Meet Alice June 17, 2022

I have a friend that I would like to introduce to you. Alice has been trying to teach me Swahili for the past year. We have also grown in friendship as we have struggled together. I can already say that one of the greatest joys of this trip will be in the time that I have gotten to spend with my friend. We have also found that there are more similarities in our stories that either of us first imagined. 

Alice is a young single mom living and working on the Island of Mombasa. Alice loves animals, crafting, and spending time with her daughter, Blessing. She has been through some difficult times, even since I arrived, but you would never know it due to the way that she carries herself in dignity and hope. Alice's joy is found in the work of her hands. Her home is filled with colorful strings, swatches of fabric, and new pieces hanging all over the walls. Her products show her attention to detail, love of color, and pride in the Kenyan culture. She has creativity, ingenuity, and passion.

She works hard to make a better life for her family, but also for her community. Alice lives in an area of the city with many needs. Alice is trained in language education, this is how she gives back. She gathers all the community children weekly to teach them English lessons.  I visited her neighborhood just yesterday and as we walked through the alleys, children were running  everywhere. They cheerfully shout out in English Hello! These three and four year old babies are her little students. She expressed, “Most all of the children’s parents send them without the money for class, but I never turn anyone away.” 

She has also talked about reaching the elderly by purchasing their handmade goods though she usually does not have opportunity to resell. We walk past a school and she tells me about the way they are giving back to her little community. We came to a large walled complex and she shared about another community centered business. She works hard to make a better life for her family but also that of her community.  Serving is her lifeblood. She gives, not because she has but because there is a need. 

But beyond all that, Alice has proven herself to be an impressive business woman. When I arrived, and she heard of what I was trying to create, she asked if there was a way she could help me. The more we talked, the more we found that we could really help each other. Alice has networks in the very areas of the city that I am trying to reach. These are places of need, yet they are also places of distrust. On the other hand, I am able to help procure resources and let my community know about her small hand made crafting business. She has been my Swahili teacher, she became my friend, and now she and I will be walking into a business partnership. 

If you are interested in helping my friend in her business, I will be receiving orders for her and using my suitcases to bring everything back to the States. Please send me your order at jomixonconsulting@gmail.com. Please follow the link to see all of the items that she makes.

https://www.canva.com/design/DAFDsj1Mpx8/4UV3zJIo9QqdrVT5mF_Krg/view?utm_content=DAFDsj1Mpx8&utm_campaign=designshare&utm_medium=link&utm_source=publishsharelink

Thank you so much for supporting my friend and she supports me!