Great Progress!

We woke up very early this morning and journeyed to area 49 of Lilongwe again to meet with the support group.  In hand were of course more knitting materials and the chocolate chip muffins we just had to bake.  As members started to arrive, we saw that most everyone had an almost finished garment.  Even better, we saw a variation of scarves, hats, bags, and table covers that were knitted.  Even the women who had just learned to knit were already proficient, and we just tried to help if they encountered any problems.  Of course, everyone had fun singing and dancing meanwhile knitting, and they found it particularly funny to watch Kelly and I partake in the dancing (sorry, no picture of that). At the end of the meeting, we bought all the finished garments, totaling 14 items.  We plan to sell those items in the States.  By the effort that they have already put in, we are hopeful that they will be successful selling these items in the market and that the income it will bring to their family will be of much help!

We will be meeting with another support group next week.  However, still on the to-do list for this support group is getting a sign made that will draw attention to their stand in the market, possibly getting bags made to carry around their supplies, and we are looking for a vendor that will print on fabric.  This last one is very important because we want to add an extra touch to the garments with a label that says  “ Made by .. .” and signed by the person who created the garment.  These tasks will keep us busy in the days before meeting with the next support group.

As you can see below, we also tried to blend in today with our skirts that are comparable to the many worn around town.  However, somehow that wasn’t enough, and we heard no less than 50 times “Azungu” directed towards us.  Azungu meaning, of course, white person in Chichewa.  We definitely made progress, though, as none of the babies at the meeting cried upon sight of us!  All in all, a successful day!