How To: When You Return Home, Share Your Treasures With Friends and with the Local Artists

Especially in undeveloped countries, we can purchase souvenirs for a very small amount of Western money. We might feel self-conscious about spending money on mostly non-necessary items when we know the seller is barely eking out a living spending long hours at his craft. I bought items in Africa to take home and sell at my church, and then I sent back to Africa almost $500 in proceeds.

I have a friend who goes to Malawi every year since her time in the Peace Corps 50 years ago, so I sent the money with her because I knew she was actively involved in health care and an AIDS clinic. She was going to Malawi not long after my return from Africa, and I knew she would know how to get the most use from the cash she carried in her bra for safe keeping. She was able to buy dozens of mosquito nets and medicine for the clinic, so everyone was a winner. I would have perferred to send the money to Kenya or Ethiopia where I had traveled, but having a safe emissary seemed the better part of valor. Who knows, it is possible that just these simple efforts saved a few lives. No souvenir can beat that.

Because of luggage space, I bought mostly Ethiopian scarves and Kenyan batik to sell because they were easy to pack and would not break. I bought small batik for only $4.00 each and the scarves were various prices, mainly from $5.00-10.00. I sold things for 2-3 times what I paid, so they still were reasonable prices. My purchasers were thrilled to get something they knew came directly from Africa. I had some other small items also, just anything I got a good deal on or that I had extra of or that when I got home, I wondered why on earth I bought that particular item. I don't have pictures of these things I sold in 2006, but I am including pictures of similar items.

I had a tri-fold board set up with dozens of pictures of African faces because I was so entranced by them, and i wanted them to also feel the immediacy and personal need instead of daunting statistics that overwhelm us until we end up doing nothing. This trip was a real stretch for me financially, and I felt bad that I did not have more money to share when I was there. This was a way I could generate money from the people themselves and then return it to them. I felt it was a very appropriate way to ease my return home but also to incorporate the ways I wanted to help after being immersed in a culture so different and in such need.

More pictures when I find them....