Dear Supporter,
For those of you who have supported us for long, I hope this newsletter speaks volumes to you about how far we’ve
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come. Whether through the incredible experience of Bea & Rita’s journey to America or our much anticipated store opening, I am uplifted by the ways in which BABA BLANKETS™ continue to reach out and touch many lives. For those of you who have just recently discovered us, by sharing in this I hope that you will find who we are, just as inspirational as what we do. It is a real joy for me to have such a rich community of supporters to witness the evolution of our craft. Your love for our work and confidence that we can all make a difference, truly keeps our sights on high. |
Please don’t ever hesitate to contact us. I so appreciate your messages and always look forward to hearing from you!
All the very best,
Aminata | |
| SETTING UP SHOP IN THE BIG EASY |
We are preparing to open our premiere U.S. retail store in New Orleans. Our beautiful new space is on the lovely Prytania Street in the city’s Lower Garden District. We are one block over from St. Charles Ave, six blocks from the French Quarter, just around the corner from the famous Emeril Delmonico’s restaurant, and right next door to a delicious New Orleans favorite called the Blue Plate Café.
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In a nutshell, we are perfectly sandwiched between the cultural richness of the French Quarter and the old southern charm of the Garden District.
So, the next time that you’re down ‘round N’awlins, grab a few friends, walk, hop on a bike or take the St. Charles streetcar to visit us in our new home. Here we’ll carry our complete line of bedding and dining products, plus a gorgeous new addition to our family - Bolgatanga baskets made by women’s cooperatives in Ghana’s northern region. We can’t wait to see you there!
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BaBa Blankets & Crafts 1330 Prytania St. (at Thalia)
New Orleans, LA 70130
Tel: 504-599-4520
Fax: 504-599-4521
www.babablanket.com |
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| BABA INTRODUCES BOLGA BASKETS |
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BaBa Blankets is collaborating with women’s cooperatives in Ghana’s rural northern region to produce a high-quality, strikingly designed line of traditional Bolgatanga baskets. These incredibly intricate hand-woven baskets are made in the same region that is the source point for |
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the majority of Ghana’s “kaya yo” (carrier girls), as well as the focus of our SISTA Scholar Program. By partnering directly with artisans in this region, we are able to invest even more directly in the development of Ghana’s northern communities and use proceeds to help keep northern girls in school. Here, the spirit of BaBa Blankets creates a full-circle that will feed many today while supporting the rural growth of Ghana’s potential for tomorrow.
Our Bolgatanga baskets introduce an exceptional level of quality that truly honors the artistry involved, while also supporting the evolution of the craft. BaBa Blankets’ Bolga Baskets will differ greatly from the cheaper renditions morecommonly found and now sold in some larger grocery stores. We are just thrilled to share with you another form of Ghana’s rich fiber traditions, as we see this as a perfect extension of our work as textile artisans.
Come visit us in our New Orleans store to see our complete array of BaBa Blankets’ Bolga Baskets (and hats)!
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| TO THINK OF SOMEONE ELSE – BEA & RITA’S JOURNEY |
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Bea & Rita have been back in Ghana just over a month now, settling in and rediscovering their everyday routine after their 6-week journey across America. Over 60 supporters donated and many more gave to the powerful spirit of goodwill that made their trip to the U.S. possible. The result was two young women who became the first in their families to ever travel outside of Africa, to ever see the ocean and the earth from the window of a plane above, and to ever experience life lived in dramatically different ways than their own. A tremendous first, it was also the platform upon which they witnessed the very special appreciation that people in faraway places have for them as African women, and for their work as creators of BaBa Blankets. Together we drove 6,500 miles between San Francisco and Florida with stops in Yosemite, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Santa Fe, Dallas, New Orleans, Atlanta and Seaside, Florida. Bea & Rita participated in four different exhibitions across the country while directly experiencing the many landscapes, lifestyles and cultures that make up America. The highlight was the Santa Fe International Folk Art Market which annually invites artisans from all over the world. There, over 900 festival volunteers created the most magnificent gathering of traditional folk art that I have ever seen. It is the people that make this such an extraordinary art festival, in a class all its own. It is an event that truly honors the artists, cultures and communities that give their works such richness and depth.
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We were simply blown away by the reception that we received in Santa Fe. It took all three of us, plus one wonderful volunteer, to field the shoppers and manage the line that wrapped around our booth. Bea & Rita smiled proudly as people lavished praise on the beauty, quality and creativity of BaBa Blankets. It was an unforgettable experience – one that allowed us to see clearly how far we have come, while deeply inspiring us to continue on further still.
The stops along the many highways that we traveled revealed so much to Bea & Rita about America, and perhaps in contrast some things about Ghana as well. Yosemite was their first excursion and they were amazed at the smooth winding road that took them up the edge of the mountainside and then down into the valley floor. The road was like a sculpture in their eyes, a surprisingly effortless passage into a remote American village. Once there, neither of them could resist climbing the rocks to get closer to the water that poured like rain from the earth top. They couldn’t believe that there were so many clear waterfalls in one place. We all laughed at the thought that if the scene were in Ghana, instead of tons of tourists, all those people would be women and girls, there with bowls fetching water.
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Yosemite was quickly followed by Los Angeles where Bea said the cars were “like ants everywhere”! We were there to pack up my personal life, and get in motion my move to New Orleans. When the moving guys arrived, Bea & Rita immediately went to grab the heavy boxes and load them on to the truck. They were both a little surprised when they were ordered to put them down. I explained that over here, “we let the men do the heavy lifting.” I could see how awkward they both felt standing there watching American men lift their loads for them.
We had less than 24 hours in Las Vegas and I was determined to show them the entire Strip. We started with a buffet at the MGM Grand where they learned what it means to “stuff yourself”. Rita was so disturbed that we had to eat everything then and there, and couldn’t take anything away with us. We gorged ourselves as much as possible (Rita stuck one pastry into her purse) and then we were off to see each and every casino, as well as every free attraction along the way. We walked until our legs felt like they were ready to fall off. When Bea got to understand the magnitude of just one casino, her only question was “Does it all belong to one person?” I asked her if she’d ever heard of Donald Trump. She said that she hadn’t.
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This question came up at least three more times as we drove by the massive houses in the suburbs outside of Dallas, the antebellum mansions in New Orleans, and then the huge fairytale bungalows in Florida. “Does that all belong to one person?” It took me hearing this question multiple times to realize what a surprise it was to them that so few people could have so much.
Traveling cross-country meant eating a lot of typical American cuisine. Rita called the Big Mac her “best food” and Bea asked me how the Filet-o-Fish got to be square. We all came to agree that breakfast was by far the best American meal. It took some time for them to realize that it was not enough to sit down and order for, “eggs”. Through lots of explanation, coaxing and coaching, both Bea & Rita got that ordering eggs each time meant choosing from a variety of different preparations and twice as many potential ingredients. To their absolute dismay, they found a similar overload of choices around ordering drinks, jams/jellies, breads vs. biscuits, milks/creams, teas, coffees, and every other thing that they once thought simple. Inevitably their food would arrive and they would be completely bowled over by the super size portions, especially when it came to meat and fish. “Is this all for me?” they’d ask with a look of fear and shock. I’d answer, “Uh, yes that’s what you ordered” and then they’d proceed to eat only the small portion that they were more accustomed to having at home.
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Rita would make sure that we took all of our leftovers away with us no matter what it was, including any breads and condiments that may have been placed on the table. We’d all feel a little embarrassed as she stowed everything away and Bea would tease her for this. Rita would just laugh with us, saying, “But in Africa, we are not throwing any food away!” She was right and we did our best not to throw any of our food away. Though ultimately, we were unable to avoid it and the first time that we had to stuff food in the trash, Bea agreed sadly, “Yes, we have to because there is no one around to give it to.” |
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It was a whirlwind of a trip, one that often pushed Rita to leave and come back to the same hotel room within a few hours only to ask, “Is this the same place?” We all breathed a huge sigh of relief when we finally arrived in New Orleans, our last destination and the new U.S. home for BaBa Blankets. After driving thousands of miles with BaBa Blankets stacked up to the roof, and a few times whipping around in the wind on top, it felt great to have finally made it to our new home base.
Since then, Bea has called me from Ghana to tell me how happy she is to, at last answer “Yes!” to the many customers who ask us, “Do you have a store in the U.S.?” If nothing else, we all know that we’ve earned our little place in the shade.
We’d been back in Ghana for about a week before we made the trek up to the rural northern region to check on the progress of our young SISTA Scholars School had just let out of session and Mercy was back in her village with her mother. We visited with her there in the flood-washed mud adobe compound that is her home. It was a joyful visit. We’d come to inform Mercy that Bolgatanga Girls’ Secondary School (BOGISS) had accepted our appeal for her transfer into their sophomore class. We all looked forward to seeing her in the much improved conditions that make BOGISS the first-choice for most every girl in the region. The transfer would be one more step towards positive change in her life. We were all moved beyond words. We walked quietly through the field, leaving Mercy’s compound. Later that evening, Bea looked at me and said, “The next time I go to the U.S., I will save half of my earnings and give it to Mercy.” “What made you decide this?” I asked. Bea answered me simply, “Because someone thought of me, now it is my turn to think of someone else.”
Thank you all for continuing to think of us.
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