Growing in Talent and Potential: Help BCI Mom Strive to Thrive

Wolela Tsegaye, the mother of one of BCI's sponsor children, Eyob Teklu, has been fairly consistent in coming to one of our income generating projects learning and continuing to improve the skill of making paper bead jewelry. If you have seen one of our child information books, you may or may not have read about Eyob's story. Eyob's father passed away and his mother was very sick with tuberculosis. Her TB is no longer active but the illness has left her with a severe cough with which she will have coughing spells so bad at times I've personally wondered if she would ever catch her breath. Even so, she continues to show up for class.

Wolela Tsegaye, center on couch, October 2014

 

I have seen her continue to improve with each new week, becoming more creative and more innovative coming up with new designs, something I tried to instill in the women when I arrived back here in Debre Zeyit nearly 3 months ago with the beads I learned how to make with permanent marker, paper, toothpicks and a bit of glue. When the class started after I arrived we had nearly 15 women attending and as of late, Wolela has been sometimes the only one to show up which shows me she enjoys the art, she's dedicated and the heart is in it to make her life better.

 

 

Wolela was the first to venture out in making cross designs after seeing my own playings with a paper bead cross pendant. I tend to favor hers more as she gives it that African jewelry touch and she kept toothpicks inside of hers to make it stay straight rather than using only the beading string like I did. You can see her modeling one of her first cross designs below.

She as well as the other girls would often ask for supplies to take home so they could work on making more and below is a photo of the next class when she brought in a couple attempts at tiered necklaces.

November 2014

A set of earrings was our next design. I have not personally made earrings before but given that she is trying and I see her potential, we need more supplies. The more practice she gets the better she will become. We need earring hooks as the metal she used is actually not the safest as it will rust, more paper, more markers for designs and more glue.

 

First set of earrings

Latest bracelet creation, End of November 2014

 

If you would like to donate toward helping our income generating project of paper beads to continue, please visit www.blessingthechildren.org/donate to make your one time donation.