marcela's blog

So we just pushed out the first newsletter that didn't include any pictures of new handbags!  For the rest of the year we will be focused on raising funds for postage.  

We have been spending endless hours preparing clothes for the holiday season that need to be sent down to Colombia.  Kevin has been carrying in bags and bags of clothes that have been left at his office, picking up garbage bags of donations from friends' homes in the City and more have been waiting for us at our door step from local neighbors.  You wouldn't believe how blessed we have been!  Once they arrive at our apartment, different friends have been volunteering to help me sift through all of the clothes so that we can decide where they will end up once they get to Colombia.  Click here to find out how we plan to distribute them.

Now we need to get the clothes down there.  As I mention on our "Get Involved" page of the website, its not cheap.  About $1.50 per pound.  I can't even begin to estimate how many pounds fit in a single black garbage bag, but we have a room full of those waiting to make it to Colombia.  In some cases, a pair of shoes will weigh about a pound (we have workboots that were donated for the village).

Many have asked me what the deal is with Colombia's free trade agreement (since it was mentioned in the debate). This article in the Latin Business Chronicle clearly explains Obama's misrepresentation of Colombia's progress against Union leader violence. Note that other Democrat's - including Clinton - are supporters.  

The facts (from the article):

In 2002, the first year of President Alvaro Uribe's administration, there were a total of 196 union deaths in Colombia, according to the office of the vice president. (See Multimedia document Colombia Victims Sept 2008). That includes 97 teacher union members and 99 union members from other sectors. Last year, the total number of unionists assassinated fell to 26, of which 18 were teacher unionists and eight were unionists from other sectors. That means that assassinations of unionists have fallen by 87 percent in the six year period 2002-07.

Look, I am not a political person nor do I pretend to fully understand the full effect that an Obama or McCain presidency might have. I post this article however because it does bother me when the progress Colombia has made against violence is diminished.

A few weeks back we mentioned that someone "found" us. Turns out that they used the Google search "importing from Colombia". Well, thanks to the powers of the internet, Promising Growth (Asi Crecemos) has formed an alliance with a group called Give Life to Children.

Give Life to Children Seniors and Indigenous is a US non-profit organization working to help raise funds and awareness for their "sister" organization in Colombia called El Sembrador. There, they run a multitude of programs that, like Promising Growth, are all about teaching self-sustainability instead of just giving handouts. While their programs are geared to helping people across all ages, we were most interested in their Homes for Minors program and Learning to Live Program, where we thought Promising Growth could make an impact.

Patty (our US contact) and I have been discussing different ways that we can work together. I am personally excited because Promising Growth has been trying to find a way to make a greater impact with the clothing that our supporters have so kindly been donating. I mentioned this to Patty and our first idea emerged. Our first project: A Thrift Shop that will teach the boys and girls being sheltered by Giving Life how to run a business. Funds raised will be used to help run and manage the "Homes for Minors" houses that other donations have built. Clothes that are not in "like-new" condition will be sent to the poor families in the village that Promising Growth works with or to displaced families in the shanty towns outside of Medellin.

I am SO proud to announce that we have been asked to speak tonight at the Marie Sklodowska-Curie Professional Woman's Association in Brooklyn.  I will be talking about social entrepreneurship, fair trade and women-owned and operated businesses.  Our presentation can be found here: 

Presentation for the Marie Sklodowska-Curie Professional Woman's Association    

Join our friends from Project Bona Fide at the Boat Basin for a great cause.  All of you local New Yorkers KNOW that this is a GREAT deal.  $20 drinks and snacks at the Boat Basin.  Can you think of a better way to spend an autumn afternoon?

Details:

Come join us for fine wine and colorful art
Sunday, September 28th, 2008
Five to Eight p.m.
79th & Hudson River, New York City
$20 entrance includes:
wine, light hors d’oeuvres and a bar drink

We've had a few inquiries about getting tickets for this dinner.  We are not associated with this event but will be attending.  I got the information from a flyer at a local Colombian restaurant:

NY/NJ Banquet

Monday, Sept. 22 @ 7PM

Doors open at 6:30

Donation: $100 - For tickets:

201-854-5540 or

201-869-3773

President Uribe will be in attendance.  Here is the announcement on the Colombian Embassy's website about it:  http://www.consuladodecolombiany.com/new_page/index.htm

If you are from the NJ area and plan to attend, get in touch with us!

This project has been a blessing to the people of El Percal.  There is no doubt about it.  That's what we are here for.  But in the last few weeks, something wonderfully unexpected has happened - to me!  Other Colombians throughout the US have been reaching out to find me and make connections.  I wasn't raised around my culture here in the states so its exciting to find/meet other American-Colombians that want to work together to make a difference.

Last week, Patty from Washington State reached out through our website.  She is from Cali and is working on a non-profit that focuses on homeless children and seniors.  Her website launches in a few weeks.  We will be working on a few initiatives together to help both projects.  Her non-profit's name: Give Life to Children and Seniors.

Additionally, I met Cecilia from North Bergen, NJ.  She is managing the fundraising for Banquete del Millon.  Find out more about this at www.elminutodedios.org.  If you want to attend contact me for more info.  Cecilia also introduced me to www.somosantioquia.org, an organization that tried to pull together Colombians from the Antioquia region. 

So Colombianos... keep looking and let us know if you find other Colombians that we can pull into the fold! 

Two weeks ago tonight I was truly touched by the story of "7 Soles", a movie about the illegal journey of immigrants across the Mexico/US border. Going in I honestly wondered what the director, Pedro Ultreras, could possibly tell us, show us, that we don't already know. Well, the movie's brutal honesty was painful and made the horror of the situation very real.

Just yesterday I was talking to someone we know personally that made the journey. She mentioned that her sister crossed with her two children when they were 6 and 5. When I mentioned the movie she immediately closed her eyes and (in Spanish of course) said she didn't even want to TRY to remember how horrible her experience was. Now I understand it. Pedro Ultreras made his point.

After the premiere they asked the Director if he thought building walls across the border is the answer. He admittedly didn't know the answer, but does know that those walls are going to make it even more dangerous to get across. Getting people across that border is a business, and a wall won't stop the "coyotes" from finding creative ways to get people across. We have to find a smarter solution than building a wall.

Will our next president do anything about this? Only time will tell. In the meantime, care enough to really understand the hardship of the immigrants that serve this country so well:

Read a review here - About Pedro Ultreras

We are happy to announce that we will be selling at a market in Soho on Sunday, July 20th and Friday, July 25th. Please spread the word by distributing this message to your NY/NJ friends and family.

The market can be found on the corner of Prince and Mulberry.  We will be there starting at 11 am.  You can find more information about it on our FaceBook page and our latest blog entry. 

It is an understatement to say that Colombians are proud of our President, Uribe, and the Colombian Army that freed the hostages this week.  Colombia has been suffering for so long, and for the first time in my lifetime, I believe there is hope for a resolution to our internal conflict.  Most Americans don't really understand the background, so here is a very good summary from BBC.