Bit Fifteen

What do you get when you take a tiny room (the size of small bedroom), put a long table in the middle, line with walls with sewing supplies (including 10 sewing machines), and fill it with refugee women? The Refugee Sewing Society!

This society was born from the idea of a local volunteer who wanted to find a way to teach refugee women a skill that could help them earn money while they stayed at home with their children. The idea was to find materials from thrift stores or through donations that could be recycled to make useful products for the community.

Once word got out about free sewing classes for refugees, however, there was an abundance of support from the local community. No need to shop at thrift stores. Donations alone have filled every shelf space to the max, and there are women lining up to learn how to sew market bags, aprons, napkins, placemats, and purses.

The RSS has even been given supplies to start teaching yarn work & beading. Not only are women able to create beautiful things to sell, the classes have provided them with an opportunity to interact with other women in their community. The refugees that come are from several different countries, such as Sudan, Somalia, Rwanda, and Bhutan. I have been blessed to have the opportunity to interact with them as well. The diversity of culture makes quite a contribution to the beautiful diversity of all the things they make.

These women are such quick learners, but it is funny sometimes to watch both the teacher and the student try to understand each others' languages well enough to learn a technique. For example, we have learned that if you want to make sure the women are making to napkins the same size, you must point to each and say, "Same, same."

Over the past couple of weeks, I have also helped display & sell these unique products at events in the community. People are so willing to help when they know the money is helping a refugee family (80% of the money made from each sale goes to the refugee whoe made the product, 20% goes to help the RSS continue to provide classes for the women). It's also fun to see the excitement the women have when they know they have created something that someone else would pay for.

If you would like to learn more about the RSS, check out their blog: www.refugeesewing.blogspot.com

Bit Fourteen

It has been a month since I met my friends Haddad, Zahrah & Kedar. Several hours a week is hardly enough time to spend developing a relationship, but the openness we have had with each other has sparked such a wonderful friendship between us.

Most of my time has been spent conversing with Zahrah because Haddad works and Kedar only knows the words "Sorry" & "Bye bye" in English. Zahrah and I have found many things to talk about: the weather, traveling, parenting, food, family traditions, American vs. Iraqi culture, and much more. Her English is quite good, so at times she will teach me a word or two in Arabic.

One Arabic phrase I have learned from using it over and over is "Inaha taib." This is a term in the Iraqi Arabic dialect that means "This is good." And the reason I have used it quite often is that every afternoon I have been over there to visit, Zahrah has made me lunch! Knowing that I have a fondness for trying new dishes, she has made me a different Iraqi dish each week!

The lunch always consists of white rice, Iraqi flatbread, some sort of red broth & vegetable and a carbonated beverage. On one occassion, we even had "Shai" - Iraqi tea. And it's always delicious! The broth & vegetables is poured over the rice like a curry. It's not spicey, but there is a lot of flavor. Each week it's a new vegetable - spinach, okra, eggplant, potato...

What better way to develop a friendship than over good food!
All I have to say is "Inaha taib!"