In
2006, Marissa Garcia (an artist from Louisville, KY) was working online with a global team of people, raising
funds to obtain a water purifier for Mubende, Uganda. It was
through this online community that Marissa met Atukunda Rosette (a
Ugandan woman), in April of 2007. Rosette, who has a graduate
degree in business, and Marissa with an MA in Art Therapy conversed
about how they can collaborate and work together using their skills.
What they had in common was a desire to help the disadvantaged women
artisans of Uganda.
This trade partnership started when the first 8 women created samples of
doll clothing. The first tool *UWEC received from
Marissa was a digital camera, so that the artisans can take pictures of
samples. Realizing that they needed tools, Marissa mobilized donors to
donate for sewing machines. 4 machines were obtained by *UWEC,
this was then followed by a laptop computer, 3 paper cutters, then at
the end of the year, a 50-sitter tent.
*UWEC now assists 100 artisans, who make paper bead jewelry, baskets,
small stuffed animals, and other woven items.
Rosette runs the organization like a family. She now has 4 leaders
within the group. The women who are skilled in creating crafts teach the
other women. To extend empowerment to the community, UWEC will be
collaborating with the
Covenant Clinic in Katosi which takes care of 150 orphans.
The women will be teaching the children skills in crafts, such as sewing
their own clothing.
Marissa continues to help by being their distributor to create a market
for *UWEC( and now **AAWI) products, by informing donors the
artisans' wishlist, by assisting in the development of products.
Rosette and Marissa continually encourage and learn from each other,
through daily emails.
*UWEC and **AAWI now has wholesalers and resellers in Kentucky,
Mississippi, Michigan, and California, Washington, and Atlanta.
To see
Marissa's art work, please click here.
*Uganda Women Empowerment through Crafts
**African Art Women's Initiatives
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