Day 2 in Gulu: Rain, wood and busy, busy, busy.

by Darlyne Komukama

It's only 9.30pm on a Tuesday night but it feels like 2am on a Friday night because of how busy these past days have been at Awava. Now, I am not complaining, we love being busy and since I joined on October 4th, that is exactly what we have been. If you've been a regular reader of the blog, then you know of our awesome new partnership with UFF and that the tailors in Gulu got a new space. This all came to a head this week, when we headed to Gulu to help the tailors move into the new space and also start on the huge order we got from UFF.

Read Kate's blog on our trip here on Monday to catch up then come back here for ...continued.

So this morning, we wake up bright and early ready to get at 'em and it starts raining. And it rains and it rains and it rains for most of the morning. That didn't stop us, we made ourselves useful in our hotel rooms with Kate and I nailing and screwing hooks into the boards we intend to display the paper bead jewellry on and Hannah working on the stencil for the sign.

We found out that hammering at the screws when they got too tight to screw in helped. Mind you, we were using our hands because our benevolent leader (read Kate) forgot to carry her pliers from Kampala. :)

Just one of the poses that Hannah experimented with to keep her hand from cramping which is pretty hard when using a box cutter to cut tiny shapes into manila. She did an excellent job though and the stencil is now done and ready to be painted on the sign. Yay Hannah!

As soon as the rain stopped, we employed ourselves outside. I went to check on the wood for the sign and only one side of it was ready but I was assured that the other side would be ready by 5pm, I like Nelson, the guy who does the wood and left him to it. We moved the new jewellery display board to the new space and moved most of the materials we brought from Kampala there too. The new space looks really nice and we are all excited about how it will turn out.

We then went to the market so we could place the new order and also let Kate talk to Lucy about it.

Rosemary working on the 'Ekibegabega' small handbags. It is amazing watching these ladies turn some ordinary sponge and fabric into the beauties that are our products.

Notice my awesome Awava bag (shameless self-plugging) and yay! my peace sign.

Lovely Lucy who is really one of the most capable people I have ever met. She's amazing (in the words of the Boss Lady, as I sometimes like to refer to Kate.)

Consy and Walter hard at work in the market stall. We can't wait to see all these guys in the new bigger space.

Esther cutting the foam into manageable, workable pieces.

Hannah and I taking down the details of the order fabric by fabric.

Concy, the new tailor, being given a survey by me, the new employee. It was fun, we bonded over our shared novelty.

See? I even got her to join me in my quest for world peace.

Lucy gives Concy on-the-job training.

We eventually left the ladies to work and went to pick up the pieces of wood for the sign which were ready and also leave an order for shelves, a cutting table and hanging units for the fabric all which should be in the new space by the end of the week (fingers crossed.)

I am really glad I got to join Awava at this, which is obviously a, turning point in the company. I am so excited about the possibilities and the orders that are pouring in from you guys. You keep us busy and we love it.

Much love.