Sea Hearts for Hope, Working to Better Lives

Sea Heart for Hope, Working to Better Lives:

Initially I thought I would not write either of these stories because there is such tragedy involved and the stories are so personal but here goes.

Kesu:

Early in our time with IDF, we visited a ’Promoter ’ in Wum who had pigs. She enthusiastically showed us her pigs, introduced us to her Mother and showed us her yams growing well assisted by pig manure.

About two weeks after that, disaster struck. Her pigs died. We did a little investigation and feel that they might have been poisoned by feeding cassava. Being HIV AIDS positive, the grief of losing her pigs caused her to be in hospital five days.

Oussematou heard of her tragedy. She called her and said we were having a bead workshop, would she like to come and stay with her and take the workshop. She arrived (four hour bus trip) and stayed four days. Following training, she set to work and made 100 necklaces with the Sea Hearts. She was thrilled when I paid her 30,000 CFs for her work. She immediately said she would put some in the bank. Thank God, Thank God for the opportunity to make these beads was her reaction. She said that farming is such hard work. She just loves working with the beads. She is very creative. Each necklace is different. You will notice in the second picture below, she is straining to see. I took four pair of magnifier glasses from dollar store. She just loves hers!   (Kesu looks different because her hair is done in a different way.)

When Oussematou received an order for pottery beads and needed a reliable worker to help, the first person she called was ‘Kesu’. Kesu is the name she has chosen to make her beads under. It is the name of her village. When I asked her to label each package with her chosen name, I noticed a page where she had practiced writing Kesu many times!

Mimi’s Mother: We met Mimi at the hotel. I liked her, felt she had real potential but made no plans. I did tell her we worked on the 4th floor of the tallest building on Commercial Street in Bamenda and that my bosses name was Oussematou and that we worked for IDF. With that info, Mimi found us. I immediately introduced her to Oussematou and Mimi wrote down for me her contact information which I gave to Oussematou. Mimi and I worked on designing some necklaces, experimenting with different beads, different finishing. Oussematou was concerned about Mimi. She interviewed her and called her mother. Her mother had not had contact with Mimi for months and was very worried about her. Mimi’s Mother agreed to come in to meet with Oussematou. That was a very difficult meeting (many tears). The following day, Mimi’s Mother returned for a meeting with Mimi and Oussematou. A plan was discussed. There had been no money for Mimi to go back to school in the fall. Mimi had left home and was living with bad friends. Mimi’s Mother was sick with concern. The above picture was taken the day Mimi and her Mother were reunited.


Oussematou invited Mimi’s Mother to take part in the beading workshop. Both Mimi and Mimi’s Mother took the bead training. When at the workshop, Mimi and her Mother were both coughing a lot. Oussematou asked them to go to hospital for testing (TB and HIV AIDS). Recall that they are from the Boro tribe and this tribe does not follow conventional immunization. To our surprise, they did go for testing. They have a very sick uncle that they are caring for in their home (TB and HIV AIDS).

Results? At the send off they did for us, Mimi’s Mother publically told everyone that she tested positive for HIV AIDS. In order for her to go on antiretroviral drugs, she must have several more blood tests (C40) and then she must pay for her drugs. She is most appreciative of the bead training and the opportunity to be paid for making beads. She would like to earn enough to buy fabric to make dresses and to pay Mimi’s school fees and her drugs. By taking the drugs and taking proper care of herself, she has a good chance that she can live a rewarding life.