I was in India when I got the message from Anne Wilson Sweeney . She said she wanted to donate some money to help with the potholder project I was working on.
Anne had read about Soma and the House of Hearts on my blog. She thought she could help set up a fund to raise money for the Workshop and Gallery Soma wanted to build on a piece of property that was donated to her.
I mentioned the idea to Kelly while I was in India. Kelly Campbell owns The Village Experience, the tourism group I was traveling with. She has close relationships with the organizations we visited and helped figure out that Soma and I would probably be able to work together.
And she was right. House of Hearts, me and my potholders, seem to be a good match.
With Kelly’s help, Soma and I are establishing a relationship.
When I told them about Anne’s idea, they both agreed that what House of Hearts really needs right now is a Workshop Manager. Soma works full-time as a manager at Made by Survivors, a business that teaches “at risk” girls how to make jewelry and earn a living for themselves. So she’s not at House of Hearts during the day.
It would be nice for Soma to have her new workshop and gallery, but she needs someone to manage the business before it can continue to grow.
Soma is trying to give the women in her village the opportunity that was given to her. She started making jewelry at Made by Survivors and worked her way up to the manager’s position.
I told Anne what Soma needed and between the two of us we’re donating enough money to House of Hearts to hire a full-time manager for one year. It was because Anne wanted to donate money for a specific project that the idea of the manager came up. Without Anne, I don’t think I would have even asked the question of what House of Hearts needed most.
Of course, the funds I’m giving Soma is coming from the money that so many of you donated for just this kind of thing.
Right now, the women at House of Hearts are working out of a couple of rooms in Soma’s house. They’re starting out much the same way I did, when I first stated my business.
I feel that connection and believe, with a little help, House Of Hearts can keep growing and keep creating opportunities for the women of Soma’s village.
