Blog 17 Update on Work at The Shop
Blog 17
Update on Work at the Shop
May 2, 2018
Gentle Reader,
I am well into my 3rd week working at Kara Tepe now. The first week started with several 12 and 14 hour days. Movement on the Ground wants its volunteers to become familiar with all the projects on site, so the first week or so is filled with long hours and many engaging experiences. It is also filled with complete exhaustion, as any of the new volunteers will tell you.
Friends have asked what a typical day looks like for me now volunteering at Kara Tepe. The frenzied schedule of hopping from project to project area has calmed way down. Mostly, I am now scheduled for The Shop, where clothing and shoes are distributed. The Shop is at the hub of the village, directly across from The Chai Shop. It is a lively place where people come in to chat, schedule appointments, see the tailor for alterations, etc...
I tend to work now from 930 am till 630 pm. I am the veteran volunteer in the shop now, so I am training all the new volunteers. Many folks, according to the director, do not like to work in the shop. It is a place where tensions can run high and where we cannot begin to meet all the demands of the residents who come into the shop looking for clothing and shoes. We have over 100 people on the waiting list for shoes, for example. Numerous people stop in daily to see if a new shipment has arrived. Rumor has it that Nike, perhaps, will be donating 1000 shoes soon. I don't know if this will happen when I am here, but I can imagine the excitement this news will draw at Kara Tepe!!! One of the things I want to do when I return home is to check out the possibility of additional corporate sponsorships of shoes. There is an absolutely desperate need for shoes at Kara Tepe. The rocks, as I've discussed in a previous blog, are tough on any shoes.
Here are some highlights from the shop, in the last two days:
1. A woman from Ethiopia brought in her new two week old baby son. She has named him Alexandros because he was born on Greek soil. She was still in much pain from having a C-section, so we tried to find her clothing to wear until the swelling in her stomach goes down. She was all smiles when she left -- with stretchy clothing for herself , and a full kit of newborn clothing for her Alexandros.
2. One of the tailors in the shop, Samira, is pregnant. I was able to help her find comfortable sneakers to wear during her pregnancy. She rejected the purple ones, really wanted white ones, but happily embraced the green ones we had. She tells me she is going to name her baby Marianna. Oh, my heart.
3. Sonne, from Holland, has taken on "Shoeman" role. He completely reorganized the chaotic shoe closet, helping all of us to locate shoes for the residents far more easily.
4. Kittens were born one night in the shoe closet. I opened the shop and a rapid mama cat darted out of the shoeroom. I found just one kitten in a big box. Mama cat kept coming into the shop, trying to feed her baby. I ended up placing the box in the try on room, where the mama cat squeezes into the shop. Within a couple hours, she had removed the kitten from the box and within another hour, the kitten was gone. We think mama cat removed the full litter and are hoping they are being well taken care of by her.
5. This morning I walked in on two cats fighting in the shop. I was greeted by the smell of strong cat urine. I was able to chase them out of the shop, but they both seem to have claimed the shop as their own. For the rest of the day, however, both cats climbed around the perimeter of the tent we call the shop, snarling at one another. Neither of them gave up.
6. We lost power in the shop three times today. Not sure why, but once the computer goes dead and the one little fan stops running, we are quickly roasting in the shop. Simply no air is moving, and it has been up over 80 degrees and higher in recent weeks.
7. I was able to squeeze several new families in for full kits of clothing and shoes. New families are especially disoriented, and having a full kit of clothing helps ground them in this new place. To accommodate the new families, we sometimes double up on residents in the shop. Typically, a family gets a full hour, on their own, to work with us in the shop. My new volunteer group is wonderful (from Australia, Poland, and Holland), and I trust them to assist with the requests of each family. It is definitely teamwork, and I am so happy to say that the volunteers are always up for the challenges presented each day in the shop.
8. I love working with pregnant moms and new moms. They are tired and need all the loving care they can get. Yesterday, a woman in a chador and hijab came into the shop. She spoke Arabic and was trying to tell me that she needed maternity clothes Sometimes miming actions work the best, so she simply pulled up her chador. Beneath, she had on a long sleeve shirt, a pair of leggings , and a pair of jeans. She pointed to the zipper that she could no longer zip up, pointing at her puffy belly. We both could not stop laughing. The communication was specific, and it worked. I helped her find stretchable leggings and a new pair of jeans... with sparkles and studs on them! She was a happy woman leaving the shop.
9. We occasionally have a father that is out of control with his children come into the shop. These are wretchedly difficult situations. The veteran shop person before me asked me to take over when a particularly mean-spirited and abusive father came into the shop with his family. She simply could not work with him anymore. I tried to resolve any and all issues with clothing and shoes -- there were eleven folks in this family -- and tried to ease the tensions. Still, the father clamped his fist on the shoulders of the children, slapped them, and shouted at them relentlessly. The Mama Bear in me wanted to protect the children, naturally. They were simply being curious and inquisitive children. Enough said.
10. I have been told that there are some "Ali Babas" around the village. The scissors of one of the tailors went missing, so she was unable to do her job yesterday. This situation turned into an argument between the two tailors, each accusing the other of theft. It was a very difficult and awkward situation. I had hoped it would be resolved between them, but that was not the way the story went. Instead, each tailor has asked for a locked cabinet in which to house his/her own supplies Not in the spirit of sharing or cooperation, but the locked cabinets will ultimately offer each tailor the assurance that supplies will be available as they start their tasks in the shop. I would much rather see people build bridges, as this seemed like the building of a wall. However, it was a workable solution.
****************************************************************************
The longer I work at Kara Tepe, the more I am grateful for the "people skills" I developed over the 32 years I taught middle and high school students. Others in the shop are amazed that I never seem to get upset or ruffled, always treating each resident with dignity and respect. I find that a smile and a kind word go a long way, even when language is an obstacle. I try to communicate with each person that I am there to do the best I can to find them the clothing they would like to own. All of us in the shop are tireless in meeting the needs of the residents, and I think that positive attitude, and a willingness to search in the warehouse for a requested item, go a long way in keeping the shop an affirming and positive place to be.
There is a beautiful transformation that takes place when one is on their knees, fitting shoes to another person. There is a willingness to be vulnerable, a willingness to serve. I am reminded daily of the Maundy Thursday practice at St John Student Parish: members of the church would volunteer to wash the feet of other people in the congregation. Servant leaders. A willingness to serve. A willingness to hold another's feet in one's hand and offer comfort. I was always so very moved by this ritual at St Johns. It has now taken on an even deeper meaning for me as I serve at Kara Tepe.
Here's a little background on Maundy Thursday for you...
May you have a day filled with many blessings. May you allow yourself to be vulnerable, to meet the needs of others without considering your own May you love one another in a deeply humble and transforming way...
Namaste,
Marianne
Update on Work at the Shop
May 2, 2018
Gentle Reader,
I am well into my 3rd week working at Kara Tepe now. The first week started with several 12 and 14 hour days. Movement on the Ground wants its volunteers to become familiar with all the projects on site, so the first week or so is filled with long hours and many engaging experiences. It is also filled with complete exhaustion, as any of the new volunteers will tell you.
Friends have asked what a typical day looks like for me now volunteering at Kara Tepe. The frenzied schedule of hopping from project to project area has calmed way down. Mostly, I am now scheduled for The Shop, where clothing and shoes are distributed. The Shop is at the hub of the village, directly across from The Chai Shop. It is a lively place where people come in to chat, schedule appointments, see the tailor for alterations, etc...
I tend to work now from 930 am till 630 pm. I am the veteran volunteer in the shop now, so I am training all the new volunteers. Many folks, according to the director, do not like to work in the shop. It is a place where tensions can run high and where we cannot begin to meet all the demands of the residents who come into the shop looking for clothing and shoes. We have over 100 people on the waiting list for shoes, for example. Numerous people stop in daily to see if a new shipment has arrived. Rumor has it that Nike, perhaps, will be donating 1000 shoes soon. I don't know if this will happen when I am here, but I can imagine the excitement this news will draw at Kara Tepe!!! One of the things I want to do when I return home is to check out the possibility of additional corporate sponsorships of shoes. There is an absolutely desperate need for shoes at Kara Tepe. The rocks, as I've discussed in a previous blog, are tough on any shoes.
Here are some highlights from the shop, in the last two days:
1. A woman from Ethiopia brought in her new two week old baby son. She has named him Alexandros because he was born on Greek soil. She was still in much pain from having a C-section, so we tried to find her clothing to wear until the swelling in her stomach goes down. She was all smiles when she left -- with stretchy clothing for herself , and a full kit of newborn clothing for her Alexandros.
2. One of the tailors in the shop, Samira, is pregnant. I was able to help her find comfortable sneakers to wear during her pregnancy. She rejected the purple ones, really wanted white ones, but happily embraced the green ones we had. She tells me she is going to name her baby Marianna. Oh, my heart.
3. Sonne, from Holland, has taken on "Shoeman" role. He completely reorganized the chaotic shoe closet, helping all of us to locate shoes for the residents far more easily.
4. Kittens were born one night in the shoe closet. I opened the shop and a rapid mama cat darted out of the shoeroom. I found just one kitten in a big box. Mama cat kept coming into the shop, trying to feed her baby. I ended up placing the box in the try on room, where the mama cat squeezes into the shop. Within a couple hours, she had removed the kitten from the box and within another hour, the kitten was gone. We think mama cat removed the full litter and are hoping they are being well taken care of by her.
5. This morning I walked in on two cats fighting in the shop. I was greeted by the smell of strong cat urine. I was able to chase them out of the shop, but they both seem to have claimed the shop as their own. For the rest of the day, however, both cats climbed around the perimeter of the tent we call the shop, snarling at one another. Neither of them gave up.
6. We lost power in the shop three times today. Not sure why, but once the computer goes dead and the one little fan stops running, we are quickly roasting in the shop. Simply no air is moving, and it has been up over 80 degrees and higher in recent weeks.
7. I was able to squeeze several new families in for full kits of clothing and shoes. New families are especially disoriented, and having a full kit of clothing helps ground them in this new place. To accommodate the new families, we sometimes double up on residents in the shop. Typically, a family gets a full hour, on their own, to work with us in the shop. My new volunteer group is wonderful (from Australia, Poland, and Holland), and I trust them to assist with the requests of each family. It is definitely teamwork, and I am so happy to say that the volunteers are always up for the challenges presented each day in the shop.
8. I love working with pregnant moms and new moms. They are tired and need all the loving care they can get. Yesterday, a woman in a chador and hijab came into the shop. She spoke Arabic and was trying to tell me that she needed maternity clothes Sometimes miming actions work the best, so she simply pulled up her chador. Beneath, she had on a long sleeve shirt, a pair of leggings , and a pair of jeans. She pointed to the zipper that she could no longer zip up, pointing at her puffy belly. We both could not stop laughing. The communication was specific, and it worked. I helped her find stretchable leggings and a new pair of jeans... with sparkles and studs on them! She was a happy woman leaving the shop.
9. We occasionally have a father that is out of control with his children come into the shop. These are wretchedly difficult situations. The veteran shop person before me asked me to take over when a particularly mean-spirited and abusive father came into the shop with his family. She simply could not work with him anymore. I tried to resolve any and all issues with clothing and shoes -- there were eleven folks in this family -- and tried to ease the tensions. Still, the father clamped his fist on the shoulders of the children, slapped them, and shouted at them relentlessly. The Mama Bear in me wanted to protect the children, naturally. They were simply being curious and inquisitive children. Enough said.
10. I have been told that there are some "Ali Babas" around the village. The scissors of one of the tailors went missing, so she was unable to do her job yesterday. This situation turned into an argument between the two tailors, each accusing the other of theft. It was a very difficult and awkward situation. I had hoped it would be resolved between them, but that was not the way the story went. Instead, each tailor has asked for a locked cabinet in which to house his/her own supplies Not in the spirit of sharing or cooperation, but the locked cabinets will ultimately offer each tailor the assurance that supplies will be available as they start their tasks in the shop. I would much rather see people build bridges, as this seemed like the building of a wall. However, it was a workable solution.
****************************************************************************
The longer I work at Kara Tepe, the more I am grateful for the "people skills" I developed over the 32 years I taught middle and high school students. Others in the shop are amazed that I never seem to get upset or ruffled, always treating each resident with dignity and respect. I find that a smile and a kind word go a long way, even when language is an obstacle. I try to communicate with each person that I am there to do the best I can to find them the clothing they would like to own. All of us in the shop are tireless in meeting the needs of the residents, and I think that positive attitude, and a willingness to search in the warehouse for a requested item, go a long way in keeping the shop an affirming and positive place to be.
There is a beautiful transformation that takes place when one is on their knees, fitting shoes to another person. There is a willingness to be vulnerable, a willingness to serve. I am reminded daily of the Maundy Thursday practice at St John Student Parish: members of the church would volunteer to wash the feet of other people in the congregation. Servant leaders. A willingness to serve. A willingness to hold another's feet in one's hand and offer comfort. I was always so very moved by this ritual at St Johns. It has now taken on an even deeper meaning for me as I serve at Kara Tepe.
Here's a little background on Maundy Thursday for you...
Maundy (from the Vulgate of John 13:34 mandatum meaning "command"),[1][2][3][4][5] or the Washing of the Feet, is a religious riteobserved by various Christian denominations. The name is taken from the first few Latin words sung at the ceremony of the washing of the feet, "Mandatum novum do vobis ut diligatis invicem sicut dilexi vos" ("I give you a new commandment, That ye love one another as I have loved you") (John 13:34), and from the Latin form of the commandment of Christ that we should imitate His loving humility in the washing of the feet (John 13:14–17). The term mandatum (maundy), therefore, was applied to the rite of foot-washing on this day of the Christian Holy Week called Maundy Thursday.
John 13:1–17 recounts Jesus' performance of this act. In verses 13:14–17, He instructs His disciples:
May you have a day filled with many blessings. May you allow yourself to be vulnerable, to meet the needs of others without considering your own May you love one another in a deeply humble and transforming way...
Namaste,
Marianne
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