Getting Ready for Valentine's Day

On Monday we met with the people from OSCE, the focal points for the artisan groups in the south, and the PCVs - that is, those who could make it through the fog. Two focal points were delayed, so we had another meeting on Tuesday. Both were productive but exhausting - we reviewed new products, had a progress report on each group, introduced Brian and myself, and heard what they might need from us. It was the first time Tim heard our backgrounds in detail too, and he seemed pleased with how well we fit HIS needs. At the end of the second meeting, I turned to one of the PCVs and said that if I were in Morocco that would be enough work for the day - and then I would have gone home to read, cook, or play cards, or maybe done some challenging errand such as going to the post office or buying vegetables. But both times we went back to the office and kept working!

Valentine's Day is a big holiday here, in part because it is Western, and in our craft fair we have many products with hearts on them - go to the Homeland Handicrafts Facebook group to see them, because they are not on the web site (and will they be? Seasonal items vs. a standard product line is one of the strategic questions we will work on). Heart key chains, stress relievers, magnets, heart-adorned tote bags, pillows and cosmetic bags, rose-covered candle holders, vases, picture frames and stemmed glasses, crocheted heart bookmarks, scarves and garlands, and, as of the meetings, candles, fingerless gloves, and items made out of crocheted plastic bags. Plus we picked some items out of "inventory" that we can sell at Sunday's craft fair.

Yesterday was more work on the fair - price sheets, tracking sheets, some advertising and promotion to get people to the event. Still in progress - table and other room decorations, tagging and packaging the items. One thing discussed at the meetings was getting the artisans to tag and package the products before sending them up to Yerevan. That doesn't work in every case because the sewing skills are not adequate, so things such as pillows and bags are finished here. We encouraged each group to apply for a grant for a sewing machine and training so that they can get their skills up and keep more of the labor costs (and therefore more jobs) in the regions.

Another thing that came out of the meetings is our first field trip (well, our second, if you count the one the day we swore in). The OSCE people are going to visit the Women's Resource Centers in each of these cities; that is the partner NGO. While they meet with board members and beneficiaries, we will meet with focal points, PCVs, and the artisans. This will be the week of the 21st - a little sooner than we might have gone on our own or with Tim, but it'll be nice to go with the OSCE people and in their vehicle.

Sunday is also St. Sarkis Day, an Armenian holiday (that moves with the Church calendar). The Artbridge owner told us that on St. Sarkis Day, women eat a very salty version of a sweet roll and they don't drink anything. The saltiness makes them thirsty, of course. The first man to offer them a drink of water is the man they will marry. For more serious information go to saintsarkis.net/about/Who-is-St-Sarkis. There's a lot of history here!