Africa Journal day 9

Africa Journal day 8

Africa Day 7

design house inc blog: Africa Day 6

design house inc blog: Africa Day 6

Africa Day 6

Day 6

We had to get up even earlier today so we could be at both services at the chapel - one at 7:30 and the other at 8:00. We had to have breakfast, then take the 20 minute walk there, and prepare. The services this day were the responsibility of MDUMC. That meant music and devotional. Our music was greatly enhanced by two of the young people who were on the trip with their guitar and violin. The people here have been so wonderful with their music and dance, and it was now our turn.

Afterwards we split into two teams. One team went to work on the AIDS orphans’ home, applying the battens on the boards previously done and starting painting with creosote – a nasty job, but they use it here to preserve the wood. The foundation is done by the local help and is ready when we arrive, so our team is responsible for putting up the framing and walls, doors, windows and painting. We are not allowed to do the roof either and the locals do that.

The other team went to paint the flats for the staff at the hospital. We had previously sanded the plaster walls and now we are doing the painting of walls, windows and doors. We applied 3 coats on one apartment and started laying stones with mortar for walls around the front and back doors of all the downstairs apartments. Quite slow painting with only brushes and no masking tape for window trim. All of the work we do is done without any power tools since there is no power. Even the cabinets are built with a hand saw, and what fun sanding all those walls with just a piece of sandpaper. We did find some small pieces of wood and wrap our sandpaper around it to make a sanding block. The scaffolding is made of branches and looks a little dangerous. So are the ladders. But the flats are quite nice – two bedrooms, living area, nice bathroom and kitchen, with closet storage. It’s really important to get the bottom floor finished this month because they have interns coming in Sept. and the hospital wants and needs to attract good doctors.

If you were working on the flats, you had to stop for high tea at 10:00 every morning, so you would lose a little time there, but it is their tradition and everyone stops for it. They refuse to work then, or let us. So you would go to the Savutos for this and also lunch, except for today, which was at the hospital with the staff. The team working on the AIDS orphans’ house was out at a remote spot accessed by more really bumpy roads, so they took snacks like energy bars and peanut butter sandwiches.

We also have our daily walk back from work through the village, so did a little shopping walking back to the hotel, and then off to dinner and devotional.

Connie's AFRICA journal :day 5

DAY 5

Today, six of us went with Reegan, who runs ZOE’s Giving Hope program in Kenya, now called Hope Companions. It empowers orphans and child-led families to become self sufficient. The most amazing program! Please look it up and read about it. I am told that every 14 seconds a child in Africa becomes an orphan due to HIV/AIDS, and often children as young as 10-13 years old are the sole providers.

First we went to chapel and then had to wait until after tea at the Savutos to leave for the little villages to visit some young people who have been able to start businesses of their own through this program. They are orphans who are put together in groups for support of each other and taught some skill to be able to work and start a business. They, as a group, select a sponsor or “auntie”, who is an adult for them to go to with problems and for guidance. As they work, they must return the help and money to the group to help all. Often times each member has other family members to support as well.

We met Veronica who is a hair dresser. She is supporting her siblings with her business – like most of the others. Her little shop has a basin, but she still has to bring in containers of water because there is no running water.

Harriett is a farmer who was trained at the Methodist Farm and has quite a productive property now employing iothers and slowly getting rid of the miraa trees. If she had gotten rid of them all, she would not have been looked upon favorably and some might not have wanted to buy her produce. Her most prolific , best money maker is collard greens, so she is converting some maize areas to more greens. She also is growing bananas and tea, and is multiplying her chickens with many baby chicks running around and also cows. As we were leaving, she took her machete and chopped sugar cane as a gift and treat for us.

One of the people in this program the longest is Janet, who has a dressmaking business. She used to be so shy and wouldn’t speak much. Now she looks almost like a model and has hired and taught 6 more seamstresses and added 3 more sewing machines to the one she was given.
She has become so much more outgoing that she wanted to offer a prayer for us before we left. We also bought African shirts from her.

Next we visited Stephen who is in the hide tanning business. He was in the middle of the rather messy process when we arrived. He had a couple of helpers and they were in boots throwing a powder and liquid over the hides. When finished, he takes them in to Nairobi to sell. We had a discussion about what he could do to make more money and he is saving to buy the machine he will need.

Peter is probably newest to the program, only being in it for about six months, and was painfully shy. You could hardly hear him speak and he would not make eye contact. He is a barber and also fills or tops off mobile phones. I know if we could see him in a year, not only would he be successful, but also much more confident. It is amazing how they change. I really believe this program and the kind of people it is producing can change this whole area to a more productive and responsible society. And all this from the AIDS orphans that were more or less outcasts.

Everywhere we went we drew a crowd – even more so than in Maua – because these are tiny villages and they don’t see as many white people (wazungu). Sadly, our drive through these little villages was lined with miraa trees and many people walking beside the road with bundles wrapped in banana leaves to go sell. I understand it has a short “shelf life”, so the banana leaves protect it and some will be in Nairobi the same night and off to Europe by morning. UK and Amsterdam receive the most and it is not illegal.

When we returned to the hotel late that afternoon, I saw 2 little boys with their hands tied in front of them and a crowd of men walking all around them. One carried a whip and another a large stick. I also heard the word miraa. When I asked Bill Savuto about what it could have been, he said they probably stole something, and if it was miraa, they could even have their hands cut off. An adult might be killed. My immediate instinct was to go after them, which of course I couldn’t, but I will always wonder.

Back a little early, we shopped for African fabrics until time to leave for Jerri & Bill’s for dinner and more into about the dire times with budget and loss of nurses to the government from this hospital that has such a good reputation for training nurses. When the Clinton foundation gave funding to the government, rather than through the churches, it allowed the government to lure away nurses for more money after the hospital trained them.

After dinner, we went back to the hotel and a tepid sprinkle of a shower in our flip flops. And – found out about the rat I heard the night before. It was the man next door getting up in the middle of the night crunching on pretzels and then the rattling of the package was the “scratching”. I was so exhausted last night I didn’t even hear him again. Thank heavens!

AFRICA day 4

Day 4

We slept in our tiny little rooms under mosquito nets, showered in our flip flops and arose early to walk to the Chapel on the Maua Methodist Hospital campus for the 7:30 service. On our 20 minute walk to the church, we saw many little children with big smiles who would run out to say hello (or jambo) and shake hands or “high five” us. Sometimes you are also greeted by chickens, cows or goats and lots of vendors.

After chapel, we had a tour of the hospital, which evoked a mix of feelings and emotions – enlightening and shocking, sad and happy. We learned so much about the wonderful work they do here, but also how much they need.

It was upsetting to see so many babies and children in the pediatric ward with I.V.’s in their heads – the necessary treatment for malaria. The good part is that they can help them if they come to the hospital in time. We also saw men being treated for knife fights resulting from the twigs they chew from the miraa tree, which are like an amphetamine. This is a problem around this area where the miraa trees are so abundant and a major source of income. We toured the maternity ward and saw a premie being kept warm by 2 light bulbs. We also saw many women and their babies waiting to go home, but couldn’t be released until their families pay, which was upsetting. But the most shocking thing we saw was the burial pit. In this area of the country, people bury their dead on their property, but if you are not married, and die, you may not be buried on the family’s land. So sadly, the hospital has to dispose of them this way since cremation is not allowed.

We toured the kitchen with large vats boiling a combination of milk, water and tea, and women chopping lots of veggies and meat. They feed all the patients, but they must bring their own utensils, bowl and also toilet paper. As for the restrooms, they use squat toilets. And I never saw any hot water, but they have hot plates for heating a pitcher of water for the patients and they bath from a basin of water.

As we walked around the grounds, we saw laundry laying on the bushes and grass to dry. The patients even wash their own dressings. But the hospital does launder all the bedding. The patients all wear a uniform so they can’t leave without paying.

The people working here are amazing and the hospital is highly rated and services apx million people, but such a challenge, and of course, in need of more funding. Electricity is expensive and not always dependable, so they have damaged equipment with power surges. They badly need a generator so they can safely use their equipment.

After our hospital tour, we went to our first “high tea”. Everyone stops for tea here. It usually consists of fruit, avocados (which are huge & abundant, costing apx 10 – 15 cents), bread, crackers, peanut butter & of course tea.

After tea, we unpacked and sorted the supplies we brought for the hospital. Then we split into 2 teams with one going to begin framing of the AIDS orphans house and the other team began work on the staff flats for the hospital.

Africa DAY 3

Day 3

This morning we piled into Daniel’s vans for our trip from Nairobi to the little village of Maua. It was a journey over very bumpy, dusty roads, dodging large potholes a lot of the time. There were lots of people walking along the road or on dusty paths through the fields. Most people have no transportation, especially in the little villages, other than, if they can afford it, to catch a ride on the vans that traverse the main road.

We passed very large coffee & pineapple plantations, and our driver explained that these were owned by foreigners. They have very rich soil through this area and also grow many other crops such as bananas, mangos, avocados, maize, collard greens, coffee and tea. As we passed through little villages, you could see goats eating some of the trash in the towns. Also chickens and cows and lots of produce spread on blankets on the ground for sale. We saw many schools, trade schools and colleges along the road. I guess these have to be accessible and on the main road for the children to get to from the rural areas.

There were people also on bicycles or often walking the bicycles with stacks of goods piled high. I even saw one young boy who was too small to ride the bike, but e was walking it with a small child on the seat. The amazing thing is that there are small children walking alone, although sometimes with a sibling just a little older.

We stopped at the equator on the way, which was fun to see. This confirmed what I’ve always heard – that the water runs clockwise on one side of it and counter clockwise on the other side. And right on the equator it runs straight. There were lots of shops here, but the “hawkers” were so bad it was hard to shop – even for a veteran like me. Interestingly, they all had biblical names and claimed to have “made” the items.

We stopped for lunch in one little village and then another stop at the Methodist Farm where we will return later to stay one night. They teach people to farm here. Then we were on our way on the final leg of the trip to Maua. When we drove into town, to be honest, I began to wonder what I had gotten into. And when we arrived at the hotel, I really had concern. The rooms were so small I didn’t know how to even begin to unpack. No closet or drawers and no room for luggage. We got organized as best we could, but had to put our bags under our beds and pull them out whenever we needed clothes. There are two small beds with mosquito nets and about two feet, or less, between the beds. There is maybe 18” between the bed and the shower. The shower is in with the toilet and sink, so everything stays wet and you have to wear flip flops for sanitary reasons. The water is tepid at best. You actually can sit on the toilet, brush your teeth and shower at the same time!

Africa Day 2

Day 2
We headed back to the Dubai airport to leave for Nairobi. Still, I find it striking to see the security in their white kanduras and turbans, and the women in their black abayas. We see prayer rooms all over the airport, but they were “his” & “hers”. Why do they not pray together? We did not hear the call to prayer this time as we did before when arriving and waiting in customs.

The flight to Nairobi was only a little over 4 hours, but with a 1 hour time change. It took a long time in customs, even though we had our visa forms filled out and $25 cash in hand. They also had to photograph & fingerprint each of us. And they fingerprint every finger of each hand. Then we had to gather 35 bags, which took a while. Most of them were supplies from the church for the hospital in Maua, since we could only take one bag – maximum wt. 50 lbs. plus our carry on.

Next we discovered that we couldn’t stay at the Methodist Guest House even though we had reservations, so Daniel (the person in charge of arrangements and vans & will be with us the rest of the trip) arranged another place. But after our caravan of 4 vehicles loaded to the brim finally found it, it looked like an abandoned building in an insecure part of town. So we did some more checking and located the Archbishop Desmond Tutu Ecumenical Centre. It is still very modest and we have begun our showering in flip flops and definitely no singing in the shower—can’t get any water in your mouth. We also have waterless travel toothbrushes when we need them, lots of hand sanitizer and bottled water that we carry with us everywhere. We did have some hot water after letting it run about 10 minutes. And, of course, we top off every day with malerone, a malaria prevention pill.

We had a treat and went out to eat at a restaurant with good pumpkin soup, some veggies and an assortment of grilled meat—beef, chicken, ribs, sausage, lamb and crocodile. For dessert was a slice of pineapple grilled with cinnamon.

AFRICA 2010

AFRICA:

Connie just returned from a two week African Adventure. As a member of her church’s, Memorial Drive United Methodist Church, mission team, Connie traveled to Africa to build houses for AIDS Orphans and the staff of a local hospital. Connie was able to keep a journal of her experience and is sharing them with us all. Check out our Blog for Daily Updates.

Day 1
Today 15 of us from Memorial Drive Methodist Church left for Africa on a trip to build housing both for the staff at the Methodist Hospital in Maua, Kenya & in an outlying area for AIDS orphans. We left in the evening and had a 15 + hour trip to Dubai, where we spent the night. Then we are on to Nairobi the next day. (The trip is a little shorter going than returning.)

Arrived safely in Dubai, checked in & finally figured out how to turn the lights on in our rooms. You have to insert the room card into a slot & they come on, but as we found out, they go off if you don’t leave the card in the slot. We ate a quick dinner so we could take a tour of the city from 9:20 till 11:30, which was more like midnight.

So much beautiful new architecture everywhere, including the tallest building in the world, the largest shopping center in the world, another shopping center with snow skiing inside, and a man-made island shaped like a palm tree. The fabulous Atlantis Hotel is on this island and many condos to buy or rent.

We were photographing a large white mosque when a red corvette pulled up and men in their long flowing white garments called kanduras got out to go pray. Afterwards when returning to their car they put back on their baseball caps. Interesting combination.

Extremely hot here—in the 100’s even late at night, and when we walked on the beach and into the Persian Gulf, it was like bath water. Even being from Houston, when we walked out of the airport, it felt like we were walking into an oven.

More new stuff arriving at Design House soon!!!

Just about everyday the showroom gets a huge delivery of some of the new pieces selected from the various markets- here are a few pieces that are due any minute now!

Market Finds 2010

What to look for when at market:
The overall theme seems to be about creating calm out of chaos. The chaotic times have caused us to seek stability and harmonious environments and relationships. We Are evolving and blending past with future to create "fresh". Back to the past gives us a comfort level, and the inventive freshness makes us feel like a fresh start. There is an overall environmental movement with respect for the earth and reuse. There is a nature derived color palette dominated by vegetable, mineral and natural tones.

Here is one of the very unique items found- an airplane wing turned into a desk! Available from our showroom floor amoungst many other interesting finds!

Loving the burlap, whether it be from coffee or potato, it makes for a great accessory or upholstry! Our collection here at Design House of this trendy material is growing by the day.

Do you know about the 3/50 Project? It is a “buy local” movement, and it means pick three, spend $50. This project asks consumers to think of three locally owned businesses that they would miss if they disappeared, and remember to frequent them. If just half the employed U.S. population were to commit $50 of their current monthly spending to local businesses, it would generate more than $42.6 billion of revenue annually. It certainly doesn’t advocate that people not shop at the big boxes; it just asks people to remember their local businesses and balance out their spending. This would apply to local, independently owned businesses, with no franchise or chain affiliations. Sometimes we forget, as we are racing around with our everyday business and errands, to look at the smaller ones in between the big boxes, and often they may have something different, with more personal service, and specially chosen for your area of the country, since they live there and know it better. Think of the ones you know and enjoy and don’t want to lose!
Connie LeFevre, ASID, RID

Design House's new arrivals

TOKYO for the 2010 Cruise Party

DESIGN HOUSE WAS TOKYO FOR THE ANNUAL CRUISE PARTY IN THE HOUSTON DESIGN CENTER WHICH BENIFITS THE PINK RIBBONS PROJECT. WE WERE HAPPY TO RECIEVE THE AWARD FOR THE "MOST ENTHUSIASTIC SHOWROOM" IN REGARD TO THE THEME "TOKYO" AS OUR PORT-OF-CALL! DESIGN HOUSE STAFF PICTURED HERE DRESSED FOR THE OCCASION...

Texas%20Home%20%26%20Living%20-%20May%2FJune%202010

Texas%20Home%20%26%20Living%20-%20May%2FJune%202010

ASID Bazaar SALE continues at Design House thru May! Art, Antiques, Accessories, Lamps and so much more...

The ASID Bazaar is going on today and the weather turned out wonderful! Lots of furniture and festivities! Come see us at Design House- we have some great deals today!

Design House Inc. is an award-winning, full service design firm which has the experience and knowledge to organize and coordinate projects utilizing a variation of cutting edge materials as well as being able to visualize a comfortable and unique environment for the client. The studio is in a 10,000 sq. ft. showroom offering art, accessories, antiques, fabric, lighting, textiles, custom pieces and unique, one-of-a-kind selections from around the world. The showroom and studio are located in the Houston Design Center, 7026 Old Katy Rd, Suite115, Houston, TX 77024. 713.803.4949(p) www.designhousetx.com

Painted canvas chair with black laquer and canvas upholstered chair

Design House Inc Showroom and Interior Design Studio

Design House Inc. is a 10,000 sq ft showroom and professional interior design studio located in the Houston Design Center. We specialize in searching many markets and curating for the one-of-a-kind pieces & special pieces from selected vendors. The showroom is filled with art, accessories, antiques, furniture, lighting, fabrics, and much more.

Our website is constantly updated as we recieve new arrivals everyday from all over the world so check out the majority of the great finds we have to offer...http://designhousetx.com