Meeting needs

The canning project has finished its first 2 ½ weeks of operation. We, ourselves, are no longer onsite, but our hearts are there with the ladies as each day they process fresh produce for the winter months. What some may not know is that the ladies not only receive jars of preserves, pickles and tomato salads, but in Osh, they were also invited into a 'clothing store' (set up on the premises) where each woman was able to chose from a large assortment of second hand clothing, the items her family most needed. Each clothing item is 'priced' and each woman is given the same purchasing value, so that the give-away is fair.

This is inside the clothing shop. The woman on the left is wearing the traditional Uzbek dress, the kuylak. On the right is the woman who came to help us.

Sue and Elaine spent large portions of the first week setting up and administering the clothing giveaway. During the second week, a young lady with experience in marketing secondhand clothing was sent to us, and what a blessing she was. She had access to hangers and racks which made organization so much more convenient and attractive.

The third week brought additional treats for the women who came to do canning. A 'tushak-making' project in the city yielded a number of nice tushaks (cotton-stuffed floor mats) that are found in every home.During the daytime, these are used for sitting on, and at night, they become sleeping mats. When not in use, they are folded and layered in large stacks. Some of these newly-sewn tushaks became available for distribution. There is a limit to how many of these are available, but for at least some women, they have had a basic need met.

We had noticed from the first day of clothing distribution that the women couldn't find suitable clothing for themselves from among the second-hand clothing options. The second-hand clothing is from Denmark, where women obviously dress themselves somewhat differently than the women of Osh. Uzbek women's dresses are made in a traditional style: long-sleeved, high-necked and to the ankle. Typically, a woman purchases a length of fabric and either makes the dress herself or has a seamstress sew it for her. Since most women fled the violence with only the dress on their back, many are in bad need of a second dress. "I have to wash my dress out at night and hope it dries by morning," they told us. Funds have become available for the purchase of bolts of fabric that can be cut according to a woman's size and given to her to take home. By providing the fabric to create their own traditional style, a real need is being met.