A Little Help Goes A Long Way

Imagine for a moment that you live in a developing country where the cost of living is at a level very close to Canada's, but with per capita income only a small fraction of what it is here. You manage without running water and your family all sleep in one small room.  Your children are doing well in school and your husband has a modest taxi business that just barely feeds the family and pays basic bills. To supplement family income, you try  growing and selling a few nursery plants, babysitting and doing housework for others. It helps, but just barely!

Then you get the chance to use your own talents to develop a handcraft product that turns out to be highly saleable. With a small amount of outside help, plus your own ability, ambition and a belief in yourself that you hadn't previously recognized, you begin to develop a small business. The unimagineable happens! Your small business is showing all the earmarks of success. With the proceeds, you help to improve your family's living standards. With each sale you buy additional building materials for your house; PVC pipe for running water, plywood, lumber and other materials to build separate bedrooms for your 16 year old daughter and 14 year old son and a new kitchen floor to deal with holes in the existing one.

Allan Sorflaten and Rotarian Lydia Sorflaten first met Kathy Ann two years ago when Kathy Ann began to volunteer at the Agapé Deaf Center in Siparia,Trinidad.  Kathy Ann is a hearing person who has been quick to learn sign language. She came mornings to the Center to help with jewelry making workshops using materials provided by funds from the Rotary Club of Truro. When Allan and Lydia returned to Trinidad in Nov 2007, the deaf and Kathy Ann were preparing jewelry and crafts for ChristmasVillage in San Fernando. A vibrant evangelical group, the OpenBibleChurch, each year sponsors ChristmasVillage on the San Fernando hillside. As many as 30 exhibits offer tasty local foods, plants, hand crafts, health information, Afro-style clothing, tasty home made ice cream (peanut, coconut, passion fruit) and a variety of other products for sale. Main stage begins each evening at 7 o'clock with a variety of musical groups performing every half hour (parang, gospel, calypso, choral). A festive atmoshpere fills the air with feelings of warmth, enthusiasm and togetherness.

 The OpenBibleChurch each year generously donates a sales booth to the AgapéDeafCenter. On their own, the deaf offer their handcrafted products for sale and communicate using sign language.  They handle their own money and use the proceeds to sponsor workshops and help with their outreach activities. As a hearing person, Kathy Ann is a wonderful help to them.

The Rotary Club of Truro equipped Kathy Ann with a starter kit of materials to begin her own hand crafted jewelry business. It was a gratifying experience to see her move ahead so quickly. Within a week, she had her own business cards designed and printed.  When the ladies who work in the Siparia Regional Council office discovered her talents, they invited her to come in and display her creations for sale. These ladies dress in beautiful, tailored suits each day for work and were much attracted by Kathy Ann's appealing matching jewelry sets!  Their enthusiasm was incredible and Kathy Ann's resulting sales were excellent testimony to her entrepreneurial talents. One year later, (Nov 2008)   Kathy Ann is still making her custom crafted jewelry for direct sale into the local market.  As well, she is currently helping the deaf to prepare for their participation at this year's ChristmasVillage. 

This email came the day after ChristmasVillage finished in Trinidad  (Dec 8^th, 2008).  It is from Ian, the deaf person we helped a year ago by getting business cards printed for him (He designed his own).  He and Kathy Ann organized the booth for the Agape Center for the Deaf again this year giving the deaf an opportunity to sell their crafts and jewellery.

I am sorry and not write to u back....bec i have alot planned for deaf spelling bee and as christmas village this month.  do u forgive me?  i am alot tired as not enough sleep.  how are u doing?  we really were great sell from 28th november to 7th december for christmas village.

hope hear from both of u sooooooooon.'