Baskets for Culture

My apologies for using this blog once again as a means to raise funds.  In no way, shape or form should anyone feel obligated to donate but I feel that I at least owe this to someone who has been instrumental to my well-being here and who has taken me into her home for 2 years with no tangible return; my host mother, Beata Akawa.

Meme (as I fondly call her) approached me some time ago asking if there was any way in which the culture group in which she is active with could raise money to purchase new props.  She was going on the hope that I could write a grant like I had done for other projects, but of course this is not a development project so funding of this sort is hard to come by.  However, I asked her why they couldn’t make traditional Owambo baskets and sell them as a way to fundraise?  Naturally, she liked this idea since there are no costs involved with making the baskets and several of the women in the culture group are skilled at making them.  You can see examples below.

I want it to be clear that in no way is this a development project in which the living standard of others is enhanced.  The fundraising is only to enhance the commitment and performance of this particular cultural group.  With that said, traditional culture is undoubtedly endangered on our planet.  With advancement of technology and modernization, it is all too easy for us as humans to fall into the increasingly convenient and comfortable lifestyle that technology affords us.  I am in no position to say what is right or what is wrong, but I can say with absolute certainty that traditional culture is a beautiful and remarkable thing.  Even if we have lost our own cultural roots, the traditional culture of an entirely different people is still refreshing to see.  It gives us a sense of what we all were at some point in time and in that, I think it puts a lot of things into perspective.  In many respects, Africa may be the least developed place on this planet with economic statistics that are downright scary.  But, Africa is certainly not underdeveloped when it comes to culture.  For me personally, I don’t want to see that change.  As the drive to develop Africa continues, the people have a lot to gain but with that runs the risk that they might also lose a lot.  I don’t think we want this continent to turn into a mirror image of the western world.  We need that traditional culture fire to continue burning.

With the local market already saturated with baskets, I am now assisting her with selling them in the states.  That is all the details that I can give on this blog for reasons that I can’t even state on this blog.  If you are interested in supporting, you can send me an email for all the details.  You will find my email address in my profile at the right.