Stuck In The Middle Of

Now I understand the feeling of migrants or OFWs receiving a bad news. And it’s harder when the people around you just don’t understand or are just sincerely insensitive or whatever I don’t know. X

Insert All Positivity Into This Post

I know I’ve been blogging about the WEAVE MHS Fairtrade Room Launching, and I know the approach was a little too impersonal. I haven’t even explained myself why I am in Mae Hong Son and just let the photo diary do the talking. Hence I blog now with my heart. Last April 18, God brought me to the humble highlands of Mae Hong Son. I geared myself with a non-expectant playful disposition for it is just the first time AdDU has sent a pool of chosen incoming 4thyear Asian Studies students to WEAVE Mae Hong Son for internship, so I thought I might just as well expect nothing and just hope for the best.

In just one month, I have experienced a lot lot lot lot lot lot lot of wonderful and life-changing experiences here with the gang, with the WEAVE staff who treat me like a ohana, and of course with the refugees both in Ban Mai Nai Soi (Camp 1) and Ban Mae Surin (Camp 2). Every single thing has been beautiful and surprising, really, that I can’t enumerate all those in a single blogpost.

Before the internship- Che, Patty, Krizza and I were just plain blockmates and friends with our plain hi’s and hello’s, but now to our surprise we just act like sisters.

The WEAVE staff has been very welcoming since day 1, and the treatment never changed, not even. My supervisor, P’ Say Meh, has been so supportive and has helped me with my work without creating a room for me to become dependent. She has helped me by making me independent in achieving success in my volunteer placement (Early Childhood Development English Trainer). The staff, Ma’am Mitos (the boss, the mentor, and the spiritual adviser), P’ Nuy, P’ Cherry, P’ Dina, P’ Hser Khu, and P’ Yam made me feel like I ain’t alien here in Thailand, I ain’t any other intern, that I am part of the staff already, that I am akin to being their little sister, that they like me and that they want me.

The refugees- they made me realize that what doesn’t hurt kills. I already have almost every vanities in this world, yet I still hunger for more happiness. But those refugees, they don’t have a lot but just their families yet they are happy and they don’t murmur about their lives. Yes they remember their sweet lives in the past, and yes they dream to be resettled in the US or any comfortable place, but they don’t complain to God.. and more importantly, they don’t waste their lives. They use their lives to empower themselves, to empower their future generations. About the ECD teachers- who has transcended my expectation of them, it is not only I who taught them of something basic I know. They have also taught me without even knowing it. They’ve widen my horizon in terms of appreciating womanhood, of appreciating the power there is in women.

The obvious now be pragmatically told, I’d like to go back here in Mae Hong Son and continue what I have started. I’ve already a passion in volunteerism, but  learning to love NGO work is a different story. NGO work is more than volunteerism per se, it’s more of a calling, a personal brand of vocation.

Anyway, enough of the pep talk :-). Here are some photos of the Fairtrade Room Launching..

P.S. If you were there during the Launch and you happened to be reading this now, thank you so much! Your presence has made a great impact to the trained refugee women weavers from Myanmar trying to generate their own income so to help their families and alleviate their agony from poverty. 

(c) The Mitos Urgel and Cherish Agbong for the photos

Weaving Handicrafts and Hope for Displaced Women from Burma

“Launching of WEAVE’s Fair Trade Showroom in Mae Hong Son”

Mae Hong Son, Thailand- The WEAVE (Women’s Education for Advancement and Empowerment) Foundation will launch and unveil its Mae Hong Son Fair Trade Showroom on Wednesday May 2, 2012 from 3:00- 6:00 pm.

Celebrating an exciting milestone, WEAVE will feature a dramatic presentation of its Income Generation Project, an ethnic fashion show and unveiling of exciting new products.

The WEAVE Fair Trade Showroom houses beautifully handcrafted items by refugee women artisans from marginalized ethnic groups on the Thai-Burma border.

The Fair Trade Showroom is part of WEAVE’s Economic Empowerment and Development Program, an innovative program that support marginalized and displaced women on the Thai-Burma border. It provides safe and sustainable employment opportunities for Burmese ethnic women under fair trade principles.

This event celebrates the milestone of WEAVE 15 years of successful economic empowerment activities for refugee women artisans. Over 1,200 artisans have learned valuable skills in weaving, sewing or embroidery. Over 700 women have become regular home-based entrepreneurs, earning much-needed income from customers around the world. WEAVE uses its local and international marketing channels to service customers, including Fair Trade networks, NGOs, educators and international student and community groups, from as far away as Canada and the US.

(text by Ms. Mitos Urgel, President and Executive Director, mitos@weave-women.org, +66 (0)847616918)

Rebirth of WEAVE

The Karen and Karenni women of Burma are among millions of women across the world who shares the responsibility and struggle of motherhood. However, many Karen, Karenni and ethnic women hold a heavier burden. This begins when they must flee from their own country of origin because of violence and oppression by the Burmese military junta. Carrying heavy loads and with children holding onto their skirts, they navigate difficult roads and jungle territory on foot for days on end and wait, pleading for refuge in the nearest country- across the border of Thailand. Some receive support from aid agencies and move to refugee camps, while others struggle to survive as migrants in border towns.

 From 1990 on, WEAVE (Women’s Education for Advancement and Empowerment) founders recognized the need for women to be empowered and have opportunities to make income- in a safe environment. Through the innovative work of WEAVE, these women have received income opportunities through the Income Generation Project, or IGP. Using the traditional loom to do weaving, along with the time-honored Karen-style sewing and intricate embroidery, these displaced women have been able to supplement their families’ income in order to meet the basics of life: food, clothing and education.  Loom-weaving demonstrates their own cultural trade mark of identity,  and self-sufficiency. Crafting intricate designs by using indigenous raw materials and natural dying techniques, these women have produced a wide array of product lines sold both in the international and domestic markets. Slowly and steadily, WEAVE’s IGP business has penetrated the world market and become known for high quality work among international buyers. However, many things had to be done to expand existing business relationships and widen the untapped market both in the local and international arenas.

Throughout these years, since the outset of IGP, WEAVE has endured challenges in assisting women to carry on the burden of economic activities as well as embracing other hardships. Despite this, WEAVE has continued to reach out to women and has remained enthusiastic that IGP would continue to soar with its new makeover marketing strategy.

These women, little by little, are consciously regaining much needed self-esteem, restoring their dignity, their sense of purpose, of direction. And a clear vision that one day their dream to live in a place where they can call home will become a reality.

This afternoon, ladies and gentlemen, with pride and jubilation we unveil beautifully-handcrafted and one-of-a-kind products made by the Karen women from the camps. These products celebrate Karen heritage and give voice to their determination to carry on despite all obstacles.

(text by Ms. Mitos Urgel, President and Executive Director, mitos@weave-women.org, +66 (0)847616918)

WEAVE: Creates Style, Partnership and Hope

Women’s Education for Advancement and Empowerment (WEAVE) is a non-governmental organization founded in 1990. Motivated by the vision of a world where women and their children are free to exercise their human rights, WEAVE is committed to teaching women to become socially, economically and politically empowered. Its mission is to empower indigenous and displaced women from Burma to have rights so they can support their needs, their families and communities.

WEAVE’s Economic Empowerment and Development programs, particularly income generation, provides refugee women with the appropriate training to further their self-development and to generate critical income for health and education needs for their families. The Economic Empowerment and Development program currently supports women’s initiatives in alternative livelihoods, including 3 refugee camp-based projects utilizing women’s traditional weaving, embroidery and sewing skills. The program aims to promote safe employment to women and believes that a right to work is a right for all. Women involved in the project are able to work in their homes allowing them to care for their small children as well as generate an income for basic human necessities.

In its 22nd year, WEAVE is celebrating an exciting milestone where in the fair trade shop of its third branch, Mae Hong Son, shall be launched on the very day of May 2, 2012, Wednesday, 3:00 in the afternoon. Hence you are cordially invited to WEAVE’s launching of the Fair Trade Show Room! Be with us at the WEAVE Office, 13/11 Panglor Villa, Panglor Nikom Road Soi 4 T. Jongkam, A. Muang Mae Hong Son. WEAVE is featuring a fashion show of ethnic handicrafts and unveiling of exciting new products. To add the festivities, WEAVE staff will model Burmese ethnic clothing.Moreover, all guests are invited to wear their own ethnic attire.

Dear friends, this is not just any other event of the year, your presence will help a thousand refugee women and children from Burma. Your presence will help save lives. We look forward to welcoming you on May 2 and sharing our successes! :-) 

For the mean time, here’s a sneak peak of what you will have to see. 

For inquiries, contact nuy@weave-women.org or visit the website http://www.weave-women.org/ and http://www.facebook.com/pages/Womens-Education-for-Advancement-and-Empowerment-WEAVE/51782083165


Lately

Life is a vacay. You travel, enjoy life, get lost, learn, laugh, explore the unknown, and go home after.

Out in the field

Hey! It’s my first real day of summer hence I am profoundly glad. Written exams were over two weeks ago but requirements (not to mention thesis proposal!) were flooding. It all came to pass though, and finally I got to enjoy the sun while I was thinking of nothing but happiness.

HAPPY THOUGHT

Out of the 300 applicants worldwide for JOINMUN that will be held in Jogjakarta, Indonesia, 177 were chosen to represent UN organs in a mock UN conference. Out of the 177, 19 were chosen from Ateneo de Davao University. And out of the 19, 16 are from AB International Studies- Asian Studies program. For that I am very proud to say that 15 of that 16 are my blockmates, and that I am one of those 16. Happy thought!

Click here—> http://joinmun.ugm.ac.id/joinmun-in-general.html to get more info about JOINMUN, just in case you are interested :). xxALY