What Comes After Reclaiming Oneself?
The great thing about having reclaimed oneself (I am not quite done but I have walked a long way) is that you then have natural and nearly effortless drive, energy, and creativity that you never thought possible to have and which you can use for your own life and family but also for anywhere you see the need. . .so . . .
- when I am not making jewelry, I facilitate others to reclaim themselves (go HERE for more info)
- when I am not doing either, well. . . I get into even deeper trouble!
This last June(2010), I started an exciting PROJECT in AFRICA. . .Here is where you can be of GREAT benefit to yourself and others if you feel inspired after reading the story below:
An Old Dream of Mine
For the last 8 years, I have dreamed of bringing some practical help to some of the less fortunate on our planet.
I took a discovery trip to West Africa in 2002 with my partner (since deceased) and while we met several people who touched our hearts in their desire to be a force of change in their own country, none touched us more than Jules Cesar Bamouni, a then 28 year-old djembe maker in Ouagadougou, the capital of Burkina-Faso. . .(in brown , right below Mali) Though he himself had barely enough to eat and was responsible for an entire family in his native village of Reo (70 miles West of Ouaga, in the Sanguié province), he was clearly filled with deep wisdom about life and fueled with deep desires to help his contemporaries. Over the next few years, he kept in touch through short letters and always struck me in that he never asked for anything (he was the only one of all the African people who kept in touch with us to not do so).
Ready to Go, at last!
This summer, I was finally ready to undertake the adventure of going back to Burkina-Faso. I had read Mohamed Yunus’ book about micro-credit and I knew this was what I wanted to try. Cesar agreed to be my liaison and introduce me to his village and family, so I could decide how to set things up. I had absolutely no experience in doing any
such thing, or even in taking such a trip alone. My desire was not to just give money ( for this I could have donated some amount to some no -profit organization). I wanted the ENTIRE experience of trying something I had never done, all on my own, and from the very beginning of such a project. I knew i would learn so much doing things this way, and so this was a project that was part of my own personal growth as well as a generous project. While I wasn’t yet ready to go, I nevertheless set money aside for this potential project, and a few friends who believed in the idea and trusted me had added small sums to my African project piggy-bank.
It took me two years to be emotionally ready to go after I started REALLY dreaming the project. . .
Jumping In
Sharing the daily life of an extremely poor family, eating their food (very difficult for awestern palate!!), drinking their water (runny on the digestive system!), sleeping on a mat outdoors squeezed between many children’s bodies (mostly starry skies but buzzing mosquitoes and miniature scorpions!), carrying water on my head, taking bucket showers at the same place people pee, relieving myself in nature while pigs wait for the ‘treat’ to come out, dealing at times with extreme deadening heat, never being a second alone (community is primordial in Africa). . . this total immersion in the life of an African village family was physically and emotionally difficult, though fascinating.
With Cesar’s wonderful support, his very patient willingness to answer my thousands of questions, our building confidence and understanding between us, and the wonderful warmth from everyone in the village, I succeeded in doing exactly what i had set out to do; I met many women and men (and a crowd of children!), I heard about their needs and desires, and I selected several people who seemed the most likely to succeed in starting up little businesses, with the help of a loan I gave them.
The Logistics
The loans were given for 6 months to a year, with an interest rate of 2% per month (compared to 5 % per month – 60% a year! – usually charged by the common village lender, who is often the director of the school). These interests will not be enough to cover the cost of keeping a local bank account in which the loans payments will be deposited nor the meager salary of $55 per month which Cesar will receive as a compensation for meeting up once a week with the borrowers, receive their money, hear of their success and various challenges and keeping me informed all along so that I can supervise the progress of the projects and advise as necessary from wherever I am.
I will pay all this from my own pocket until things progress successfully enough that I -with the help of sympathetic supporters- can increase the number of the loans and therefore collect enough interest to cover those fees and/or the eventual faltering of some loans. I will always pay for all my trip expenses, as I did so this time, and anyone ever desiring to accompany on such adventure will always do so as well.
Here is the run-down of all the people who received loans and their choice of business:
A) In the suburbs of Ouaga:
1) Georgette, 34, 5 children, with a bad health that doesn’t allow her to live in the Sahel, where her husband works
Commerce: A little hair-dressing and weaving salon in the local marketplace, with beads and hair decorations for sale. Fancy hairdos is the pride of African women!
Loan: 100.000 F CFA ($200) to cover a 5000 F CFA /month ($10) for rental of the shack plus the purchase of a chair, a barrel for water & various supplies.
2) Franklin, 16, Georgette’s eldest son
Commerce: Selling single cigarettes and candy, strictly to help his mother, and during school holidays (4 months in summer time! He is entering 9th grade in the fall). Franklin came up with this initiative when he saw his mother sign her own loan agreement.
Loan: 10.000 F CFA ($20) for a carrying case & a small stock of cigarettes & candy.
3) Ariette, 22, two children
Commerce: Door to door sales of local pareos, on a bike (distances are really big).
Loan: 80.000 F CFA ($ 150) to buy a bicycle ($60) and stock.
4) Solange, 24, two children
Commerce: Door to door sales of children’s clothing, on a bike.
Loan: 80.000 F CFA ($150) for bike plus stock.
B) In Reo:
1) Delphine, 26, one child, and Nadege, 21, one child, both unmarried
Commerce: Sewing at home.
Loan: 60.000 F CFA ($120) for a non-electric Singer sewing-machine (no electricity at home), which they will share the use of. One will take care of the two children while the other sews.
2) Honorine, 35, 5 children, severe stomach ulcers
Commerce: Sale of bean fritters on the main ‘pist’ of Reo.
Loan: 10.000 F CFA ($20) for the purchase of a small table, bean flour & frying oil.
3) Jean-Pierre, 36, house chief, responsible for two families, 22 people
Commerce: Transport of goods with a cart and donkey, to be done by his 14 year-old son.
Loan: 20.000 F CFA ($40) as a complement to the purchase of a donkey ($120).
4) Cesar, 35, house chief, responsible for 3 families, 15 people
Business: Poultry and pork farming (the meat is very popular and production doesn’t meet demand).
Loan: 200.000 F CFA ($400) now plus 200.000 F CFA in 3 months.
Has already been built during my stay a tiny house to live in on
the farming property.
Cost (including the purchase of dolo, the local beer, a traditional must)as payment in kind to the villagers’ help in building it): 71.000 F CFA ($130)
Total loans amount: 760.000 F CFA ($1500.00)
Cost of the trip: $650 (flight) + $450 (no luxury or purchases for me, but a huge sac of mill to feed 20 persons for 6 weeks, other supplies, 2 cell phones, bus and motorbike expenses for two)
Part of the Family
The day before my departure, The grand-mother of the family, 76, also the village elder to whom everyone comes for counsel or healing, asked to have this photo taken of the two of us: To her, it officially represented that, after observing me for 10 days, she was adopting me as her own ‘new’ daughter, to replace the daughter (Cesar’s mother) she lost many years ago, when Cesar was still an infant.
Of course, I immediately measured the great responsibility she was giving me with this title . . . This project has just begun. So much help is needed; the contributions of many will be called for, of all kinds. In every future borrower’s name, thank you for taking interest in this project.
If you are inspired to help, you can
- email me HERE with your great ideas
- “ paypal” money (www.paypal.com) to lightofthespring@hotmail.com
- send a check to Maya Konforti , PO Box 7115, Vero Beach, FL 32961,USA.
- 100% of money donated will be given in loans.
In every future borrower’s name, thank you for taking interest in this project.