FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 12, 2006

Washington, D.C. - Mariam Abbakar, a young Sudanese woman living in a relief camp in Darfur, peered shyly through her vibrantly colored headscarf as she addressed a small crowd, in her local dialect, at a Brown Bag Lunch on Sudanese Basket Weavers at Pangea Artisan Market and Café on July 11, 2006. With the help of two translators, Mariam shared her story of survival in the face of violence plaguing Sudan, and described how basket weaving, a source of livelihood she has gained with the support of CHF (Community, Housing, Finance) International, provides her with income, security and hope for the future.

“Someday, I hope to return home,” said Ms. Abbakar. “I also hope to continue weaving when I am there.”

Established in 1952 as a non-profit organization aiding low- and moderate- income families in urban and rural America, CHF International now works in over thirty countries, promoting long-lasting, positive change in some of the world’s poorest and most devastated countries, helping them to improve their social, economic and environmental conditions. CHF International has been working extensively in southern Sudan and Darfur by building relief camps; providing food, shelter, and fuel; education and literacy classes; and by training survivors in sustainable crafts. Basket weaving is one of the most important interventions and the main source of income for women in the Internally Displaced Persons Camps. Their hand-woven baskets and mats have been marketed both locally and internationally.

The Sudanese Basket Weavers Brown Bag Lunch is one of the many thematic events held at Pangea Artisan Market and Café, located on the corner of 21st Street and Pennsylvania Avenue. Pangea showcases handicrafts made by developing country artisans, and also features interactive multimedia kiosks which provide information and videos on artisans, products, partners and different developmental institutions. Pangea’s special events feature leaders and entrepreneurs addressing international development issues and presenting them in an open, public forum.

To find out more about Pangea’s upcoming events, or to learn more about the different grassroots producers the IFC is working with in the developing world, please visit www.ifc.org/gbi.