Last Day to Shop Awava for Christmas Delivery!

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Our Uganda Friday 17th December, 2010

by Darlyne Komukama.

*Apologies for the late posting.

Kyadondo Rugby Club has not been the most popular place to hang out since the July bombings but that all changed when the first annual 'This Is Uganda' festival took place on Saturday 18th December.

Born of a shared love of cultural pursuits by the patrons at Iguana, 'This Is Uganda' put on a really good show and reminded the people who were there why we all love this country as much as we do.

With performances from huge names in rap (Navio), rock (The Uneven Band), RnB (Jamal) and DJ (DJ Tumz), the variety of entertainment catered for everyone. But that wasn't it. Entertainment is fun but there was also a message that was being passed on, this year's focus being the emancipation of women with an HIV/AIDS heavy theme.

All in all, the festival was a big hit and we can not wait for the next one.

Awava Gift Certificates Available NOW!

Overwhelmed with too many perfect Awava options for that special someone in your life? Why not give them an Awava gift card? Available in increments of $10, this sort of gift card will have people smiling from the US to Uganda.



Visit www.awavamarket.com now to get yours!

Our Uganda Friday: BASKETS!

Ten Thousand Villages, a fair trade retailer which Awava deeply respects, put together a very nice video about their Ugandan baskets a few months ago. The video features Betty Kinene, the amazing founder of Uganda Crafts 2000, Ltd., one of Awava's partners, AND shows our Musoke Basket for a split second in the intro!

On this Uganda Friday, please enjoy learning about how and why these beautiful baskets are made!

LOLA Giant in Lawrence, Kansas THIS WEEKEND!

LAWRENCE, KS—The Ladies of Lawrence Artwork (LOLA) art cooperative will wrap up their sixth year of local art shows with a two-day arts and crafts sale, known as LOLA GIANT, on December 11-12. This Saturday through Sunday event will be held at the Van Go Mobile Arts gallery at 715 New Jersey and will feature over 25 local artists with items ranging from jewelry, clothing and pet accessories to stationery, sock monkeys and soaps.

While most LOLA events are held with a limited number of artists and space, LOLA GIANT is a much larger, comprehensive shopping experience. Designed for holiday shoppers, this event will feature a coat check and gift wrapping booth benefitting Van Go, delicious fairly traded coffee donated by The Bourgeois Pig, and live DJ services, compliments of Love Garden Sounds.

LOLA events feature the handiwork of Lawrence women and provide an intimate boutique-style shopping experience where visitors can browse and interact with the creators themselves. LOLA shows are organized by the participants and hosted by generous Lawrence businesses that support local artists and crafters.

Last year’s LOLA GIANT brought in nearly 500 shoppers in one day! The December 11-12 show will offer more merchandise and more time for shoppers. It is also an opportunity to show support for Lawrence’s unique and lively art scene.

To find out more about LOLA, check out the Facebook profile “LOLA Lawrence” on Facebook, and their blog at ladiesoflawrence.blogspot.com.

VENDORS:
Early Jewelry, Kylie Grater
little bluestem baby, Traci Furan
glitter & rust, Kendra Marable
Molly Murphy
Leslie Kay, Leslie Kuluva
KitMit, Kitty Steffens
The Dog House
Healing Moon, Cynthia Walker
awava., Kate von Achen
Sweet Cakes, Layla McEniry
evergreen terrariums, Cristina Estenes
Honeytree Gallery, Kate E. Burke
Butternutsquash, Larissa Wilson
filthEdesign, Emily Eakes
Ann Dean Photo
Red Designs, Rachel Dempsey
Kitty Reese
Alicia Kelly
Mixed Media, Stephanie Garrison
Stitchees, Kristen Kinsch
Crown & Heart Crochet, Linnea Doores
New Flight Apparel, Molly Crook
Jane Leek
Q to M, Quinn Morris
Feather Spring Arts, Megan Roelof

Our Uganda Friday: Bouncing Cats!

by Kate von Achen

My second visit to Uganda, in January 2007, I was part of a delegation of student ambassadors studying the conflict in Northern Uganda. Our delegation was made up of university students, half of whom were American and the other half Ugandan. One of the most remarkable Ugandan participants, and still a good friend of mine here in Uganda, Abraham "Abramz" Tekya, was just starting his organization, Breakdance Project Uganda. BPU uses breakdance as a tool for social change, providing free classes to at risk children and teens in Kampala and Gulu. Abramz has seriously made a name for himself and for the project over the last few years. He has been visited in Uganda by some prominent figures in American breakdance and hip hop culture, such as Crazy Legs and Mos Def, and has had an award-winning documentary, Bouncing Cats, about him and his project launch this year. Chicago, you can view the documentary THIS SATURDAY at Northwestern!

In the meantime, check out the trailer!

BOUNCING CATS film trailer from nabil elderkin on Vimeo.