from http://www.youtube.com/watch#!v=tkqVv3xxc6A&feature=channel

 from http://www.youtube.com/watch#!v=vg3hiWgGmCA&feature=related

  Weaving towards the fulfilment of dreams... By Anamaria Motateanu Mother and daughter learn to weave a beautiful traditional bag. Photo by World Vision staffROMANIA - Nestled in the undulating hill area of southwest Romania, Argetoaia is a village inhabited by simple, hard-working and beautiful people, who cherish the old tradition of arts and crafts. In 2009, in an effort to revive the potential of the area, World Vision enabled 20 women to participate in a qualification course on handicrafts through the Post-Harvest Agriculture Development Project, and along with the Argetoaia City Hall established a Weaving Workshop, allowing the students to make traditional products, as their grand-mothers used to do. ”I could not believe that a Weaving Workshop was to be offered in our village; it was like God had remembered us and decided to bring something good in our lives,” said 29-year-old Violeta, who participated in the World Vision Weaving Project.

Violeta, her husband and her two children live in a village close to Argetoaia. Her daughter Maria, 6, has big black eyes and a playful look, which transmits energy and joy all around. Her son Andrei, 10, goes to the village school. He looks serious and shy, but his protective look reveals the sense of kindness and courage to protect his mother and sister forever.

I joined the qualification courses with great joy... I have never had a proper job...For Violeta and her family the Weaving Workshop meant the chance of a new life. She speaks of it with a warm voice: “I like the large windows that send a protective light towards all of us, the old scent of the weaving machines that send us back to the times when we were children, the laughter and the pleasant atmosphere we all create…all these seem to take me to a magical world, far from all the daily problems”.

In Argetoaia, the statistics speak for themselves: out of 4,336 residents, only 111 people work in the public institutions in the commune, including the church, dispensary, City Hall, food stores and mill. To earn a living, 15% of the population has to commute every day to work in the factories and greenhouses nearby. The migration phenomenon is clearly visible here with 10% of the inhabitants working abroad. The main source of income for the population in Argetoaia remains agriculture and livestock.

“I joined the qualification courses with great joy. It was the first chance for me to work properly, to do something different.” Until then, Violeta’s life was characterised by the community routine of working and dealing with ordinary housework and household responsibilities, working in the fields, taking care of her family and children. “I have never had a proper job, life here is not like in the city, the chances are just a few, and commuting was out of the question as I had nobody to leave my children with.”

Her family’s fixed income comes from their children’s allowances which amount to just US$30 per month. They also live on what her husband earns from working here and there, as a builder and mason. A four-member family can live a modest life in Argetoaia on an average income of US$180 per month. But even this sum is hard to reach for Violeta and her husband, especially during winter time when there are great expenses related to heating the home and work is nowhere to be found.

Participating in the weaving workshop also gave her an extra financial benefit. The day she received the professional qualification certificate, Violeta also participated with her weaver colleagues at the exhibition sales stand, organised by World Vision at the local fair from Argetoaia.

“When all our products were sold, my heart filled up with joy”, recalls Violeta.

World Vision Romania also facilitated the sale of workshop products to different companies from the capital Bucharest and to different fairs, including the one from Vratsa (Bulgaria) or from Craiova (Romania). Violeta received almost US$110 from product sales. “I used part of the money to buy Andrei and Maria presents from Santa Claus, bringing joy and fulfilment in my home at Christmas time”, remembers Violeta. In total, the women have earned a combined sum of US$1,200.

Before taking part in the course, Violeta’s only experience in the art of weaving was when she watched her grandmother weaving. “We were so amazed what colourful flowered carpets were being made by her hands. Now I can hardly believe my eyes- I can weave as well as she does, and weaving does not seem difficult to me, just wonderful.”

When all our products were sold, my heart filled up with joyVioleta is very talented in everything she does, but what she enjoys most is to make traditional hand- bags.

“Maria wears them with great love and this makes me very happy.” Violeta’s work also has a great impact on her daughter, who watches her mother proudly working at the loom.

“I love watching my mother weaving”, she states simply. Maria often helps Violeta at the workshop by arranging the wool, choosing different colours, or thinking about different patterns.

Besides her passion for weaving that comes from her mother’s work, Maria has another dream: “When I grow up, I will become a doctor.” Violeta, smiling and looking with hope through the workshop window, towards the place where the green hills touch the blue sky, says to her daughter, “Don’t forget your dreams; here we weave towards their fulfilment....”.

***
The weaving workshop brought hope for the beneficiaries of the Weaving Project initiated by World Vision, contributing to the development and improvement of community life.

“Firstly, the beneficiaries received qualification in the hand made weaver field. Secondly, by selling and promoting their products, the weavers also developed their entrepreneurial spirit. Thirdly, by participating with workshop’s products at different national and international fares (Vratsa - Bulgaria) and events, the community visibility has improved a lot”, says Roberto Patrascoiu, economic development consultant for World Vision Romania.

Nowadays, eight women are making handicrafts at the Weaving Workshop. including carpets and traditional hand-bags from Oltenia, all characterised by their vibrant colours and patterns. Traditional skirts, belts, towels, pillow cases and miniature products as souvenirs are also being produced. There is also the possibility of making products for different events and taking orders at fairs and exhibitions, etc.

World Vision will continue to sustain the Weaving Workshop by identifying different Trade Markets for the sale of the traditional products from Oltenia.

Source:
* Statistics and financial data gathered from Argetoaia City Hall.
First published on May 12, 2010, 09:53. Last updated on May 13, 2010, 07:26.

fromhttp://meero.worldvision.org/news_article.php?newsID=2049&countryID=10

From June 22-24, 2010, DTI in partnership with PhilNITS and NLGQUAD brought to Laoag the phase 2 training of the TEHIE project. I am one of the participants and today, I am starting to do my blog about the handwoven cloth or locally known as "Inabel."

I may not know yet what to blog but I will put in as much as I can about my product-"Inabel."

See you in my next blog posts.