Here one of the cooperative members learns how to draw the designs she wants to make onto graph paper.

The trainer shared a beautiful story with me recently of how he was teaching one of the village grandmothers how to do this process and she told him "I can not do it my grandson, I have never even held a pen". He asked her to just try to copy what he had done, then placed the pen in her hand and guided her.

Once she realized she had done it she began to dance and sing "Oh I can write now, I can write!!" She had moved to a place of power. And she couldn't wait to go home to tell her family. As you can see, weaving isn't just subsistence, it is also a form of empowerment for the women as well.

Uganda, like most of Africa, is a country where older age doesn't mean retirement. Women who in the US would be enjoying the calmer life of retirement are still working hard at surviving.

This lady is a member of one of the cooperatives that Mama Afrika trades with and she will surely share her earnings with her children and grandchildren.

Thanks to her weaving, three generations are able to enjoy the money earned. African families are a place where sharing is not just expected, but enjoyed. It is a great pleasure to offer part of what you have to others. And as Mama has said time and again, "It is often those who have the least, who truly know the importance of sharing what they have".

When you make a donation to Mama Afrika, your money may be used for projects like this one. Supporting training is an important part of fair trade. It allows the women's cooperatives to have a better chance of trading outside of their local markets.

This training session is being held in a remote part of Uganda. Training is held locally so that women are not separated from their daily routines. They don't have to travel more than 30 mins to attend and if a woman is breastfeeding, she is encouraged to bring her baby with her.