Another Land Honeyguide
August 2007
Check out these upcoming events:
Nov. 2-4, 2007
ART ATTACK 
The Northrup King Building

June 13-23, 2008
Rift Valley
Rainmakers and
the Serengeti

Another Land

Email Marguerite at: [email protected]
or call her at  888-334-7559 to reserve your place

The Story of the Honeyguide
Our periodic email newsletter is named after the Greater Honey Guide, a bird that has developed the remarkable habit of leading tribespeople to wild bees' nests, with the promise of honeycomb and grubs once the humans have opened the nest and taken the honey.

The complementary relationship shared by bird and human represents the newsletter's goal - to periodically lead readers to new and timely bits of information about East African wildlife, culture, and travel.

Beaded Scarf Price Reduced
CHECK IT OUT
Our beautiful 70-inch-long Amias Beaded Scarves have beautiful beads and fringes-and amazing versatility! Wrap it twice around the neckline and tie like a necktie, drape over your shoulder, loop it loosely around your neck, wear it as a belt, so on and so forth.

Now $65
reduced from $125

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Choice Moments in the
Amias Project Adventure


Greetings!

In three years, our Amias Project has grown from just 10 Barabaig women to over 200 men and women. It has been a wild, exciting and uncharted journey. Today we would like to share some of the more humorous, challenging and rewarding moments of the Amias Project.

We are also thrilled to announce that Another Land is a finalist in Upsize Magazine's Business Builder award!  Another Land is one of five finalists in the category of Best Practices in Community Impact. The winner will be selected on October 25th, so please keep your fingers crossed for us.

Sincerely,
Nichole Smaglick
 
My Other Wife

My Other Wife
The entire concept of the Amias Project is unlike anything seen in Barabaig lands. Traditionally, Barabaig women do not engage in commerce and are responsible for a myriad of crucial domestic duties. The original women in the Amias Project were pioneers, in that they changed their daily schedules so that they could spend time beading, cutting and sewing. Many tried to do both - produce for the Amias Project and fulfill their domestic responsibilities. But for most, the amount of time they spent fetching water and cooking decreased. Soon, their husbands began to vocalize their displeasure with how their wife was spending less time on family and more time with other Amias Project women. Not wanting or knowing how to get involved in domestic issues, I decided to listen to the husbands. Yet, I explained that this was something that each husband needed to discuss with his wife, and that I will respect his wife's decision. The women continued on with the Amias Project, making fashion accessories and earning an income for their family. After a few months had passed, the husbands returned. This time they came to say 'thank you.' Each husband asked that we teach his wife to do more, and in true polygamous Barabaig fashion, the husbands brought their other wives for Amias Project training.
Is it green?
Is it Green or Red?
In the beginning, we needed to find a tannery in Tanzania. There was only one with the capability to produce custom dyed, finished leather. Over the first year, we would mail our color swatches along with our order, and in just a short 6 weeks later, the leather would be ready. Yet, the leather colors never really matched the swatches. The tannery said there were a few kinks in the system, but they were working on the problem. We made do, and some of the mistaken colors were a hit. However, on one order, the 'green' leather arrived and there was nothing emerald, sage, lime or hunter green about it. It was an indefinable color resembling bad cafeteria food. The tannery technician responded, "I am working on the problem, ma'am. Now which color is the problem, the green...or...or...it is red?" Strange. There was no red in the order. "Ma'am, you see...colors are difficult for me." So, that is when we learned that the kink in the system was color blindness. "Sir... can you get someone to help you with the colors?" "Yes, ma'am. I can do that."
Amias Project Beaders

The 3-Year Curse
Barabaig women are masters at cutting leather fringe. In fact, their sacred traditional attire, called the hanangwenda, is a full skirt made from finely cut leather fringe. This is why many Amias Project designs incorporate leather fringe. One day, all the women were together cutting fringe for a large scarf, shawl and handbag order. As usual, sounds of singing, laughter and chatting voices filled the air. It was quite loud and raucous, but that is typical. What was strange was the sudden silence. Christina Marumbi came to me to tell me that the Amias Project is finished, we can't go on and all is doomed, because one of the women did the unthinkable. The one woman put a three-year curse on the other women by lifting up her hanangwenda skirt and showing all her bare backside. To me, 'mooning' is nothing more than rude or humorous. When looking into Christina's grave face, I knew I could not laugh. As my thoughts struggled with how to handle this, I realized that all I could do was to speak from my own personal experience. I explained to Christina that I have been mooned (several times in my life) and that I was ok. After she was convinced that I was telling the truth, she returned to the group of women and shared my story. Slowly, over the next few days, the laughter, singing and chatter returned to the room and I had a chance to laugh . . . . privately.