An Update from the Women of Amahoro ava mw’Ijuru

At Amani ya Juu, peace dwells among us.  But it is also something to be shared.  Amahoro ava mw’Ijuru – Amani’s sister center in Bujumbura, Burundi – demonstrates in their past and in their present this peace which is to be passed.  Amahoro exists because one Burundian refugee woman experienced peace at Amani Kenya and saw the need for it in her home country.  Today Amahoro ava mw’Ijuru is a thriving, significant part of the Amani family.

Below is an update from Grace Scale, a student at Arizona State University interning with Amahoro, sharing about this special group with the rest of Amani’s widespread family.

Parallel to the shores of Lake Tanganyika in East Africa sits Amahoro ava mw’Ijuru, a place where women seek peace that comes from above.  At Amahoro the day begins and ends with song and devotion and is filled with laughter and the hum of sewing machines as the women work together on various projects.  Goreth Inarukundo began Amahoro in May 2004 after spending five years at Amani in Nairobi.  She fled to Kenya as a refugee, escaping war throughout Burundi and Rwanda and vowing never again to return to her home country.  After experiencing true peace at Amani, Goreth began making plans to return home and begin a similar project, with hopes of women finding true peace and reconciliation.  Not only has Amahoro been a place of healing and peace, but also of transformation as women’s lives are impacted daily through economic, spiritual, and community support.

Currently, there are six women who stitch at Amahoro ava mw’Ijuru in Bujumbura. They craft beautifully designed products out of local fabrics found in the Bujumbura markets.  The women have developed ongoing partnerships with groups in other parts of the country as well.  Mama Charolette, who also formerly participated at Amani Kenya, oversees nine women in Rubura.  She visits Bujumbura twice per month to deliver the small stuffed animals they make together – a popular product with Amahoro’s customers.  Another group of women impacted by the peace at Amahoro is lead by Pascasie in Gitega.  These women spend their day weaving to supply Amahoro with beautiful traditional baskets which are sold in the shop.  Through these partnerships, the women of Amahoro live out true peace, extending relationships and shared work to others.

The women of Amahoro mw’Ijuru, and even the nation of Burundi, remind us of the vast potential and opportunity for peace from above.  There is relative political peace in the country after decades of civil war, and women whose lives have been transformed by peace work to the hum of sewing machines.  May the story of Amahoro encourage our friends around the world to work toward peace and share it with many others around them.

Blessings,

Grace

The women of Amahoro proudly welcome visitors to their center.
They are pictured here with Grace.

Please visit Amahoro mw’Ijuru if you are in Burundi!  The center and shop is located on the Avenue du Large in the Kinindo area of Bujumbura.  Contact them at burundi at amaniafrica dot com for more information.

You can also donate online to support the development of the Burundi center.  Or support Amani’s self-sustaining work with a purchase from our webstore.  It’s brimming with beautiful products that share peace!

 

New features from the 2009 Summer Collection and discounts in our online shop!

We’ve just added new products to our online shop from the 2009 Summer Collection.

*Friendly pinks and greens in the Kanga Collection*

*Subdued blues & khakis with the Kikoy Collection*

*Dressed-up silk-screening of the Safari Collection*

Check out the fresh designs and colors ideal for warmer weather here!

And be sure to browse through the Sale section for some great deals on deeply discounted items.  There’s an abundance of popular sellers in older designs and some of our most beloved bags in other colors.

 

Amani’s DC boutique garners local interest

Amani’s US boutique in Washington, DC is attracting attention as it settles into its new neighborhood.  Since opening in January 2009, the first US center, which includes a boutique, warehouse, and office, has connected and thrived in the Mt. Pleasant neighborhood of northwest Washington, DC.

This month DC North, a local community newspaper, profiled AmaniDC in its a new column called “Walkabout.”  Check it out below or here.  A popular local blog also mentioned AmaniDC after visiting a May open house organized by Amani’s hosts, La Casa.  The story is available here.

Be sure to stop by AmaniDC if you’re in the DC area!  More information is available on the AmaniDC info blog.

 

Boxes of Peace

Reflections from Rose Sore, Export Manager at Amani ya Juu in Nairobi, Kenya

I get a lot of interesting responses when I tell people my title at Amani ya Juu.  Quizzical looks are typically follow by questions like, “Export Manager? Hmm, what does that mean exactly?”  I had the same reaction when I first heard about the position.  Two and a half years into the job, I’ve learned that being Amani’s Export Manager has a lot less to do with paperwork and more with people. It is centered less on the superficial details of shipping out products and more so on making a difference in people’s lives.

It’s impossible to talk about Export without telling the story of Amani’s ladies.  I see them walk through the gate at Amani every morning bringing in the stitching they did at home, carrying babies, and chatting with fellow trainees who have long become friends.  I look at them in amazement knowing their stories – tales of pain and victory over pain that they also carry with them.  We congregate for prayer before working to make some of the most amazing products I have ever seen.

These products pass through many eyes and hands to ensure excellence before finding their way to the Export Office.  Our task in Export is two-fold: to spread Amani’s message of peace beyond the borders of Kenya and to support the ladies’ efforts by finding a market for their products. Each product is tagged with a message of Amani’s mission of peace-building. In this way, a simple bag can share the hope of transformational peace with the person who receives it.

One of the hardest experiences for me at Amani has been hearing first-hand the material struggles of the ladies at Amani.  Refugees rely on what is given to them, insufficient as it often is.  Women from underprivileged backgrounds lack academic and professional opportunities to further themselves and now have great difficulty in sustaining themselves financially.  Amani gives them a chance to make a living and acts as a bridge between the limitations forced upon them and the abundance God has for them.

However, this chance depends wholly on finding a market for Amani products. Every month I ship out boxes going to volunteers who will sell the products packed inside.  They don’t pay up front for the products; they just commit a few hours that mean a livelihood for the women here in Africa.  As I watch the pick-up drive out of Amani loaded with boxes, I whisper a prayer of thanksgiving to God because I know what it means practically on the ground. When we ship our goal of 20 boxes, this means that the ladies will be able to continue creating products and become more financially equipped.  When we ship only a handful of boxes, I know it means less work for the ladies who I care so much about.

The number of boxes we ship depends directly on how many ordinary people like you and me choose to support Amani’s efforts. These people say to us, “Yes, I want to help.  I want to give that lady in Africa – who I may never meet but whose struggle I feel – a fighting chance in life.  I will hold an Amani Gathering and trust God for a successful sale.”  To all of you who have supported us in the past, THANK YOU.  Your efforts have gone a long way in transforming lives; I urge you not to grow weary in doing good.

If ever there were people worthy of your partnership, it would be the Amani ladies.  It has certainly been my great honor to serve them, if only in a small way, and I invite you to join me in this beautiful, life-changing work.

You can extend the opportunity for a sustainable livelihood to the women of Amani by selling their products.  For more information, visit our website or contact our Volunteer Coordinator here.

Don’t want to wait for your volunteer box to arrive?
Visit our online store where we’ve always got
new products and sale items to check out!

 

Honoring Men of Courage this Father’s Day

An Amani father shares his experience as a Rwandese refugee living in Kenya

Cedacias Yampayinshuti from Rwanda works as part of the Amani Kazi program at Amani ya Juu in Nairobi.  “Kazi” means “work” in Swahili.  Some men connected to Amani become involved with Amani Kazi and work together on projects around the Nairobi center or in the homes of Amani families in need.  His family name means “He has given me a friend.”  But at Amani he is known as “Baba Peace,” meaning “Peace’s father.”  In African cultures, parents are often called by their relationship to their oldest child.

With his wife Basiliza, who stitches at Amani, he has six children – three boys and three girls – all living with them in Kenya as refugees.  Baba Peace and Basiliza are actively involved in sharing and receiving support with other parents at Amani.

In honor of Father’s Day, we sat down with Baba Peace and asked him to reflect on his role and experience as a father and a refugee.  His response is below.

As a father, what do you feel is your responsibility to your children?
To help them to grow up having both skills for life and a heart for God.

What do you hope to teach your children?
There is an African proverb that says, “The child who is well educated, follows the ways of the father.”  A child taught well by the father acts like the father.  I hope to help them academically by doing their homework together and passing on to them what I know.  I also hope to teach them how to have healthy human relationships and how to handle money so that they are wise about financial matters.  Most of all, I want to teach them about God so that in the future they can be great men and women of God.

Can you tell us a little bit about what it’s been like to be a father as a refugee?
As a refugee, I find myself not in a position to provide for my children.  Instead, I have to line up in a queue to receive help from others. This puts me on the same level as my children and is a very difficult position for me to be in.  Yet, I have learned to really and truly trust God in, through and for everything, because God is the ultimate provider.

What gives you courage and strength as a father?
Philippians 4:6-9 says “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.  And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

God tells us not to worry because He is our father.  Fathers should look to God who is the Father of all and is able to overcome all limitations.  God the Father provides for all His children and fathers can then pass the confidence they have in God on to their children.

How has Amani ya Juu affected your role as a father?
Amani has helped me provide for my family.  I have also had a chance to meet and pray with other mothers and fathers in Amani and learned a lot from them spiritually and financially.  I have learned that there is no boundary between people of different backgrounds.  We should be able to transcend the differences in country and education level.

What advice would you give to other fathers?
Show love not only to children but also to our spouses. Participate in what is going on in the home.  As our Father has loved us, so should we love our spouses and children and show this love.  We should transcend any cultural barriers that may hinder us from this and look to God for direction.

Amani recognizes the important role fathers play in their families and communities.
Join us this Father’s Day in recognizing fathers in our lives and in Africa who are fulfilling this calling.

Amani Kazi is funded through donations.  You can support Amani Kazi by donating online.

Happy Father’s Day!

 

Amani Watoto: A Mother’s Perspective

Millicent works at Amani Nairobi and recently shared the following reflection following the April 2009 one-day Amani Watoto (Children of Peace) program.  Amani Watoto is a special program of Amani ya Juu.  This year, the children are learning principles of peace through the story of Jonah from the Bible.  Millicent’s role was to help with the puppetry, skits and songs.

My girls who attended Amani Watoto are Peris and Angie. They really love the program and in their own words they say “Amani watoto ni poa” which means the program is pretty cool.

For Peris who is the oldest and will be turning 9 years in November, her favorite part is the lesson and the memory verse. She sings the verse even in the matatu (bus) when we are going back home and writes them down to share with her friends. She also enjoys the part where she gets to interact with other children and play games.  This is normally the first thing they get to do in the morning before the program begin.

Angie who is 5 loves the puppetry so much. She talks about it all time. She also loves playing in the playground with other kids and it’s hard to get her out of the field when we have to go home. One thing I can say is that they really have a treat and look forward to the next Amani program and wish it could be the whole week.

The girls have really changed since they started coming to Amani Watoto program. They get along with their friends more and also share their toys. Before, everyone kept to her toys but now they say that in Amani Watoto program they are told to share with their friends. It’s funny because Angie may not want to share, but Peris will ask her, “What did teacher Josephine say at Amani Watoto?”  She will remember and start to smile and eventually play together.

Below are some photos from Amani Watoto’s day camp in April.  Enjoy!

For more information about Amani Watoto, visit our website.  You can also support Amani Watoto through our online shop.

 

WORLD features US Volunteer opportunities

In its April 26th issue, WORLD Magazine highlighted the opportunity for people in the US to partner with the women of Amani by selling the beautifully handcrafted products in their communities.  It is a simple way to tangibly support the women of Amani.  Volunteers receive products sent directly from Kenya without charge, use supplied materials to share Amani’s message, and can return all unsold products to our US Warehouse in Washington, DC.

Read the article here: http://www.worldmag.com/articles/15251

For more information on volunteering, visit our website or send us some e-mail.

 

Sasa teens share powerful time at Malewa

The Amani Sasa had a successful adventure trip this month with a group of teens experiencing the principles of peace in their lives.  Mary K. helped lead the trip and shared the following report and photos.

We had a wonderful time on our recent Amani Sasa outing. We went to Malewa park, which was the same place we went to last year. It is about two hours away from Nairobi. Eighteen our of 22 teens from the Sasa group were able to come, representing Rwanda, Burundi, Congo, Sudan, and Kenya. We had heavy downpours of rains almost every afternoon, but we ate and played a lot and had great discussions and class time. We gave the group an assignment to come up with skits based on lessons they learned through Amani Sasa. And they surprised us with 45-minute dramas, well practiced and thought out.

A friend and local gospel singer joined us to help with the high ropes course. She shared her story on getting into bad company, getting pregnant (she later had a miscarriage), and what it all meant for her life, family, church and ambitions. After she shared, there was silence for a while. Her story was the real-life evidence of the lessons they’d focused on in their skits. Later, we took some time to pray for one another, which felt like a great closure to all we learned together.

Amani Sasa is a supplemental program to Amani’s self-sustaining work and is supported by donations.

 

Amani Sasa: 2008 in Review

Mary Karanja (pictured here on the left) serves as the Accountant for Amani Nairobi. Mary also provides leadership for Amani Sasa – an extension of Amani Watoto that uses outdoor adventure experiences to impart the principles of peace to adolescent children of Amani women. Below is Mary’s reflection on Amani Sasa’s happenings in 2008.

Last year was one-of-a-kind in many ways for the young adults and leaders of Amani Sasa. We learned a lot about ourselves, about God and about those around us.

In August, the hike we went on provided a wonderful opportunity to catch up and reflect on the great impact Amani Sasa lessons have had on our lives. Foni, Eunice and Yves shared how even their friends have noticed significant changes in their lives, even explicitly asking them what it is that had changed to make them so very focused. DianaKate experienced growth of a different kind: she is now more courageous. In the last term of school, DianaKate walked with a friend grieving the loss of a parent through that very difficult season. These are just a few of the many tales of how these young adults have been impacted by the lessons and fellowship provided during Amani Sasa ‘08.

We wanted to end the year in the same way we spent the year together. What better way is there than by giving back to the community? In December, we volunteered at Happy Life Children’s Home in Nairobi, a home for abandoned and orphaned children. For two days we painted bedrooms, helped with cleaning, and spent the afternoons playing and singing with the children. We were struck by the children’s desperate desire for love and attention – so evident in their desire to be held all the time. We were thankful to be able to share with them the love and peace with which we ourselves have been blessed.

Our time at the Happy Life Children’s Home gave us yet another opportunity to grow. It opened our eyes to the fact there is something we can do to make a difference, if only by giving our time. The babies’ stories made us grateful for our own homes, family, and friends. Moreover, it spoke volumes of how much God cares about our needs just from watching and listening to how faithfully He has provided for this particular home with food, clothing and friends that walk in and give in kind or financially.

And of course, another major milestone was receiving new friends who have just graduated from Amani Watoto into Amani Sasa. We are very excited to have them with us and look forward to seeing how they will grow together with us in the coming years.

We are very grateful to those that continually supported us through last year. The Amani Sasa program could not have blossomed as richly as it did without your love.

Blessings,

Mary K.

Amani Sasa is a supplemental program to Amani’s self-sustaining work and is supported by donations.

 

Sankofa featured in WORLD Magazine

Happy New Year from the Amani family!

We begin 2009 with an exciting feature in WORLD magazine on Amani’s Sankofa event this past fall. Written by Zoe Sandvig, a friend of Amani in the DC area, the article is a brief glimpse of the way Sankofa told stories of hope and reconciliation through creative designs and expressions.

You can read the article online here.