The launch!

friends!

I am ecstatic, yet somewhat terrified.. the time has come, I'm almost ready.. and I set a date. January 8th.

A year ago, I was so frustrated with the world and myself.

I went to Ecuador in May of 2009, where I was reminded of the poverty and the injustice that exists and that I saw firsthand growing up in Iraq (Yet I  somehow managed to blur this reality as I slipped into this North American bubble we live in where the grass is green all year round (err metaphorically speaking)). Nine months later, in February of 2010 I still saw the faces of the children of Ecuador as I slept, ate and lived my life. I saw (and still see) no reason why I get to have an education I love while equally talented and smart human beings, with dreams and aspirations, are denied this basic right.

I constantly volunteered and tried to educate myself and others about issues of poverty around the world. Nevertheless, I needed to do something more. Its great to have dreams of "being the change" when I grow up.. but what happens now, today, while I styudy to prepare myself to "be the change"?

Why wait? we keep postponing things until we are older. Yet, that will be the time when we are busiest in our lives. We will have families and children and careers (and art studios.. maybe) and, and, and.. when will we have time to think of Ahmed in Iraq? or Miguel in Ecuador? or Patrick in Rwanda?

I vowed to use whatever I have in my power to help NOW and make my life revolve around Ahmed, Miguel and Patrick today, tomorrow and in 10 years. "whatever I have in my power" is  my craftiness, the little resources I had, and my family and friends. So I set out with this idea..I wanted to make crafts and sell them, the money would go towards building a school somewhere.. and if this continues, then another school and another school.

So that February, I came to you guys asking your help in choosing the name of this project. Red Cheeks was chosen, but of course that turns out to be an x-rated website (not funny). But that is ok, because we ended up with Le Petit Sourire. Since then, I have kept you in the loop through this blog, telling you about the joy and the hurdles..

and now.. the website is built (thanks Iain!),the first batch of my products are ready (thank you grandma for all the knitting) and...well, we're ready to launch.