Shalom

Yesterday, we continued bead-shopping in the morning (we're going to have fun trying to fit all the bags of beads into our suitcases for our flight to Arequipa!) We then met CMS mission partner, Pat Blanchard for lunch. She runs a school for children and young adults with disabilities, called Shalom, which we had the opportunity to visit in the afternoon. We were given a warm welcome as soon as we arrived and all of the students were eager to show us the work they had been doing. They were in the middle of a painting workshop, where they paint boxes and earring stands and other little items in bright colours, some of which are then sold. They took great pride in showing us all the painting they had been doing. The wonderfully smiley guy in the picture below told us that he comes to the workshop two days a week, but he would like to come on Mondays as well. These craft sessions at the Shalom school clearly make a huge difference to the lives of the students, as they get a chance to learn new skills and be creative.

The work that Pat does at Shalom obviously has some cross-over with the work that Craft Aid International does. It was so encouraging to see how successful her work has been. The whole atmosphere of the school felt so warm and friendly, and there was a real sense of joy.

Whilst we were there, Susie also taught the group how to make beads out of recycled cardboard. They picked it up really quickly and were keen to learn. These young people are thriving, as they are given the chance to learn craft skills and make products to sell. One lady had even started making her own beautiful cards, using feathers. We also talked with Pat about the possibilities of other products they could make. It is exciting to see how much potential there is in schools like this, and is yet another reminder of the importance of Craft Aid's work. It would be wonderful to be able to send out experienced design graduates to places such as these, where there are so many capable young people, who would love to be able to work and to continue to learn new skills. There is so much more I could write, but for now, I will have to sign off, as we are about to head off to the airport to fly to Arequipa!