Introducing... Bears for Busajo

by Megan Stacey

Betty Lou Chambers (left) and Fran Milburn (right)

When she’s in the zone and her knitting needles are flying, it only takes Fran Milburn about a day to crank out a cute little toy bear.

In just a few months, she’s knit more than 300 teddy bears.

Some have suspenders and some have scarves.

Others have cute little skirts.

Fran is one of Mothers with a Heart for Ethiopia’s most prolific and dedicated knitters. She’s been re-writing the manual on knitting those cute little bears.

“We started out with just the boys, and then Fran came up with this brilliant pattern,” said Betty Lou Chambers, a longtime MWAHFE volunteer who first began knitting these bears back in 2014.

At that point it was a unisex bear with a little scarf around the neck.

“They need twirl skirts!” Fran added with a smile.

She took to the project quickly. One day at church Betty Lou learned that someone had left a bag for her – it turned out to be stuffed full of little bears knit by Fran.

“She’d only had the pattern for a week,” Betty Lou said. 

It began as a way to bring a little bit of joy to children in Ethiopia. Volunteers heading to Ethiopia with MWAHFE would pack bears to hand out to children in Soddo Christian Hospital, the Busajo program – which helps kids move off the streets and into a safe home where education is a priority – and other places that serve vulnerable youngsters.

“When you see the kids and see what they don’t have, oh my goodness,” said Betty Lou, who travelled to Ethiopia with MWAHFE in 2013.

“You have to remember, you can’t take the Western world to them, nor should you. That’s their culture. But the one thing we thought about these (bears) is that they’re soft, and it’s something they could take to bed with them, for comfort.”

Soon, there were so many bears that Mothers with a Heart for Ethiopia knew it would be impossible to take them all on the next trip to Ethiopia.

Founder Shelley Green suggested selling the additional bears as a fundraiser.

Bears for Busajo was born.

Each little bear comes with a tag letting the donor know about the child they are supporting in the Busajo program. Bears for Busajo debuted at a recent Mini Gems & Java, and both the teddies and the personal tag were extremely well received.

In the meantime, knitter extraordinaire Fran has been tweaking the pattern to make the bears even better.

She designed little skirts for the girl bears, and added details to hide seams on the boy bears. All the knitters began using a brown yarn instead of white so that the bears would be more appropriate for Ethiopian children.

“I’ve had a couple people that have done one, but they found them a little complicated to do,” Betty Lou said of the project.

“We have a blind lady at church that made one. She was very determined,” Fran added. “She gave it to her granddaughter.”

Fran’s daughter took some of her mother’s knitting down to Haiti on a service trip. The bears were a big hit.

“One little girl had six of them laying on the bench, and she was being mom to all of them. As soon as someone would lay one down she would grab it. She was collecting her family,” Fran said with a chuckle.

It’s a sweet memory, but it illustrates a larger point – one that Fran learned herself on trips to Haiti and Mozambique.

“A gleam in the eye, and a smile on their face, and they have nothing,” Fran said of the children she met on her trips.

“You go there to be a blessing to the people, and you’re the one who gets blessed.”

To buy a bear and support Busajo, head to:
     Woodstock - Roberts & Co. Ladies Wear at 491 Dundas St.
     Ingersoll - Roberts & Co. Ladies Wear at 122 Thames St. S.
     Kitchener - Freedom in Christ Church at 1643 Bleams Rd.

Stay tuned to our Facebook page for more locations!

Donor Profile: Jessica Watson

by Megan Stacey

For Jessica Watson, it’s all about the kids.

She’s always had a soft spot for little ones – even building her life’s work around that passion.

And for the past few years, she’s dedicated consistent, monthly donations to the children of Busajo through Mothers with a Heart for Ethiopia.

She first heard about MWAHFE through her grandmother, who bought tickets to Gems & Java. What Jessica heard there tugged at her heartstrings.

“Shelley was just so honest and real about what was going on in Ethiopia. Seeing her heart for those people, I know it moved everyone in the room – but it moved me, really,” Jessica said.

“Even though we all can’t go out in the world or move somewhere, we can still help in other ways with the resources we have. That really struck me.”

It inspired her to become a regular donor. The project, naturally, was Busajo.

“Those kids are getting an education and they’re developing skills and creating community. It just really, really hit a deep chord in my heart.”

— Jessica

“Those kids are getting an education and they’re developing skills and creating community. It just really, really hit a deep chord in my heart,” Jessica said.

“I really believe that if you want to see change in the future, you have to start with children. They’re so impressionable and they just desire love. To me, that’s so important, to give love.”

Watson is showing her love for the children of Ethiopia in a tangible way, with a consistent monthly donation to Busajo.

“It’s a constant income they can count on,” she said. Charitable giving is a priority for Watson, though she’s incredibly humble about her efforts.

“You see that good things are happening and lives are being changed.”

— Jessica

“I really think we’re so blessed here. For me, I like to give 10% away of whatever I make,” she said. “If we just hoard all our money, nothing is going to change.”

And Watson is very comfortable directing some of her hard-earned cash to support MWAHFE.

“It just makes you feel good. You know where your money is actually going,” she said.

More specifically, she’s able to see the results of those donations, the difference that her funds are making in the lives of Ethiopian children.

“You really do know something by its fruit,” Watson said.

“(With MWAHFE), you see that good things are happening and lives are being changed.”

Spotlight On: WRAPS

by Megan Stacey

For many women in Canada, it’s almost inconceivable that a monthly period could be more than a minor inconvenience.

Keep us home from work? Not likely.

Keep our daughters home from school? Not more than a day here or there.

But what if it wasn’t so easy to pop over to the pharmacy and find rows of feminine hygiene products?

For millions of young women in less developed countries, menstruating stops life in its tracks. It means staying home and using leaves or other materials as a sort of make-shift pad. School, in many cases, is out of the question.

Allison Karnes just couldn’t accept that reality.

“I was reading this book and there was this section that talked about girls in Africa missing so much school because they don’t have any pads. It just leapt off the page,” said Allison, who’s from the States. “I had never thought about that before.”

Though statistics on this topic are scarce, there is a lot of anecdotal data to show that girls are missing school thanks to their periods. One study showed that more than 40 per cent of schoolgirls in northern Ethiopia reported missing school because of menstruation in the past month.

Even in places where feminine hygiene products are available, they are prohibitively expensive.

Allison was living in Ethiopia – her husband is Dr. Mark Karnes, who performs surgeries to correct prolapsed uteruses, another project to which MWAHFE directs funds – when she had the idea to make reusable pads. She decided this was the perfect way to make a difference.

After pitching the idea to others and picking the brain of a friend doing a similar project in Kenya, WRAPS was born.

Allison and her right-hand woman, Inge, hired a team of Ethiopian women to help sew and develop the washable, reusable, affordable pads (WRAPS).

“It was hard. We worked and worked and worked to get our design. We made it from scratch. We made a lot of bad pads,” Allison said with a laugh. “We finally feel like we hit upon a pretty good pad.”

It took a lot of trial and error – starting with some market research and buying pads sold in Ethiopia.

“We looked at what they had on the market, and cut it to that length and width,” she said. “We added little tabs…and I import all the Velcro from the U.S. But that’s easy to bring in, because it’s so light.”

WRAPS are made of simple materials, including Ethiopian flannel and dollar store shower curtains that Allison buys in the U.S. The pads even incorporate unused surgical towels that Dr. Mark and other doctors have in their pre-op kits but may not use.

“I was walking across the hospital compound one day, and saw these blue towels floating in the wind. I’m always on the lookout for materials that might work,” Allison said with a chuckle.

WRAPS are changing lives, starting with the six women who found employment through the project.

All have returned to school – at levels from Grade 3 to post-secondary – and are finding fulfillment through their work. Some of the women have heart-breaking life stories, and one was even rescued from the sex trade.

And of course the impact extends to the young women who receive the pads.

“WRAPS is a really critical piece of support for women and young girls in Ethiopia, because they often don’t have other resources to be able to manage menstrual cycles.”

— Tracey Hedges

“WRAPS is a really critical piece of support for women and young girls in Ethiopia, because they often don’t have other resources to be able to manage menstrual cycles. That limits the activities they can do, especially as it relates to school and functioning within the family during that time,” said Tracey Hedges, the WRAPS project lead for Mothers with a Heart for Ethiopia.

“That impacts on their self-esteem and their self-worth. Being able to offer such a simple intervention – by North American standards – has such a huge impact on their daily lives,” Tracey added.

The goal is to distribute the kits to young women.

“We’re looking at primarily Grade 5 through Grade 8. We feel if we can capture the girls at the middle school level, and keep them in school, we have a better chance of getting them to high school,” Allison said.

“We really want to work with the younger girls, because that’s where the dropout rate is so high.”

A WRAPS kit – which costs donors about $15 – includes several washable pads and a pair of underwear inside a small cloth bag.

“A small amount of money has such a significant impact on their physical health, their emotional well-being, and their ability to continue to function in their daily lives,” Tracey said.

All that for just $15 – what a return on investment!

Of course the WRAPS venture hasn’t been without challenges.

Last summer, Allison and her team hit a huge roadblock after her daughter tested out the WRAPS kit.

“She said the pads were just beautiful and washed up just fantastic – no blood stains, they don’t stain, they’re just beautiful – but they’re not holding the moisture. She said ‘I’m leaking right through.’ That was a horror, as you can imagine,” Allison said.

“I fell apart and had a meltdown. All my girls were sobbing with me.”

It turned out that workers had substituted one of the waterproof materials with another, more permeable, one.

But Allison’s partner Inge was undeterred.

“She’s like ‘well, we’ll just remake them all.’ So we remade…3,000 pads this summer,” Allison said. “(Now) I know these pads are not going to leak. I’m confident that they’re the best we can make.”

And the program is still growing. Allison’s goal is to eventually return to the communities where they’ve distributed pads to talk with the young women and their families to ask about the WRAPS and if they’re making a difference.

Tracey is confident that this project is more than worthy of donations from MWAHFE.

“For those young girls who have the option or ability to go to school, we need to really support and encourage them in that.”

— Tracey Hedges

“For those young girls who have the option or ability to go to school, we need to really support and encourage them in that. For them to have to miss school because of a normal bodily function is just really a shame,” she said.

“Allison is on a roll….I can’t wait to see where it goes.”

It’s just one more way that Mothers with a Heart for Ethiopia is able to support women and children in Ethiopia.

“To be able to support them in continuing their education, so they can go on in their education and develop into good leaders and pursue their goals is just amazing,” Tracey said.

“That’s the impact that such a small item can make on their lives.”

Feature Story: Mini Gems & Java

by Megan Stacey

It was twice as big – and twice as fun.

When a pair of sisters hosted the first-ever Mini Gems & Java in London last year, it was a modest in-home event with a couple dozen people. This year, they doubled their committee, and upped the ante. 

The guest list jumped from 25 to 50 people, and a few extra walk-ins snuck in. The second annual event was a great success, and raised a whopping $4,000!

“In our affluent world, it’s pretty hard not to reach out to people in other countries that are in so much need.”

— Alice Vangerweg

“In our affluent world, it’s pretty hard not to reach out to people in other countries that are in so much need,” said Alice Vanderweg, who hosted the 2015 Mini Gems & Java in her home near London, Ont.

 “When we do just a little wee bit, it helps them so much – and that’s so awesome.”

Alice and her sister Agnes Claus started the Mini Gems & Java tradition, and given the rousing success of their event in year two, they’re hoping to keep the momentum going.

“If we’re healthy and well, we’d like to make it an annual thing,” said Agnes.

The feedback the London committee received from guests was overwhelmingly positive.

“They love the event, the fun of it,” Agnes said.

“This is just a fun evening out. I mean who can resist jewelry? It’s fun watching them shop,” Alice added.

Pat Degelman came to the event to support her niece, who was on the organizing committee. She had great success finding treasures in the Bags & Baubles Boutique.

“I got about five different things. And if I don’t wear them, no problem - I just wanted to give some money, you know? That’s what’s important for me,” she said.

Pat said she’d certainly come to another Mini Gems & Java event.

That’s no surprise to anyone who’s been involved with Gems & Java events in the past. 

“We find so many people are repeat guests – if they come once they’ll come again, just like the main Gems & Java. They want to be there again next year,” Agnes said. 

And though putting on a Mini Gems & Java is a big undertaking, “it’s all worthwhile in the end,” Alice said. 

The sisters noted that their two new recruits made all the difference this year.

The event wouldn’t have been possible without Lisa Wedlake and Kristin Somerville, recent additions to the Mini Gems & Java committee.

“They came with so much vim and vigor, and the legwork they did was just tremendous,” Agnes said.

Clearly, that hard work paid off.

St. James Westminster Church was decked out, and the decorations struck the perfect balance of glamour and authenticity. Party favours mimicked MWAHFE’s “scribble heart” logo, and beautiful large-scale photographs of Ethiopian women and children surrounded guests.

A wonderful pianist added light and joyful tunes and the Ethiopian coffee ceremony drew dozens of interested guests.

Volunteers from Mothers with a Heart for Ethiopia staffed the Ethiopian Marketplace, selling jewelry, coffee and even debuting the newest offering, hand-knit Bears for Busajo!

But for most, the highlight of the night is hearing Shelley speak about Mothers with a Heart for Ethiopia and the projects the organization supports.

“I’m really impressed that all of the money goes towards supporting the children and the other causes,” said Kelly, another guest at the Mini Gems & Java. She gladly drove in from Waterloo to support a family member on the committee.

Kelly had another personal connection, too.

“I really wanted to come because my daughter’s best friend is adopted from Ethiopia. It’s kind of near and dear to our hearts,” she said. 

Hearing Shelley speak about the realities – and the potential – in Ethiopia at Gems & Java in Woodstock is what originally drew Alice and Agnes to the cause.

“What [Shelley] saw in Ethiopia and what she experienced there just grabbed our hearts.”

— Alice Vanderweg

“What she saw in Ethiopia and what she experienced there just grabbed our hearts,” said Alice.

Agnes is confident their event, including those personal words from Shelley, will have the same effect on guests. 

“We saw Shelley’s heart for these needy people. If we could do a small part to make a difference for one person or more, we were thrilled to be a part of that,” she said.

 “It’s just a privilege to help others.”

Volunteer Profile: Darby Anderson

by Megan Stacey

Darby Anderson with her daughter, Olivia, at her graduation from Western University in 2016.

It’s second nature for Darby Anderson to go through her closet a couple times each year and look for clothing, jewelry, scarves, and purses she’s not going to use.“When I have to put away my summer clothes and bring out the fall, or put away winter clothes and bring out the summer clothes, I always go through…and think ‘ok, is there anything I can donate for the Closet Clean-Out for Mothers with a Heart?’”

Darby’s been a dedicated donor during the Closet Clean-Out Challenge, and just last week she dropped off a bag of items at Roberts & Co. in Ingersoll.

“If it’s something I haven’t used in awhile I’m probably not going to use it. Somebody else might find a treasure in what I bring, and at the end of the day, it helps to raise money for the various services that we provide in Ethiopia,” Darby said.

Like all of us, Darby usually finds a few items that have been moved permanently out of rotation, or unearths a particular purse or scarf that just never looked right.

“I go through them and I just think ‘have I been using this? Am I going to use this?’ Then I go through the things and I might say, you know, I bought this purse but I never even used it. Mothers with a Heart could use it.”

Sure, she could sell those items, but Darby said she knows they're worth more to MWAHFE than the few dollars she could make selling her old things.

“Somebody else might find a treasure in what I bring, and...it helps to raise money for the various services that we provide in Ethiopia.”

— Darby Anderson

And Darby is not just a Closet Clean-Out Challenge success story. Soon she’s going to be playing another role, too. After a few seasons supporting MWAHFE through jewelry and other donations, Darby felt compelled to give back in another way.

“It was just kind of playing on my heart to connect with Shelley and just see if there was any volunteer opportunities,” she recalled. Darby’s slated to join the Promotions Committee in the next few weeks.

For Darby, MWAHFE is a perfect fit. She’s been a longtime sponsor for children in developing countries and female entrepreneurs in Africa.

“I probably started back in my 20s and I’m in my 50s now,” she said. “I just felt that they were the neediest of the needy. We take so much for granted, what we have here.”