As published in The Erin Advocate
When Ken Graham distributes bedkits for Sleeping Children Around the World (SCAW), he is bringing more than useful necessities to kids in developing countries. He is delivering a message from caring Canadians.
"It's a gift of love," he said, after receiving a Paul Harris Award from the Erin Rotary Club last Wednesday. "It is important that they realize that someone cares about them."
A farmer from the Coningsby area west of Erin village, Graham has made 16 trips abroad for SCAW. He has helped deliver 78,000 kits that include a mat or mattress, pillow, sheet, blanket, towel, mosquito net where needed, school supplies and clothes.
Each donation of $35 provides one kit, with 100 per cent going to benefit the child (not to administration). That direct link was one of the things that inspired Graham and his late wife Ann to get involved, after hearing the founder of SCAW, Murray Dryden, speak at the Hillsburgh Christian Church (now the Century Church Theatre).
Since 1970, the Toronto-based group has raised more than $20 million, and recently provided its one-millionth bed kit. Countries benefiting include Bangladesh, India, Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda, Togo, Honduras, Nicaragua and the Philippines. Find out more at www.scaw.org.
Graham was at the Rotary Club's annual Charter Night dinner meeting to accept a $1,000 donation from Rotary to SCAW. He was surprised to see his children and grandchildren arriving for the event, and when President Jim Miller announced the award he seemed quite overwhelmed.
"I feel like I'm doing what God wants me to do," he said. "It is an honour – thanks so much."
In a SCAW newsletter, Graham wrote about meeting parents in the Philippines in 2007: "Most parents hope their child will be fortunate enough to go to college. This is a good indication that providing a bedkit that contains things for a good night’s sleep, suitable clothing for school, and school supplies is helping not only the child but the whole family."
Graham is also known for his work with the Erin Agricultural Society, and as a deacon at Ospringe Presbyterian Church.
The certificate for the Harris award (named for a founder of Rotary) cites Graham's promotion of "better understanding and friendly relations between peoples of the world." The award recognizes a shared purpose with the humanitarian mission of the Rotary Foundation. Mayor Rod Finnie was on hand for the presentation at David's Restaurant, and there were letters of congratulation from MPP Ted Arnott and MP Mike Chong.
Rotary Clubs often support Sleeping Children, since both organizations share a dedication to helping people in need, regardless of race or religion. The Erin club is celebrating its 12th year of service, and is looking for new members. Like many groups, Rotary International has established a Haiti Earthquake Relief Fund. For more details: www.rotary.org.
As a footnote to my recent column about the Lacan Kwite bead makers of Northern Uganda, I got a message from Mike Simons of Orton, whose wife Miyeko supports similar enterprises in Africa. Her clothing and gift store Noinkee's, at 168B Broadway in Orangeville, carries Mined ReCreations handbags made from recycled fabrics, which provides education funding for young women in South Africa. They also sell woolen animal toy creations from the Kenana Knitters, a women's co-op in Kenya. For more details: www.noinkees.com.
Showing posts with label Africa. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Africa. Show all posts
January 27, 2010
December 30, 2009
Shoppers have power to make a difference
As published in The Erin Advocate
After urging people to shop local recently, I was reminded that there are sometimes good reasons for shopping foreign.
It was at the Erin Rotary Club Pasta Dinner, held last month at the Hillsburgh Arena, an event to raise money for a big screen TV and a Wii Sports video game at the nearby Meadowview Place Seniors Home.
There was a display of hand-made jewelry from the Lacan Kwite group of women, who live in a refugee camp in Gulu, Northern Uganda. Proceeds from the sale were shared, with 25 per cent to Rotary, and the rest to Paper Bead Works, which imports the beads, assembles the jewelry and markets it under the name "KWITE essential BEADS".
It is difficult to imagine the stress of living in a society torn by 20 years of civil war: homes and farms burned, children abducted to become soldiers, widows caring for orphans, shortages of clean water and many people dying from diseases such as malaria, diarrhea and HIV/AIDS.
"They are a resilient group facing huge difficulties," said Toni Andrews of Guelph, who is helping the women find a wider market for their products. "The way that people just keep going is amazing."
She encountered the women while visiting the area with her husband Rick, who was working on a US Agency for International Development project. Sitting on mats under a mango tree, they were cutting discarded paper into thin strips, rolling them, then applying glue and varnish to create colourful, sturdy beads for necklaces, bracelets and earrings.
While inexpensive by North American standards – I bought a pair of earrings for $12 – the revenue is significant for people who are struggling to improve their lives. The money is managed as a trust fund by an aid agency, and the women decide how it is used – often it is for school fees or bus fares.
"Their main hope is for a better future for their children," says the brochure. "The Lacan Kwite group is not waiting for charity to bring them out of abject poverty, but rather they are eager to work and develop beading as an important source of family income."
The jewelry is available at Karger Gallery in downtown Elora and the Surroundings store on MacDonell Street in Guelph. More information is available via email: paperbeadworks@gmail.com.
The enterprise brings to mind the Fair Trade movement, which originated partly as response to Free Trade, with the goal of helping the people in developing countries who produce goods for the world's wealthier countries. Getting a fair price helps them develop their economies, reducing dependence on foreign aid.
"It makes moral sense," said Heidi Matthews, who helped get a Fair Trade project started at St. John Brebeuf Church in Erin more than 15 years ago. They sell coffees, teas, sugar and cocoa products at the church door once a month.
"It was a social justice initiative," she said. "It seemed like a really important way to ease some suffering in the Global South."
The Nova Scotia cooperative Just Us! that supplies the products had sales revenue of $6.5 million last year, an indication of the concept's growing popularity.
The product range through other channels has expanded to include wine, cotton, spices, soap, rice, fruits and flowers. For information on the criteria for certification, go to www.transfair.ca.
After urging people to shop local recently, I was reminded that there are sometimes good reasons for shopping foreign.
It was at the Erin Rotary Club Pasta Dinner, held last month at the Hillsburgh Arena, an event to raise money for a big screen TV and a Wii Sports video game at the nearby Meadowview Place Seniors Home.
There was a display of hand-made jewelry from the Lacan Kwite group of women, who live in a refugee camp in Gulu, Northern Uganda. Proceeds from the sale were shared, with 25 per cent to Rotary, and the rest to Paper Bead Works, which imports the beads, assembles the jewelry and markets it under the name "KWITE essential BEADS".
It is difficult to imagine the stress of living in a society torn by 20 years of civil war: homes and farms burned, children abducted to become soldiers, widows caring for orphans, shortages of clean water and many people dying from diseases such as malaria, diarrhea and HIV/AIDS.
"They are a resilient group facing huge difficulties," said Toni Andrews of Guelph, who is helping the women find a wider market for their products. "The way that people just keep going is amazing."
She encountered the women while visiting the area with her husband Rick, who was working on a US Agency for International Development project. Sitting on mats under a mango tree, they were cutting discarded paper into thin strips, rolling them, then applying glue and varnish to create colourful, sturdy beads for necklaces, bracelets and earrings.
While inexpensive by North American standards – I bought a pair of earrings for $12 – the revenue is significant for people who are struggling to improve their lives. The money is managed as a trust fund by an aid agency, and the women decide how it is used – often it is for school fees or bus fares.
"Their main hope is for a better future for their children," says the brochure. "The Lacan Kwite group is not waiting for charity to bring them out of abject poverty, but rather they are eager to work and develop beading as an important source of family income."
The jewelry is available at Karger Gallery in downtown Elora and the Surroundings store on MacDonell Street in Guelph. More information is available via email: paperbeadworks@gmail.com.
The enterprise brings to mind the Fair Trade movement, which originated partly as response to Free Trade, with the goal of helping the people in developing countries who produce goods for the world's wealthier countries. Getting a fair price helps them develop their economies, reducing dependence on foreign aid.
"It makes moral sense," said Heidi Matthews, who helped get a Fair Trade project started at St. John Brebeuf Church in Erin more than 15 years ago. They sell coffees, teas, sugar and cocoa products at the church door once a month.
"It was a social justice initiative," she said. "It seemed like a really important way to ease some suffering in the Global South."
The Nova Scotia cooperative Just Us! that supplies the products had sales revenue of $6.5 million last year, an indication of the concept's growing popularity.
The product range through other channels has expanded to include wine, cotton, spices, soap, rice, fruits and flowers. For information on the criteria for certification, go to www.transfair.ca.
July 29, 2009
Artist explores dreams and myths at Main Street studio
As published in The Erin Advocate
Before Paul Morin paints, he charges himself up with the sights and sounds and smells of the environment he wants to capture – whether it is an Erin forest or an African tribal ceremony.
With an established reputation for dramatic paintings, award-winning book illustration and eclectic music, he continues to pursue new inspiration for his work.
"I rely on dreams, as gifts," he said. "I am a sponge...I like to be inside the forest, or the dance. That's where I am inspired to paint, to grasp the essence of it."
Morin moved to Erin Township 21 years ago, but he has now opened a storefront art gallery in the village, at 110 Main Street. He had a gallery for several years in Rockwood, near his home and studio, but he was impressed with Erin's busy downtown and decided to move his retail location here.
"The market was right, due to the recession, but when there's a crisis, that's the time to take a risk," he said. "If people see the paintings, they're going to fall in love with them."
Despite an international career, he says it makes good business sense to have his own local gallery. The time and expense of mounting a major show can make it hard for an artist to break even. Morin found he sold most of his paintings at shows when he was there in person to promote them, so he finds it more practical to do that in his own space, close to home.
The gallery is open Wednesday to Sunday, 11 am to 5 pm, or call 519-833-9906 to arrange a viewing anytime. Most of the paintings on display are landscapes (the most popular with the public), but his overall work also includes abstracts, animals and explorations of symbols from primitive cultures. His books and CDs are also available. To see a broader sampling, go to www.paulmorinstudios.com.
The paintings combine high contrast with subtle details and unique perspective angles, and he is able to create powerful lighting and shadows within the art.
Morin was born in Calgary and grew up near Montreal. He got interested in art during a high school placement at an advertising agency, where he saw that the sketch artist had the most interesting job; but he was not able to get into any art schools in Quebec. He ended up studying a wide range of arts at Grant MacEwen College in Edmonton, illustration and photography at Sheridan College in Oakville, then painting at the Ontario College of Art in Toronto.
As a young man he visited Guinea, the former French colony in West Africa where his father worked for a few years, and was moved by the rhythms and exotic imagery of the native culture. He has since travelled to study cultures in China, Australia, Africa and the Americas, and now does multimedia lectures on mythology, anthropology and biodiversity at conferences and schools. He plans to lease his Erin gallery out to other artists for three months each year so he can continue his travels.
For his first book illustration, he took the risk of going to Africa at his own expense to find material. Then he had to persuade the publisher to accept richly painted images that were totally unlike the watercolours often used in children's books. The result was The Orphan Boy (1990), a commercial success that also won him a Governor-General's Award for Illustration.
Early in his career he worked for ad agencies, which he concedes could have influenced his ability to "clobber people over the head" with bold paintings. Eventually, he grew tired of other people getting credit for his work, so he switched to freelance pursuits.
Along with his artistic skills, he seems to have mastered his business skills. A painting he might sell to the public for $1,000 could go for $20,000 if he sold it to a company for a product label or ad campaign. "I know the value to them. I have learned to defend the value of my art," he said.
He has exhibited in museums across Canada, including solo shows at the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto and the Museum of Civilization in Ottawa. His local shows include several at the Burdette Gallery in Orton and the Wellington County Museum.
His work has appeared in Newsweek, Maclean’s and in the Society of Illustrators annuals, and his 14 book projects have earned more than 25 national and international awards.
Before Paul Morin paints, he charges himself up with the sights and sounds and smells of the environment he wants to capture – whether it is an Erin forest or an African tribal ceremony.
With an established reputation for dramatic paintings, award-winning book illustration and eclectic music, he continues to pursue new inspiration for his work.
"I rely on dreams, as gifts," he said. "I am a sponge...I like to be inside the forest, or the dance. That's where I am inspired to paint, to grasp the essence of it."
Morin moved to Erin Township 21 years ago, but he has now opened a storefront art gallery in the village, at 110 Main Street. He had a gallery for several years in Rockwood, near his home and studio, but he was impressed with Erin's busy downtown and decided to move his retail location here.
"The market was right, due to the recession, but when there's a crisis, that's the time to take a risk," he said. "If people see the paintings, they're going to fall in love with them."
Despite an international career, he says it makes good business sense to have his own local gallery. The time and expense of mounting a major show can make it hard for an artist to break even. Morin found he sold most of his paintings at shows when he was there in person to promote them, so he finds it more practical to do that in his own space, close to home.
The gallery is open Wednesday to Sunday, 11 am to 5 pm, or call 519-833-9906 to arrange a viewing anytime. Most of the paintings on display are landscapes (the most popular with the public), but his overall work also includes abstracts, animals and explorations of symbols from primitive cultures. His books and CDs are also available. To see a broader sampling, go to www.paulmorinstudios.com.
The paintings combine high contrast with subtle details and unique perspective angles, and he is able to create powerful lighting and shadows within the art.
Morin was born in Calgary and grew up near Montreal. He got interested in art during a high school placement at an advertising agency, where he saw that the sketch artist had the most interesting job; but he was not able to get into any art schools in Quebec. He ended up studying a wide range of arts at Grant MacEwen College in Edmonton, illustration and photography at Sheridan College in Oakville, then painting at the Ontario College of Art in Toronto.
As a young man he visited Guinea, the former French colony in West Africa where his father worked for a few years, and was moved by the rhythms and exotic imagery of the native culture. He has since travelled to study cultures in China, Australia, Africa and the Americas, and now does multimedia lectures on mythology, anthropology and biodiversity at conferences and schools. He plans to lease his Erin gallery out to other artists for three months each year so he can continue his travels.
For his first book illustration, he took the risk of going to Africa at his own expense to find material. Then he had to persuade the publisher to accept richly painted images that were totally unlike the watercolours often used in children's books. The result was The Orphan Boy (1990), a commercial success that also won him a Governor-General's Award for Illustration.
Early in his career he worked for ad agencies, which he concedes could have influenced his ability to "clobber people over the head" with bold paintings. Eventually, he grew tired of other people getting credit for his work, so he switched to freelance pursuits.
Along with his artistic skills, he seems to have mastered his business skills. A painting he might sell to the public for $1,000 could go for $20,000 if he sold it to a company for a product label or ad campaign. "I know the value to them. I have learned to defend the value of my art," he said.
He has exhibited in museums across Canada, including solo shows at the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto and the Museum of Civilization in Ottawa. His local shows include several at the Burdette Gallery in Orton and the Wellington County Museum.
His work has appeared in Newsweek, Maclean’s and in the Society of Illustrators annuals, and his 14 book projects have earned more than 25 national and international awards.
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