Bairo Pite Clinic and Rotary Dili - a great mix

We have been excited that Rotary Dili was inspired to purchase 100 MHM packs to pass on to Dr Dans clinic at Bairo Pite.
This week Fi, from the clinic arranged for Belekria to visit and run a small training class with some midwives, nurses and cleaners.  They will be distributing them to women when they are discharged and returning to the districts.

Emmy led the Discussion and was quite adept at explaining the benefits and use of all the packs items.

 The women were really interested, occasionally shy and giggly, especially when the underpants were pulled out :)

After Emmy had finished, 3 of them had a go at explaining what they had learned. They did really well.  Then at the end, time was given for any questions.
First Question:
"Can we buy these at the kiosk?"
Second Question:
"How much are they?"
Third Question:
"Where is your business/shop?"

The implication is that most of them want to be using them themselves.  Pretty encouraging feedback.

NEW NEW NEW!

Its been an exciting few weeks.  I have been busy nutting out details of many of the new ideas.

Firstly come April 1^st we will be changing the business structure in a few positive ways

1. Emmy will become manager
2. Salaries will have a partial base rate plus a percentage of profits (A staggered process from me paying all salaries to me paying none.)
3. Bookkeeping will be done weekly by Emmy and Serenity (with me training and assisting)
4. Opening Hours will increase back to 5 days a week, and will be open 8:30-5 – even through lunch. (An unusual concept in Timor) 
5. I will be stepping back even more from sales, marketing etc 
6. I also designed a new simpler logo and am in the process of ordering clothing labels

Secondly we have begun a loyalty card for clothing alterations.  We printed some colourful cards with 10 smiley faces.  We also bought a smiley stamper.  For every 10 alterations, they get one free.  The local customers are loving this concept.

Thirdly and most exciting for me, is that we are commencing a monthly Gift Club.  This will be a subscription service, with club members receiving a surprise gift each month – home delivered! Their fee will also fund a monthly donation of 1 woman’s health pack to a clinic such as Bairo Pite.  Currently this service will only be available to residents of Dili, HOWEVER we are investigating the possibility of offering a mailed gift version to Australian Residents, so keep an eye out over the next few months for more information.

 Heres a look at the brochure:

(If you would like to join, either pop into Belekria shopfront or email: belekria@hotmail.com or you can also ring me on 77265308)

 

 

Sorting and Storing

We received a lovely package from Sylvia in Tweed Head.  She sent us a box load of empty ice-cream and take away containers.   I immediately  brought a large handful to Bellekria.  Sinta pointed out the amazing timing of Gods provision.  That very week was the week we received the 10 boxes of sewing gear.  It took us a while to sort through everything, and just as we were getting large piles of items, here arrived the containers! She was impressed how God had touched the hearts of completely separate people in Australia many months before, and that it all arrived when we needed it.   
So While Sinta and Anna were working on the wedding dress, Nona and serenity helped me sort zips, elastic, ribbons, needles, pins, safety pins and lovely lovely buttons!

Some New Products

So here is the unveiling of some new products….
Bean bags kits!  Complete with a games idea brochure(inspired by last years christmas prezzies) (we finished two sets off at the market and sold one of them ($6)
Bag Bags!  What a great idea (Thanks Beth!)  I want one too…We whipped up six and sold 3 of them last Friday night for $4 each.  They have either a small band of Tais (locally handwoven fabric) or batik print.








Peg bags!!! Another great inspiration from Beth…$4
Now here is where you also may want to purchase some of our products.  We have decided to produce some smaller cloth books about 20cmx200cm.  We will personalise the title (in either English, Tetun, Indonesian or Portuguese:) ). The example below says Barto’s book of shapes. So I’m thinking you can order them and we will deliver them to you before Christmas.  We can do shapes, colours, animals, fruit, clothing or objects( a mix of transport and furniture). What do you think? P&H may have to be around $4 But we can let you know.  email us if your interested
bellekria@hotmail.com
You have seen the balls before, but we keep making new adorable ones.  The women were keen to sew a few in Brazilian colours for a special Brazilian night at the market.
          So any orders welcome…. 

A windfall and some wild winds

Friday market day again!  The sewing room was buzzing in the morning as we all whipped up a few more balls and other new items to sell. (more on that later).  We were also excited that Samuel had driven off to the Rotary shipping container event!.  We were expecting a couple of  boxes from Northern NSW.  A combination of some items i had purchased earlier – lots of PUL and FOE elastic, as well as some sewing supplies collected by my parents, aunt, and friends.  Samuel had been gone a few hours and we were all heading out the door for a quick lunch before doing the big afternoon transporting/market scene.  But here comes the car!  How exciting!  The girls all say “Oh! there are lots of boxes!”   Sure enough  a total of 4 large boxes were emptied out of the car and shuffled into our cramped sewing room :)

Christmas!! Party! Presents! Open them lets have a look!
 


 We only had a short time, so we tore the tape away and had an amzing time seeing what what inside.  So much wonderful stuff!! laces, balls of wool, fabrics galore, books, sharp scissors, threads, threads and more threads!! And lots more!  What a blessing!
Thankyou so much to everyone who sent these things over.  The items are so valuable here, and the women know that this will help their sewing group to continue to move forward.  It is such an encouragement!!
God bless you abundantly!!

Friday is a long day, so this blog will be a long blog :)
So we dragged ourselves away from the boxes of goodies, and raced home for lunch.  Sweet Emmy had made lunch for us all which was wonderful as we had all been so busy.  After lunch we cleared the table, popped it on the roof of THE TRUCK! (Yes it is back in action – somewhat).
Then we drove around to the sewing room and loaded on a treadle machine, boxes and baskets of products  and chairs, etc etc
When we arrived at the market site there was a bit of a blustery wind stirring.  We started setting up the  table and chairs and clothing rack and putting our products on the table.  The first sign that things may get interesting was when our clothing rack fell over.  Hmm.  We tried putting heavy rocks on the base bu it fell again, so then we tied it to the metal frame.  However the canvas was flapping madly, and suddenly a metal bar from the centre of the top fell down and swung near our heads!  Aghhh!  Eeek!
We were getting a little disturbed.
Some market staff came and started wiring the metal frame at some places to make it a bit stronger.  However by this time we were all standing around the edge and slowly dashing in to get our gear away in case anything else should happen.  Our canvas roof was a particularly old damaged one, so the tears that had been taped up now started ripping with a frenzy.  So the market men came and took off the canvas, and we all agreed to move our bodies and our belongings to a safer location – a fixed timber shelter.  There we sat for around 2 hours.  Chatting, snacking, and ooohing and awing as the wind continued to blast the coast.  We finished off the hand sewing of the balls we had been making.
At one point a metal frame which had not yet had its canvas removed started swaying and then suddenly the legs were pulled out of the ground and the whole frame flew up and tumbled over!  There was a lot of screaming as you can imagine.  Thankfully no one was in the vicinity of the thrashing metal bars!  I tell you my heart was racing!
Other stalls were securing their belongings and settling down to wait out the wind.    We were all wondering if we should just reload the truck and head home, or just keep praying that the wind would stop.  By around 5:30 the gusts were getting less frequent and we decided to have another go at setting some our heavier products out, as a few customers were starting to arrive. 
We used lots of masking tape to hold coat hangers in place, and rocks to hold cloth books and cushions down. 
And you know what?  It was worth the hassle as we sold over $60 worth of products!!!!
YAY!!
Lots of balls sold, as well as 1 book, 3 school skirts,  and 2 dresses.
Sinta, Anna, Novi and Nona were so happy.

And as the sun set over the ocean, the full moon was rising behind us over the hill.
  
We just made it home before midnight, exhausted but happy… and that is the end of the story…..

Cloth Pad Distribution

A Very exciting few days!  Yesterday we drove to a small mountain cluster of villages called Liquidoi.  We took up 10 packs of women's cloth pads, and gave some to a small group.  The ladies were grateful to receive them, and some men also asked to have some to take home to their wives.  We left the remaining packs with a Pastor’s wife (second from right) to distribute to other women.
Then today we visited Hera, to catch up with Soraya and Branca.  Branca is a nurse who I consulted last year when the idea of making cloth pads was just in my head.  Later in July 2010 I trialled a few samples through some of the females she sees at the Sidara Clinic (a small village).  So today I took a bag of 8 sets to her.  She was very grateful to receive them, and was impressed with how professional they look in their packaging.  She asked if we minded that she would keep some of them to hand out to some expectant mums who are due to give birth in her birthing clinic next week. Of course we thought that was a lovely idea.  She then explained how she had around 20-30 births every year, and that she try's to give out a care package to each new mum.  She told us how $20 would provide some baby clothing, wraps, hygiene needs  and that if she can, she spends $30-$40 to also include rice, milk and other food essentials in the care  packs.  We think this is a wonderful project, and have told her we will try and find support to provide her with cloth pads for each pack, as well as possibly trying to source baby needs for her.

Cloth Pad set sponsoring

I mentioned a few weeks ago, about a lovely visitor from Melbourne – Celeste.  She returned home and started sharing about our vision here in Bellekria.  She produced a lovely PowerPoint presentation, and asked women to consider purchasing a cloth pad set for distributing to poor women in rural locations.
Well she has since emailed us with a list of lovely names – 6 women who also decided to assist this project.
The women who kindly gave were Margaret Devis, Cheryl Chaplain, Karen Young, Vanessa Clayton, Judy Cooper, and Deb Pledger
 
Thankyou so much for supporting this vision.  We plan to take some sets to a village about a 2 hr drive from Dili.  We hope to be able to take some photos of the women who receive the sets.  

Friends bringing gifts!

Wow! Yesterday we had a group of 5 lovely people from Palmerston Cross Roads (Baptist) Church visit us on their way to Los Palos with Samuel.  They pulled a large bag out of the car and inside was a brand new elna sewing machine! Thankyou to Dorothy!  Not to mention a large donation and a collection of patterns as well!  We set it up in the sewing room, and as soon as the power came back on, Sinta began using it.  It was so simple to thread, has matching feet and bobbins as the singers, and is so quiet!  Of course Serenity loves it because it has pink designs on the top :)  Will try to get a photo up when i can.
They are also returning on Monday and will collect the large order of bags to be taken back to Darwin.
(They also brought lollies for the kids, and we had asked for a tin of milo for a treat for them, and they brought 3 over!!!)  Too sweet...

WOW, new developments!

Ok, so you know how I mentioned some machines in Australia?  THEY ARE ON THEIR WAY!!!!
We are so excited!  My y parents packed them into crate, a local truck company delivered them to Melbourne (half price!!) and Rotary packed them into a chipping container due here in Timor in May!
I told Sinta about them, and how I would like to get them out to women with a rent/buy system.  She told me later that she couldnt sleep that night she was so excited and plannig how she could use her salary to pay one off and then start her own mending business from home on the weekends.  Perfect.

Now that we know it can be done, we may plan anothewr delivery in a few months, so maybe I'll stick up a wish list and you can all start collecting :)

So the sewing room looks lovely.  Sinta has set it up with all the products displayed around the room.  She launched bravely into uniforms, and has been selling a few each week.  She was very proud to tell me that she buys the black fabric for $4.5/m, can make 2 skirts from it, then sell them for $4.50-$5 each!  Double your money!

She also had some lovely news to share with me.  A relative (widow with 5 living children) gave them a baby boy (5months old) to care for (they have been suffering infertility for 8 years) So i was so overjoyed to hear she has a son to care for, even if it may only be for a few years.  She said she was so scared at first as he was very small and weak.

ALSO
I just recieved an email from Greenbeans AU offering me some heavily discounted stock!  I really hope we can buy it.  I just need some cash.....  Anyone????

A singer surprise!

Back in Australia,  we walked to a local garage sale, and there was a beautifully kept old style singer.  not the ancient pretty decorative ones, but a solid black beauty! We spoke with the owner (who amazingly turned out to be my textile teacher from highschool, who first inspired me to get into fashion).  She assured us it was a great solid sewer, and we can easily adapt it to fit a treadle table in Timor.
I looked the label up on google and found it was from the 40's, and its model no. 201k just happens to be regarded as the best simple neat sewer available!  Apparently quilters often use them as the stitches are so regular!

Then, a man at mums church offered me an old machine. I said sure!  It turned out to be the same sinnger model!  Then an op shop where my parents help out gave me 3 machines - 2 singers and an empisal (which uses the same feet and bobbins as singer), then i recieved 2 more "old" machines, turns out they too were 1 old singer, and an empisal! So i seem to have a set.  I actually now have 7 machines all lined up, all cleaned, oiled and tested.
Just remains the difficluty of trying to get them over to Timor....Hmmmm