Other Side of the World

In 2008 a friend of mine went to Malawi Africa on a humanitarian mission and they were looking for things to bring over there to give away to people, such as toiletries, toys for the children, etc.
I have always made quilts to give away, it means so much to me to give a gift to someone who is not expecting it, and their joy means more to me then money.
Since I have not been much of a traveller nor have I ever had the ambition to travel the world, this was my opportunity to help someone I did not know.
I sent with the group a quilt I had made prior to this but the label that I had put on the back at the time I had made it seemed appropriate.

I took a picture of myself with the quilt before it left on it's journey and I only made one request that they pick someone at random that they thought would benefit from my gift, if they could take a picture for me of who they chose that would be great.

When my friend returned he had pictures for me and a story to tell, it was more then I could have ever asked for.
The group had been traveling on a dirt road in Malawi Africa and had come across a man that had a serious infection in his finger.

They brought this man to the hospital and later found his wife picking peanuts in a field, they were very poor and lived in a hut with a dirt floor. At that time they thought this would be the perfect person to give my quilt to and I could have not chosen someone better.

Her name is Natashia

She spends her days picking peanuts in a field.

He had told me that this women was so overwhelmed that she just kept saying that this means good things for the country and for the people of Malawi. She was overwhelmed knowing that someone on the other side of the world would give something so special to someone they do not even know.

This next picture is of her mother who is very old (they're not really sure how old),she lives with her daughter in the hut with the dirt floor.

I keep a picture of the quilt with me before it left me and a picture of the quilt with Natashia above my sewing machine. To this day I cannot believe that one of my quilts is somewhere in Africa.

This means more to me then I can express in words, if anyone has the chance to make quilts for other people less fortunate even in your own backyard, it will be more rewarding for you then you could imagine.