Knitting Circle Launch

Today Kathy and I went to VP to launch Women’s Issues Knitting Circle. The women were so excited when we pulled out the crochet hooks and yarn, and the last thing one of them said to us as we left was “I am so happy now.” Getting to watch the talented seamstresses and teach the beginners was an excellent bonding experience. It got everyone talking and involved as our knitting circle kept scooting closer together and we developed an outer ring of spectators. The women even kicked the men out of the apartment within the first ten minutes so that it could be an official, girls-only club.

As part of the circle, Kathy and I learned to count in Nepali, we taught the women key phrases in Spanish, we laughed over dropped stitches and silly two year olds. We discussed health concerns, got updated on the job search process, and shared congratulations on English improvement and new-found jobs. The age of our group ranged from two and a half (ok, our honorary member) to late, late seventies. The stitching patterns, yarn color, native tongues varied, but the sentiment was shared. I think we all needed the time to sit and chat and literally unwind.

Houston, I was genuinely so inspired by this first meeting; I can’t wait to return next week. I think it will be a great outlet for the women to improve their English, share their feelings, strengthen friendships, and relieve stress. The challenge right now is finding a way to get the materials donated so that we have enough for the women to make the blankets, hats, and sweaters that they knit and crochet so beautifully. Then we might be able to cover the vendor fee and get our co-op club into a local craft market- team work, initiative, and perhaps a little microfinance.

Universal Language

So far, this week has been going well. We were able to secure a soil donation for the garden, thanks to the kind folks at Cowboy Trucking, and we are starting to collect old water bottles/yogurt cups to start our seedlings. We have also planned some follow-up women’s only meetings at the apartments and are still working on getting a female doctor to offer her expertise on health questions. Sprinkle in some volunteer interviews, apartment visits, and Medicaid/Gold Card research and the week is truly in progress. Two other big projects are registering the children for school and looking into vendor applications at local markets, where the women might sell their crafts in the future.

At the end of last week, Agatha and I went to VP in hopes of meeting more of the women and hearing their concerns. I have to say I was blown away by the number in attendance. We not only got a lot of helpful information, but we were able to speak with a wide age range- from 19 to 79 years old. I would say that any specifics in the refugees’ needs, and of course English proficiency, are based on age. But even the language barrier was put aside in this very engaging conversation. We finally got the specific art supplies they need for their beautiful crocheting and knitting projects, and even got to see some of their art pieces up close. I am very eager to begin our knitting circle next week to build a stronger sense of community between the women and, if the market idea works out, create an additional source of income.

When I was reflecting on this particular visit a few days later, I suddenly realized that when the room became so noisy with voices, the whole room was speaking to me in Nepali. The questions that I had asked the designated translator became public property and a truly a community concern. By no means do I speak Nepali, but in some strange fashion I could understand the injuries they described or the details of their children. Language barriers are, after all, relative.

Waving in Traffic

Please bear with me as I use a bizarre analogy. Late last week, my computer decided to play hopscotch with the normal functions it is supposed to perform, leaving me at the mercy of my team mates and in the waiting room of a computer repair shop. I had determined not to get too frustrated, but was made immediately aware of how reliant we are all on technology- so many of my projects depended on e-mail contacts, internet access, sharing Google documents, accessing stored phone numbers, etc.

The times when we find ourselves teetering between stress and forfeit remind me of how thankful I am for the people that swoop in to help. They are not the masked super heroes that we read about, but they are the team member sitting next to you who sends some extra e-mails and takes on an extra hour of work. They are the jean-wearing tech masters who can decipher 10-12 digit strands of information and troubleshoot out-loud. These unexpected moments of sanity always come when I realize how much I do not control in life and how much I rely on the people around me. (A little plug for anyone reading this blog- next time you’re in traffic and someone lets you cut in front of them, please wave. It will make someone’s day, I promise).

The moral of my jumbled story is that even these computer glitches and their aftermath helped me grow in my efforts to help the Bhutanese. For instance, while I was temporarily kept from productive work, I was quickly reminded of the fear that accompanies a problem you have no idea how to solve. I was desperate for the tech person to explain the situation in my language and to fix what was broken. Similarly, the refugees are desperate for some advocates to make sense of this new land and help them fix the unemployment situation. Resources are not helpful if we hoard our knowledge of them. I have a renewed commitment to get as many resources ready as possible (our team motto) and say thank you as much as I can.