Help Madagascar Silk Weavers Share Their Experiences and Work Towards Sustainability

For years now, there has been one Peace Corps Volunteer's project that many of us in Madagascar have been jealous of: working with silk weavers in Sandrandahy. We were jealous because the volunteers there had an interesting project (working with a silk cooperative to expand their market and improve their business practices) and dedicated counterparts (the silk weavers themselves). But even with those caveats, the work proved challenging, and it took the dedication of two separate volunteers, Melanie and Natalie, to really help the cooperative expand and grow. And grow they did! The Federation Sahalandy shipped its silk products to the Santa Fe International Folk Art Market last year, bringing one of the silk weavers along to tell her story and learn the details of international sales and marketing. This year they hope to go once again, and aimed at bringing two members and participating in more events. Unfortunately, the grant they received last year is not available again. I will let current PCV Natalie explain further:

2011 was a year of successes for the women of SAHALANDY. Our participation in the Santa Fe International Folk Art Market brought in around $40,000 of products sold. And our successes did not go unnoticed - our experience in Santa Fe was features in the Peace Corps worldwide publication, among others. We were also selected to be filmed for a documentary on behalf of the Santa Fe Market. At the end of March, the crew commissioned by the Market, including acclaimed director David Evans, will be coming to Madagascar to begin filming! The documentary will feature exclusively the life and work of the silk weavers of SAHALANDY, and will be released later this year. So 2012 is proving to be another successful year for us.

We've been lucky again to be accepted into the 2012 Market happening July 13-15, which the women are very excited for. The goal this year, however, aside from selling silk and engaging in in cross-cultural exchange, is to work towards sustainability of the organization. This means empowering more members with this valuable experience and encouraging them to establish stronger, more sustainable networks with buyers abroad. In order to help achieve this aim, we've decided to send two members to this year's Market.

Fortunately, last year, we were awarded financial aid from the Market for both translator and artist, which was very helpful. But this year, we were not able to apply a second time for that funding - and in combination with the many shipping and customs fees we encountered last year, we have had difficulty saving enough to send two participants for 2012. The women are beyond excited to share their experiences and expertise on silk with the world. They are motivated and hard-working, learning English two times a week in between silk weaving and preparing for the documentary filming.

But the expenses to send two members are daunting. The federation must come up with upwards of $7,500 for transportation (flights and bus fares), booth fees, and food/accommodation. If you feel led to contribute toward sending two of members, in whatever way, the weavers and I would be so grateful. Last year was an amazing experience and I would like to see the success continue for these deserving women, even after I finish my service.

Now, not only has Federation Sahalandy been accepted to the Santa Fe show and chosen for a documentary, but they are headed to the New York International Gift Show in August as well. The costs are large, but the group is working towards long-term sustainability and needs a boost now to help it continue. This is one of those great Peace Corps projects, where the women are the driving force behind their own business, and it is a story we can all be proud of. If you would like to contribute, please email me (cplanicka at gmail dot com) for details. To close, here is a photo of silk weaver Prisca at the Peace Corps 50th Anniversary in Washington, DC last year...

http://www.sahalandy.org/worldview%20article.pdf

Lonely is the Night, When You Find Yourself Alone...

My classmates in the MDP program at SIPA have come to expect certain types of questions from me when fieldworkers or international NGO workers come to talk to us. These questions are usually along the lines of: "What about the mental health of development practitioners?" When I asked this question recently, I had a multi-decade aid veteran avoid it for a while and later say that I should seek psychological help (he was kidding... but if he knew me better, he may have been serious!) Now, all joking aside, the psychological and mental well-being of aid and development workers is often over-looked. When it is an issue, it is usually in humanitarian crises where aid workers have seen horrific images and may suffer from PTSD. But I feel that mental health issues are serious for all aid and development practitioners, regardless of background (i.e. both expats and national staff) or context. That is why it was heartening to see Alessandra Pigni's post on psychological needs of aid workers (an entire series in fact) (crossposted on WhyDev).

So why do I think mental health and well-being is often over-looked in development work? Again, people tend to focus on the truly horrific images that some workers endure; they ignore mundane everyday occurrences. Development workers should be ready to deal with seeing the effects of extreme poverty daily; indeed, it is one of the driving forces in our work. But their are other issues which many people either ignore or drown in periodic binges of substance abuse.

Loneliness is the one that comes to mind most often. In the Peace Corps, I (as many PCVs) had the special experience of being completely alone yet never being alone. In other words, I was separated by my village and its inhabitants by culture, history, lack of shared experiences, families, etc...(*) Yet I was constantly surrounded by curious people (especially children). I was physically engulfed yet emotionally detached (at some level). I have only met other PCVs who understand this sort of loneliness, but I would venture to guess that it affects most people in the development and aid worlds. As I noted in a post last year on paternalism, you do not have to be a foreigner to a country to feel like an outsider in the areas where you work. Practitioners in rural villages may not have anything in common with those they work with for months. Other aid workers may be trucked from walled compound to walled compound, living a secluded lifestyle with the same friends for years. Loneliness and other signs of depression can take many forms in our line of work. Therefore it is important to be on the lookout for these signs in yourself and others, and to develop strong coping mechanisms. In Madagascar, such mechanisms included playing with kids, taking long walks, talking with friends, dancing, and most importantly establishing a strong support network. That last point is the most important, I think, for development workers' mental health while in the field (and anywhere else): You need a strong personal and professional support network to survive!

Coping.

(*) - Now, I fit in pretty well for an awkward tall white guy in rural Madagascar. I had close friends and made constant efforts to be a part of life in my villages. Yet there was always a disconnect at some level, and it made true engagement very difficult.

In Need of a Reminder

My studies in international development are progressing nicely, and I like all of my courses this semester. In addition, I am involved in some excellent student groups and research projects. But beyond the heavy workload, I have been feeling very... distant. I think it is because I have been in school long enough now to feel very disconnected from the very issues I am studying. This feeling has reminded me how important it is to stay in touch in development. Extreme poverty, inequitable trade policies, famine, deforestation, oppressive governments... these are more than just words in academic papers. They all have real effects on people in real places. As do words like: innovation, activism, self-sufficiency, protest, and participation. The longer we stay away from the faces behind these issues, the more detached we become. I am in need of a reminder of why I am here and studying to become a development practitioner. I am working on that, trying to get back "into the field" soon. In the meantime, I can already tell that this will be a continuing concern throughout my career. And a concern for any practitioner or academic. Let us all endeavor to stay connected in a real way.

On a lighter development studies note, I totally agree with BlattBlog on this one.