At the end of the day, after drinking 4 green coconuts, eating as much mis'ti (sweets) and other snacks, my stomach was beginning to get a strange feeling. Yet I was so touched by the hospitality and generosity of those we had come to see. Why is it that those who have the least so often give the most? I have seen hospitality given out of duty, but today I saw it given out of such joy and love.
There are baskets being formed, stars being shaped...
...paper being made ( I don't have time to go into that whole process, but talk about turning trash into treasure, water "weeds" into beautiful paper!). There are hungry stomachs being filled, there is dignity being restored, there are lives being changed.
I was surprised at how happy I felt at the end of the day. I am an introvert and am usually exhausted after interacting with so many people. Yet I truly felt like I'd been given a boost. Not that I wasn't tired at all, but my soul had been fed by the joy of these women and by the beauty of the flowers and rice fields, echoed by the beauty of the handicrafts and the women who make them. I am more convinced than ever that we each can and should play a role in restoring dignity to the poor. Most of the projects named Ten Thousand Villages as one of their biggest buyers. You may not be able to travel the world and see the process from the grassroots level, yet, when you buy fairly traded items, you are making a difference for someone.
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