Monday, February 9, 2009

Can Dogs Get Herpes On Their Mouths

Janela de Esperança


Nome Progetto: Janela de Esperança
Partner Locale: Cooperativa Bela Baja
Responsabile Locale: Silasi Muageja
Località: Pemba (quartiere Alto Gingone)
Beneficiari: 11 bambini/ragazzi compresi tra gli 11 e i 16 anni
Attività Supportate: Istruzione, introduzione alla lavorazione del legno arte Makonde
Soci Coinvolti: Giorgio, Marco
Inizio Collaborazione: 2008

Quando si interviene bisogna pensare al dopo.
Voglio dire, se vogliamo veramente cambiare una cultura, non basta curare un problema. Occorre pensare ad un insieme cibernetico ove, ad ogni input corrisponde un output.
Se ci si occupa solo dell'istruzione, il pericolo è che le necessità portino comunque il bambino ad intraprendere strade che allontanano dal nostro concetto di sviluppo.
A proposito, poche illusioni, se si decide di intervenire è perché si ritiene che una situazione sia sbagliata o inadatta. Che ci piaccia o meno, dovremo cambiare qualcosa, perché qualcosa cambi. Illudersi leave everything as it was is mere fantasy. How to do it, it's all another story.

As I wrote, women especially in Africa, have a higher gear, Silas is the exception.
The eye is intelligent, has no yellow halos typical signal of alcohol, is passionate, has adopted two children growing up with her children. It is also the youngest manager of a cooperative of carvers of wood, shall be investigated. And it shows.
For the first time a club has presented a business plan.
Goals, means, program, costs (including cutting out its role, as it should be, given its involvement) and brought it in writing, calligraphy and an order that I envy you very much.

Before talking about the project, it is better to explain a bit 'on what Makonde art.
Meanwhile, we must know that the Mozambican Makonde are a tribe and a tribe all but a warlike tribe. Proud, reliable, have started the uprising that led to the decolonization of Mozambique, the only case in the north, are Christians in a land that is predominantly Muslim. Historical enemies of the Masai from the north, estimated them as enemies to the point that the doors of huts put two statues of the Masai warrior Masai woman and to protect the house (so Christians, but with some contamination ;-))
In addition that the ferocity in fighting, the Makonde are known to have developed a style in wood processing, in particular Ebony (sigh) very recognizable and refined, considered one of the most elegant forms of art sub-Saharan Africa.

back to the project. Viewed
tourism development, the market for souvenirs began to be economically significant. As it says Silasi "Makonde art took me from poverty" and like him, who has talent in this field, is not going far better than average. Hence the idea of \u200b\u200bselecting children who had shown a particular aptitude, to ensure their attendance at school (which is not how to say it), to ensure a meal mezzogiorno e poi, al pomeriggio, imparare l'arte dell'intaglio.
La cooperativa poi espone le opere dei bambini il cui ricavato della vendita va in parte al bambino e in parte in un fondo che finanzia l'anno successivo (legno, cibo, strumenti, quaderni, penne. Purtroppo, o per fortuna, si consumano). Finito l'apprendistato, il ragazzo può, se ha talento e se è accettato, entrare nella cooperativa e mantenersi da solo su standard invidiabili per la zona.
La speranza è che la nostra presenza diventi sempre meno necessaria e si arrivi ad un punto in cui la scuola si autosostenga. Se riusciremo in questo, forse avremo finalmente portato un piccolo cambiamento.

Piccola digressione sulle "famiglie".
La famiglia è una forma scultorea tipica dell'arte Makonde. Questa è costituita dalla traforazione di un tronco d'ebano (esistono anche forme più semplici, ma questa è la tradizionale) dal quale si ricavano le figure che compongono la struttura familiare allargata. Una sull'alltra in un intreccio che indica gli antenati, la madre, i fratelli, gli zii, i cugini. Ciascuno con qualcosa che lo caratterizza, in modo che sia riconoscibile.
A parte la bellezza del lavoro, e questo dipende molto dall'intagliatore, la famiglia è un intreccio di vite unite e immortalate nel legno, dove ognuno è singolo e riconoscibile ma dove tutti compongono uno schema superiore. Se togli una figura dalla Famiglia, tutta la composizione crolla.
I like to think Muindi like a family where everyone is a seed that follows her smile but where all contribute to a common ideal.

Wednesday, February 4, 2009

Anarkali Churidar Cuttings

Mal d'Africa 2


If you can explain, it is not Jazz.

Paola Lombardi says it's hard to explain the Mal d'Africa.
right.
I think that the difficulty in defining it lies in its lightness.

Calvino wrote that the light should not be confused with superficiality. Here, the light should not be confused with the delicacy. The sickness in Africa is violent manifestation, such as land. Only
that is undefined, it has a definite shape, a specific symptom. Varies continuously maintaining a constant mild illness. It 'a lot of jazz.

I began to appear about a month after your return. The first month and you're keen, let's face it, the comforts you win. But then he begins this strange feeling.
Every time you turn around you see a wall. There is always a fence that prevents me.
So begins the languor, light and deep.
The light is not good, the air is not good the sky is not good. Not bad, just not going well.

are now almost three in the morning, insomnia is a disease of the family. To pass the time reading, writing and listening to music.
In particular there was a very old song by De André "baroque clouds." Prompted me to write this post. What has to do a song of a Ligurian Ligurian written by another (one of the few not written by Faber) with a sore of Africa is all to understand.

Perhaps it is this nostalgia for Africa. When you find the Africa even where there is not. It 's a question, as it were, of ... Love?

Tuesday, February 3, 2009

Sleepytime Tea Does It Work?

Casa Azul



Project Name: Casa Azul
Local Partner: Lar de Esperança
Local Manager: Laura Pierino , Teresa de Jesus
Location: Pemba (Alto neighborhood Gingone)
Beneficiaries: Children with hydrocephalus or severe disability
Attività Supportate : Fisioterapia, attività pedagogiche, stimolazione tattile.
Soci Coinvolti : Francesco, Alessandro, Afro (1) il numero indica un socio che non vuole essere nominato.
Inizio collaborazione : 2005
Fine collaborazione : 2009

Vorrei cominciare a dare, per sommi capi, una sintesi delle attività che come associazione, supportiamo. Mancano ancora le cifre, dato che il blog al momento è personale (dato che ancora i miei soci latitano :-) preferirei evitare di dare numeri senza la previa autorizzazione.

A questo progetto ero e sono molto legato. Per noi è was the first and certainly one of the most moving. The most vulnerable are the most tremendous win any significant resistance. Those children have given us much more than we gave them.
They gave us a name, they gave us a mission.
Laura and Teresa made us come into their home and allowed us to help. They are two extraordinary women. Their mission had already been in, we had to go there to find it.
As I wrote in first post today and closes the project is incorporated into another structure that these two amazing women have been able to organize and manage the local involvement and accountability. Some some of their but their projects have failed, with admirable constancy do not give up and go forward.
They have given up everything, you can not even imagine the effort to convince them to have a cell phone. They sleep in the same huts, eat the same food. Every so often share the malaria. Yet they are always the sun.
Thanks Teresa, thanks Laura, we hope to be helpful again.

This project has been through all and survived. Not even the fall of a baobab tree on the structure was able to stop it, with commitment and funds has evolved and changed. If you see it today the structure is greatly improved. To eliminate
c'è voluta la morte di molti ospiti tutti insieme. Lo sapevamo dal primo giorno che non c'era speranza per loro. Però fa sempre male.