Bowls are $25 each. Shipping costs are $5 per bowl. Contact Hand in Hand Gallery for more info or to order your bowl. MasterCard, Visa and American Express accepted.
African Bowl Project
When my daughter, Liz Voorhees, joined the Peace Corps as a Volunteer working in West Africa, she took on an awesome challange. With heat ususally above 100 degrees, Zarma as her new language, and a culture based on tribal customs and the Muslim faith, her life has changed dramatically! Living in the village of Ilakitan, in the sub-Saharan country of Niger, she works as an environmental volunteer helping the community learn new vegetable growing skills to supplement their primary diet of millet. Now that she has compeleted her first of two years of service, she is developing the major project of her stay: a community gardening program.
To help her with this program, proceeds from these bowls will go toward her project needs such as fencing, seeds, and irrigation as well as aiding my journey to assist Liz in January of 2005. We have chosen the bowl as a reminder to us that it's measure of food represents more than many have to eat daily in parts of the world.
These bowls have been made jointly by husband and wife artists David Voorhees and Molly Sharp depicting imagery inspired by West African art and Molly's trademark image "Jumping for Joy". Hopefully, we han help bring some joy to a village far away.
Each stoneware bowl is handmade and uniquely decorated using a variety of colored slips, glazes and decorations. Bowls are approximately 6" accross, are food safe and intended for daily use.
With the purchase of a bowl, we will send you a report on the community gardening program.
Liz on her camel, Tondi
Update from Liz, September 2004
"I wanted to give everyone an update on the progress of my project and recent vacation. I came home to North Carolina for the month of July and was so overwhelmed by the response to the African Bowl Project. Thank you for your support and contributions. Please, please enjoy your bowl. You have no idea how much your contribution is going to help my small village in Niger. The beginning phases are under way to facilitate the community garden in my village of Ilakitan. This community garden is not only a place where the men can earn extra money for their families, but where women and children can learn the importance of gardening for health and economic rewards. So, thanks again, enjoy your bowl, and I'll see you when I return in 2005!
Liz Voorhees, PCV, Niger, West Africa
October 2004 update via phone:
Liz has been in the capital City of Niamey purchasing irrigation equipment and parts for the community garden project. She will be picking up a well drilling crew of men in Bellayara to complete two new wells for the garden. One well will have a gasoline powered pump attached to underground irrigation piping feeding 5 distribution heads that will effectively irrigate approximately 3/4 acres. The distribution area can be expanded at a later time. The other well is planned for the opposite end of the garden and will be outfitted with a hand pump. This enclosed top well will provide safer and cleaner drinking water and serve as a back up to the power pump. The village currently uses open top, hand-dug wells that are difficult to keep clean with animals roaming freely up to the well casing.
The wells should be completed and operational before the end of October, just in time for this season's vegetable growing season.
Liz tells me that next month she plans on purchasing rolls of chain link fencing to use as temporary animal barriers while they plant live thorn hedging, which once established, the chain link can be moved to another location to be used again as temporary barrier.
All of this is being funded by the generosity of so many who have supported our West African Bowl Project. You are helping Liz make a sustainable difference in one village.
My travel plans have been made and I am getting the immunizations recommended by CDC and my visa for my January trip to visit and help Liz in the final stages of her project during the garden harvest season. She will be completing her volunteer service at the end of February 2005 and plans to go to Brussels to be nanny for a month or two for her step-sister Laura and her husband Stephen who are expecting our first grandchild in early February.
The community garden program in Ilakiatn is well under way and thriving with a variety of warm weather vegetables growing. during my visit to Niger to see Liz in January I spent several days with her villagers and witnessed their vigorous work on the garden. Their thankfulness for our funding of their garden program permeated my visit.
The community garden was established in the Fall of 2004 with the drilling of two small bore wells, cultivation and fertilization of the land and fencing surrounding the one acre plot. Two pumps were installed, a hand pump on one with a catch basin, and a gasoline powered pump attached to an underground irrigation system feeding five distribution heads on the other well.
The hand pump was put to immediate use and the villagers have planted lettuce, tomatoes, peppers, and cabbages and five mango trees.
After watering their plants, the women carry buckets of water home to put in their gulas or clay storage jars for daily use., Each household commonly uses four buckets of water per day which previously had to be drawn by bucket and rope from a 30 foot deep open well. The new well offers purer water which is now more easily obtained.
Ilakitan is an Islamic village, therefore the garden is separated into men's and women's areas with the women growing everything except the potatoes, which the men raise as a cash crop. Much cooperation is used to complete the twice daily watering and the garden has become a central meeting place, especially the well area.
The motor pump had problems form the start, which took two months to correct, indicative of the limitation of few trained technicians in their area. It will be in full use next season. A maintenance plan for the hand pump was established. Replacement parts and basic hand tools were purchased and several men were trained to maintain the pumps.
I was overwhelmed by the hospitality and generosity of the people of Ilakitan. where food is in limited supply, it was always offered during a visit to any household. The best chair or matt was always offered and the custom of walking many steps with at parting guest as a means of offering blessings was introduced to me. Their care and love for Liz was genuine. They did not want her to leave them to return to America.
They have asked me to offer their thankfulness to each of my family and friends and everyone who has helped make their community garden possible. I would like to add my own thankfulness to each of you for helping make my trip to Niger possible. I could not have gone otherwise. I have learned that we each can play a part in spreading peace in this world, a little bit at a time.
David Voorhees, Flat Rock, NC
P.S. Liz has completed her service as a Peace Corps Volunteer and has returned to North Carolina safely.
Warmest greetings from the women and children of Ilakitan
Peace Corps work at its best!
Sunset over Ilakitan, Niger, West Africa
Abouba, Ide (the maigari or chief), David, Essu and Liz
Working together at the two person hand pump
Women watering their plots while the men wait their turn
To help her with this program, proceeds from these bowls will go toward her project needs such as fencing, seeds, and irrigation as well as aiding my journey to assist Liz in January of 2005. We have chosen the bowl as a reminder to us that it's measure of food represents more than many have to eat daily in parts of the world.
