comments
There
was anticipation in the air as Hand and Cloth Associates spoke about
the meeting their husbands were invited to last Thursday. This
was the second meeting of what we hope will be at least a monthly
event. I unintentionally overheard one of our women talking to
her husband over phone, telling him to comb his hair and wear clean
clothes when he comes.
The
first meeting was attended only by a few brave husbands as they
expected us to upbraid them for their misdeeds. After seeing
that our goal is to support their families, they were willing to come
back. Six men arrived at the office, greeted by wives eager to
show them where they work, and introduce them to colleagues.
After
introductions, I briefed them about Hand and Cloth, including our
dreams to see Hand and Cloth Associates having a dignified life in
society. When husbands were asked to tell something about how they
feel about their wives working at Hand and Cloth, they were all very
positive; happy and proud of their wives and their contribution to
the family. Two of the husbands present in the meeting are
unemployed, dependent on their wives’ income. They asked for
help finding work so they too can contribute to the family. They also
mentioned that they want their wives to save some money every month
for the future.
Before
meeting these men, I had heard a lot about them from their wives, not
much of which as positive. Verbally the men expressed support and
appreciation for their wives. As the saying goes: Deeds, not
words! We are hopeful and expectant we will see
improvements in family relationships! Andora Sarker, Hand and
Cloth Business Manager/Associate Mentor, Bangladesh
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Posted by Sarah Aulie on November 19, 2011 2 Comments
haiku: I Give Thanks
Winter. A wet leaf
floats. And I give thanks for the
hope that is in me.
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Posted by Stephanie Ball on October 01, 2011 3 Comments
by Carly Hubbard, Hand and Cloth Intern, Bangladesh
Sometimes it’s easy to forget about the rest of the world when you’re living in a city like Dhaka. Horns honking, trash rotting, bells ringing, music playing, fruit decaying, heat scorching, and people shouting all around you on a constant basis provide extreme sensory overload. And as our busy lives continue on, it’s easy to forget that not every part of the world is just like this.
Arriving to Bangladesh as a bideshi (foreigner), one quickly comes face to face with the quick realization that having a different skin color means attracting a great deal of attention. In order to avoid offending locals (particularly in Mirpur, where Hand & Cloth is located), and to make some sort of attempt at “blending in,” it is important that women dress with substantial modesty, which is most easily achieved by wearing a shalwar kameez. One of two traditional forms of dress for Bengalis, the outfit consists of a knee length shirt, baggy pants, and a matching scarf to cover up your chest. The other option is to wear a sari. But as beautiful as they are, they aren’t always as comfortable to walk in, and wrapping the fabric around your body requires a bit more skill.
Walking or bus riding to work in Dhaka is always an adventure and a far stretch from the mundane traffic on many commutes we experience back home in the States. Streetlights aren’t often found, and when they are, they (along with the majority of traffic laws) could more accurately be described as suggestions for the common motorist. If you don’t have a car (as is the case with most people) your best options are to catch a ride on a rickshaw, CNG, maxi, or bus.
Rickshaws are a sort of buggy attached to the back of a bike. As you hop on, the trusty rickshaw walla will peddle as hard as he can, exerting as much strength as his tiny frame can handle as you weave through traffic, heading in the direction of your choosing. CNG’s are a bit more expensive, but they’ll get you to your destination much quicker. The “Compressed Natural Gas” vehicles cart you around as you’re caged in by metal doors. Maxi’s and busses provide a slightly cheaper option of public transport (as long as you’re able to run along side and hop on if the driver decides to leave before you’re ready to go). Crowded and smelly, there’s definitely a reason they’re the cheaper options – but they certainly get the job done!
Since we’ve decided it’s nice to avoid public transportation altogether every so often, we’ve begun to walk to work on a regular basis. Of course, walking does present it’s own set of challenges. Besides weaving through the crowds of people, its doubtful that you’ll make it very far before having multiple “hello, how are you?” or “bideshi!” comments. But more often than that, people will simply stare. After realizing you’re walking by, they’ll nudge their friend sitting next to them and point in our direction. Oh the excitement of a different skin color!
But arriving to the office, things seem to change. Sure, its still hot and the traffic outside the window never does seem to stop, but suddenly all of the “good morning, how are you?” questions sent in your direction mean more than just making fun of the white person walking down the street. The women have been working incredibly diligently. Sameh, who a few weeks ago said she couldn’t make kantha blanets, even managed to finish an entire small blanket in one day!
And besides keeping their fingers busy stitching away, the women of Hand and Cloth have been challenged academically for the past few weeks as their English lessons continue to increase in difficulty, adding new letters, vocab, and phrases by the day. (And I’m proud to announce a few of the women have begun reading simple words!)
So, amidst the chaos and traffic, we journey through Dhaka for another day in the office. And upon our arrival to our little haven of support and transforming livelihoods, we continue to work on – and I couldn’t be more proud of the women I have the privilege of working alongside.
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Posted by Stephanie Ball on October 01, 2011 1 Comment
by Stephanie Ball
I'm not sure what possessed me to create this salad tonight other than the fact that I had some potatoes in the fridge that were threatening to go bad and halfway through cooking them I realized I was out of relish and celery, two key ingredients for my grandmother's potato salad. I've also been on a major curry kick since a few weeks ago when I discovered the "Curry Gold" Salad at SweetGreen, about a block from my work. So, as my mind started lazily reaching back into the recesses of my memory, I remember my friend Adam E. Woods once created a potato salad with curry. And it was delicious. His idea was the inspiration for this delightful Indian-Inspired Potato Salad.
4 cups cubed red-skinned potatoes (about 6 medium sized potatoes)
1/2 t. salt
3 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and diced
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 scallions, minced
2 T apricot preserves
1 t. sweet curry (or to taste)
1/2 t. harissa spice (or to taste)
1/4 cup tart montgomery dried cherries
1/4 cup chopped roasted pecans
Place cubed potatoes in a large saucepan; cover with water and add 1/2 teaspoon salt. Bring to a boil; cover and cook until tender but still firm, about 8 to 10 minutes.
Once cooked, drain and set aside.
Combine remaining ingredients in a small separate bowl, then fold the mixture in to the potatoes just until combined. Refrigerate for at least two hours. Serve with naan and place on a bed of fresh baby spinach.
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