Week one of jewelry classes!

So this is where I work, at the Lukundane center. This week I ran classes just for the girls in the vocational school (with the exception of Monday, when a large group of adult women wanted to take a class, and by take a class I mean have me make jewelry for them while they called me mzungu instead of my name. ANYWAY...) Starting next week, I'll have a group of "mamas" from the widows' microfinance groups as well. For this week, just Rachma, Rehema, Neema and Farida. Not that they didn't give me a run for my money...

Twist bracelets in brass and nickel silver and brass rings

Monday we did a tools and materials introduction, and then they each made a twist bracelet and a ring that they got to keep.

He makes a lovely model, right?

 Tuesday we made brass pendants with text on them and texturing details, and they all chose to make hearts, except Rachma (pictured) who made both a heart pendant and a cross pendant. She is really talented and motivated, and I'm psyched to see where her work goes. It also helps that her English is by far the best.

Hard at work today

 Today (Wednesday) we made brass and fabric necklaces, which involved use of the disc cutters, delicate file work, folding, texturing, text and design. This was NOT an easy project and they did incredibly well.

Rehema and Rachma modeling some work from the week

 I'm thrilled with how far they've come this week, and I can't wait to see what happens when they start designing their own work even more than they already are. Next week we're covering sawing and then they'll start fully independent designs, with assistance of course. They haven't even complained about not getting to keep the pieces they make, at least not when they realized that they would get a portion of the profits when they sell and the rest will go to Tamiha. They're really good kids, even though it's a heck of a lot harder to battle teenage attitude when they can just switch to another language. That said, I think it's going to be a great few months, and I can't wait to see what they do next!

Adorable, right?

Ok, this is totally unrelated, but the flip side of being called Mzungu by adults who should know better after I've introduced myself is the ridiculously adorable children who will rush up to you on the street to say hi, to talk, to touch your hands. This little group accosted me on the way home and asked me to take a picture, and how could I say no? They wouldn't let go of my hand for about ten minutes. So stinking cute!

So I'll be working with the girls and mamas at Lukundane Monday through Wednesday, then helping out at the Tamiha orphanage on Thursdays, which is more of a day care/early school for kids 4-9 or so who are orphans but have extended family with whom they stay at night. Fridays I'll be up at Nicarangua, in the mountains, helping out at an orphanage that sounds a lot more dire - they have a lot of kids, including three new babies (1 month, 4 months and 6 months), many HIV positive, all of whom have nowhere else to go and sleep there as well as stay during the day. I'm excited to get some baby time but obviously worried about whether I can handle not being able to "save" them all. It's hard to know whether it's better or worse to give affection and have them form attachments and then leave, or to stay uninvolved. We'll see, I'll report back in a few days. Thanks for the comments and love, it makes me feel less far away!