marissa's blog

What an incredible way to use artistic talent to share and explore culture along with pursue social justice. Touching and inspiring...you must watch this!

The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind: Creating Currents of Electricity and Hope by William Kamkwamba

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I am in Malawi right now and was pleased to stumble upon a copy of “The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind” at a friend’s house where I was staying in Lilongwe. I hadn't met William Kamkwamba, author of the book, yet, but did know that he had help writing his story. Before reading the book I was a bit concerned that his voice might not come through strongly and that it would be written in the polished English of a native speaker. As I began reading, I quickly started enjoying the sound of William's very Malawian voice coming through clearly. I enjoyed endearing English phrases you hear only in Malawi and the Chichewa words inserted throughout the text.

This is a story of resourcefullnes and ingenuity in the most desperate of circumstances. Malawi is indeed a poor country, but the story that doesn't get told often enough is how rich it is as well. There are many youth like William in Malawi who are bright, talented and creative. Unfortunately, more often than not, they don't have the opporutnity to realize their full potential. I am thrilled that William's story is being shared with the world and that he now finds himself with opportunities that will enable him to fulfill his dreams. My hope is that more of his counterparts will also find ways to see their own hopes become a reality.

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This blog continues our lessons on basic Chichewa for those interested in learning a bit of the primary Malawian language. Today, I am focusing on vocabulary words for people.  These are essentail to know as you work on your greetings and help you follow conversations by knowing who is the subejct.

People

• Amayi = Mother/Ma'am
• Bambo = Father/Sir
• Agogo = Grandma/Grandpa/Elderly person
• amfumu = Chief
• Achimwene = Brother
• Achemwali = Sister
• Adona = Madam
• Abwana = Sir/Boss
• Anyamata = boy
• Atsikana = Girl

Note: when talking about family it's not really necessary to know all of our extended family titles like cousin, brother-in-law, niece, etc.  In Malawi, nearly everyone is a brother or sister, mother or father.  For example, a friend and a cousin are both brothers to you.  Also, the older brother of your husband is often called a Father to you.  Your uncle is also your father.  An exception is that a youth might refer to a slightly older woman/friend as "auntie". Finally, any elderly person (male or female) is refered to as Agogo ("a" means respect) whether you are related to them or are just greeting them on the street.

Practice (read this conversation outloud three times!):

Gal: "Moni achimwene"
Guy: "Moni achemwali"
Gal: "Muli bwanji?"
Guy: "Ndili/Tili bwino, kaya inu?"
Gal: "Tili bwino"
Gal: "Zikomo"
Guy: "Zikomo"

Our intern helped us get a mention at Natural Solutions in their article "Feel Good Ways to Pamper Mom".  They chose Dsenyo's Swing Bag as a great gift for Mom this year.

Thanks Natural Solutions!

There is a little spotlight on Dsenyo in the Lifestyle section of The Denver Post today (Thursday, May 6, 2010) just in time for the Studio Tour.  Hope you can check it out!

"Marissa Perry Saints is a Lafayette-based artist and entrepreneur who recently acquired a 1907 treadle-operated sewing machine. In a high-tech, digitally driven world, she crafts handbags and accessories using century-old technology because the products are reproduced in central Africa by women whose homes have no electricity. Perry Saints started her company, Dsenyo, after spending a year living in Malawi 2006. She came back to Colorado with a mission to provide employment to women and artisans living in the impoverised African country... (read full article here)"

This weekend, you can come visit my studio and see Dsenyo's newest collection of bags featuring hand-painted textiles from Zambia.

EBCA 11th Annual Studio Tour
Sat and Sun, 12 - 5pm
May 8-9
My studio: 205 W. Emma St., Lafayette, CO

What Is the What by Dave Eggers


My rating: 4 of 5 stars
"No one has been tired as we have been tired..."

I could feel the truth of this statement deep in my core as I finished "What is the What" by David Eggers. I can't tell you how many times I was reduced to tears while reading. Even after knowing several Lost Boys in Tucson and hearing their stories face to face, I still struggled to fathom how the human soul can bear so much hardship. It just doesn't seem possible, and yet, this is historical fiction...more historical than fiction I believe. Events such as those in the book do and did indeed take place. Just when you think Achak Deng, the main character, can suffer no more, another blow comes from a new direction. It is exhausting and heartbreaking. I had to wonder where his strength comes from when the future is so uncertain and hopes and dreams are slow if ever to materialize. And it is that same strength and relentless hope that kept me turning the pages wanting to know and believe that their is a future for Lost Boys like Achak.

"It was a broken world, I knew then, that would allow a boy such as me to bury a boy such as William K."

The literary approach by Eggers is effective but occasionally confusing. Achak Deng tells his story, silently in his own mind, to anyone that comes across his path in a series of flashbacks amid current events. What's effective about this style mixing the past and present is that it demonstrates how strongly the past is carried into the present and contrasts current suffering to that of the past. What I found occasionally confusion, was keeping straight who he was "talking to" at any one time. I would get so wrapped up in the story, forgetting it was a flashback, when he would say "Julian, it was a long time walking..."

"We are busy, busy with business. Busy as bees!" said the ladies at Luso la Manja with huge grins on their faces as they worked on their first Dsenyo order which they were awarded after successfully
finishing their training.  All of the groups we have worked with are expressing so much joy and gratitude for the opportunity to work in partnership with Dsenyo.  They not only get business from us and are
paid a fair wage for their labor, but they receive free training from Dsenyo which elevates their skills to the next level and empowers them with knowledge about product design and quality standards for an
export market.  As each day passes and as I spend more time training with our producer groups, I am more and more convinced than ever that Dsenyo's approach fills a much needed void.

I am traveling with Tamara Banda, a driven, talented and confident young business woman. With Dsenyo's support, Tamara has started KAFUTARO Import & Export. Dsenyo will contract with Tamara's business to provide services like coordinating between our different producer groups, managing quality control, delivering materials, collecting finished goods, and serving as translator during training sessions. In the past, Tamara was one of the leading female soccer referees in the Northern Region and a long distance runner for the Malawi Police College.

I'm here in Malawi for the month of March and promised I would keep all of you up to date on my blog. I resolved to blog for each leg of the trip:

1. Lilongwe
2. Kasungu
3. Mzuzu (Ekwendeni, Nkhata Bay)
4. Khande
5. Zambia
6. Tanzania 

Well, I'm already in Mzuzu, leaving tomorrow for Khande and feeling a bit behind on blogging. So here's a brief overview of my first few days in Malawi which I spent in Lilongwe getting settled and touching base with people in the capitol city.

Listen to Marissa's interview with Nikki Kayser of Dot Org scheduled to air Tuesdy, Jan 23 at 6:56 AM on KGNU on 1390 AM in Denver and 88.5 FM in Boulder.  Nikki asks why Dsenyo focuses on youth in the community development projects that we support and how Dsenyo empowers women in Malawi.

Listen now!

http://kgnu.org/dotorg/2010/02/dsenyo