Checking the Teddy Bears I

Dec. 9th, 2011

After the cotton finally arrived, we continued our sewing section and formed the bears in the end. I went to the village for checking how was the bears going but the people who has all the bears was not at the village this week. I couldn't check the bears but the village started to chat with me. my Indonesian was very poor that I didn't understand most of the things that they were talking. But it didn't matter that we still had a good time together by taking pictures and using body language. We both laugh so hardly and I realize how close we were. Even though we are having different cultures and language background, we still enjoy the time that we spend together. They taught me some simple Indonesia and I kept taking picture and share with them. I brought some food and we ate and share the happiness. I felt my life is meaningful in the moment, I know that I am helping them but they are helping me in the same moment. I also learned how to teach, how to be patient and nice to people. Doing Teddy Baby Project really changed my life and mind. I set the goal for myself in the future that I will study economic in college to find and solution of poverty and help more people. Teddy Baby is amazing, both the village and all the people had helped and joined the project!

Universal Children Week

Nov. 14~18, 2011

We had a workshop at school for celebrating Universal Children Week. Before the event started we had long process of preparing such as making video, decorated the workshop and making Teddy bears for example. We also planed to sell some bears during the Universal Children Week and set up the price for different size of bears. (we have three sizes, which are big, medium and small) We invited one girls and one woman from the village to come to school and sowing the processes of making Teddy bears. This was Teddy Baby Project's first show up in public, we want it to be highlighted and noticed. We explained our project to the public and sold the bears for donation. It was very helpful to have this event that we are more popular now. The girl named Mila and grandma that invited was very happy to come to school that they thought SWA is very clean and light, they also like the food at school. But we had the problems with material, the cotton still didn't arrive and our process were still stuck in sewing. Even though we had problems we were still ordered around 40 bears in the end of Universal Children Week. That was a big success for us and encourage us to keep putting effort. We had serval interviews for the newspaper during the Universal Children Week that shared the project with the people not only the school community but the entire city.

Lesson 4: Sewing II

Nov. 9th 2011

After one sewing class, here came the second one. Sewing is a very important but difficult part that we need to spend much more time on it. We were up to body and head last time, today we would go though the rest of the teddy bears' structures. Personally, I think the most difficult part is the head that there are three pieces to form and because of the shape it is very hard to control the fabric. If we didn't do the head right, the bears might not have nose and neck, the shape is very important. I check their work today, even though some of them did it wrong, they didn't mind to change and practice it. I was very impressive with that and believe that we can make this project work. In the same time, we met challenge, the cotton that we order was delay and we couldn't go on next step without cotton. Our process was stuck!

We couldn't do the drawing and teaching class today because we only had two people to come the village. I saw the kids play around with songs while we were working. They were so happy, laughing so hardly. But I felt sorry for them, they suppose to have a better tomorrow, childhood and go to school. That's why we were here, I say to myself.

lesson 3: Sewing

Nov. 7th 2011
Now we are up to our lesson 3- sewing. Because there are different sewing techniques that are going to be used in different part of the the teddy bears so we started the most common one. I was very surprised    that some of the women already have a good sewing skills. Last time we realized that the village only have one table so we brought a mat this time that we can work on it after. Everyone is very concentrated and it is hard and needs time to learn a new thing, so even though some of they didn't do the sewing perfectly, they put 100% effort to work.

The other important section for today was that we started to teach the children language that can used in the thanks card. We met a problem with working space that we only brought one mat and the children didn't have any other space to learn and draw. We put a big paper on the ground and made is as a mat to work on. Even though the working space was small and uncomfortable, the children were still excited about the drawing class and learned the language. I was very happy to see how we work together and try to create a better tomorrow.

Lesson 2: Cutting Fabric

November 4th, 2011 

Here we were the second class, cutting fabric. After knowing the structure and finishing cutting the paper model, we were going to cut the fabric now! We brought some paper and drawing materials for the children to draw as well. We brought the only table in the village out and started our works. Putting the huge post paper underneath to keep the fabric clean and smooth and we finally started. We broke into two groups that one was teaching making teddy bear and the other group was drawing the cards with the kids.

Fabrics are difficult to cut because it has elasticity that when we were cutting it will keep changing shape. Everyone was every concentrate as before, grandma tried her best to draw the shape on and cut, Mila is a girl only 14-years old, but she cannot go to school that economic condition is not allowing her to continue school.

Kids were a bit shy in the beginning that they didn't know what to draw but after we encouraged them, the ideas of drawing was flowing and there were more and more kids joined the drawing. This was a fantastic experience, I felt very happy by helping people in need and I also learned something form them, "optimistic"

Lesson 1: Cutting Paper

November 2nd, 2011

Because of the rain season that we haven't been to the village for a long time. Today, the weather finally cooperate with us and gave as a big smile. We were going to start our first lesson of making teddy bear, like the way of making dresses we need to cut the paper model and understand the structure first. I heard that today, most of the people in the village will come and learn how to make teddy bear. I was very excited to meet everyone, and on the way there, I can feel that this beg step forward of Teddy Baby is going to be very successful. Everyone was already there and ready to learn in fronted of the grocery store as usual. I can see the big smile on everyone's face and we stated to teach, it was very interesting that they were not only concentrated but also had fun during the teaching. I couldn't speak Indonesian properly that they felt funny to listen to my poor Indonesian and I was happy with that as well. Both the village and I were had a good time together and when we were about to left, there were two children came back from school. They were a couple of sibling, older brother and younger sister, they held our hands and touched their forehead. They asked us with their shining eyes and warm smile"will you guys come frequently? Are you going to teach us making teddy bears". I got strong feeling of that, they were wishing and exciting as well. I told myself, I will do my best to do the project and bring a better tomorrow together.  

Teddy Baby- Hello! Village

October 12th, 2011

After planning for a long time, we finally got to visit the village today. On the way there, I was a bit nervous about their reaction of the teddy baby project, will they be excited? or disappointed? I was surprise of the view that I saw when we arrived, it was kind of view that I only saw on movies, TV shows or advertisements before. As soon as the car door open, a uncomfortable smell appeared, it smelled like trash, food, sweat, soil and ash, wasn't too strong so I got used to it quickly. It wasn't much people there in the moment that most of the people were still working in the time.

 I only saw children, the leader of the village and some people doing recycled in fronted their house. Ms. Darma started to introduced Teddy Baby project to them, they seemed happy but a bit worry about how will the project works. I felt very sorry for them to live in this kind of life, they earned money by collecting trash, they works with optimistic and very hard, but they still live in poverty. They don't have enough clear water to use and explain the muds on children's face. I really wish my Teddy Baby project can improve their life, because they need a opportunity to change and worth for a better tomorrow.