Sparrow Bookends on a Six-Year Journey (A Goodbye) PART 2

I wrote my very first check for 50 sparrow ornaments and 50 red paper bead garlands on August 6, 2013. 

And now , 6 years later, this is this is my 6th and final holiday season to sell ornaments from the Sugira/ More than Sparrows cooperative in Kigali, Rwanda.

These last 6 years have been a treasure to me for more reasons than I can enumerate in an email newsletter. This business started as a whim of a favor to Mimi Wilson with the simplest goal of putting some cash in the pockets of the ladies as their co-op was dissolving. Clearly, one thing led to another, including an exciting business relationship that lasted for 6 years. And now the business side of that relationship has come to an end for reasons that were not in my control and are not entirely my story to share.

And it feels like we’ve come full circle. My final order with the co-op is again primarily ornaments. And my goal at the end seems a fitting bookend to the beginning of this story and is just as simple as it was at the start- to sell some ornaments and put some cash in some pockets as the ladies transition on to their next season of life.

In the middle of these ornament bookends, miracles happened, friendships grew and were tested, babies were born, tears were shed, weddings were celebrated, women learned to read, kids started school, hundreds of pretty things were sewn and sold, thousands of paper beads were rolled, meals were shared, prayers were lifted, songs were sung, and hope was had.

Note: The Sparrow Studio is still in business with other artisan partners, namely Jane of Kuasa Collective in Kigali, Abraham in Kigali, Godwin in Tanzania, and Manos Emprendedoras in Denver.  But this is my last order with the Sugira/ More than Sparrow co-op, the co-op that was the reason why The Sparrow Studio began at all or endured these whole six years.  

Now that I said that hardest bit, it is my sincerest wish that all of these final sparrows will wing their way to the homes of friends.  And I hope that all the other wonderful ornaments made by the women who are WORTH INFINITELY MORE THAN MANY SPARROWS would also find their way to you, the angels, the hearts, the red paper orbs, the friendly little owls.  If you've been thinking of buying an ornament from Rwanda over the years, this is your last chance to shop for them!  Once they are gone, they will be gone for good unless you visit their shop in person in Kigali.   

I share a few thoughts about saying goodbye to a co-op of women I have loved dearly in my Instastories.   https://www.instagram.com/stories/highlights/17925487528342314/

Thank you, dear friend, for joining me on this journey and for offering me so much hospitality, kindness, encouragement, and gentleness along the way, when I clearly had no clue what I was getting into!  I have all of the fond and grateful feelings for your part in our story.  

Happy Thanksgiving,
Annie Phillips

P.S.  If you want to join in on my first official ornament order with Kuasa Collective, buy yourself a hand-woven Nziza Ornament!  Kuasa Collective is the brand new business newly founded by Jane, my long-term business partner in Kigali.  Jane formerly served as the manager, translator, and designer for Sugira/ More than Sparrows.