Design Workshop Re-Threaded by Sam Mar

On October 20^th, Vox Culture hosted a design workshop at the warehouse in support of The Community Cloth, a Houston based non-profit that empowers refugee artisan women to create and sell their own hand-made arts, crafts, and clothing.

The purpose of the event was to highlight the amazing work that Community Cloth is doing to change the lives of refugee women and raise awareness of the needs that exist in our own local community. Vox Culture helped to set up an instructional workshop where volunteers taught a new skill to attendees including artisan refugees in the form of beaded wrap bracelets.  Each attendee at the event purchased a bracelet kit, proceeds of which went towards the sponsorship of an artisan from The Community Cloth.

Attendees at the Vox Culture Design Workshop Event benefiting The Community Cloth

As the room filled with a diverse mix of individuals and families, Community Cloth leaders introduced everyone to their mission and social cause. Houston is home to one of the largest refugee populations in the United States.  One of the most unique aspects of refugees, is that they arrive with the right to work right away. As with many people, it is a challenge to find a job. What they do have are unique skills such as embroidery or weaving that express a rich cultural heritage in each product that is created. The Community Cloth empowers these women by teaching them new skills, helping them with marketing, and providing them with seed grants for raw materials.  After learning about Community Cloth, Vox volunteers went to work with detailed instructions and live demonstrations on how to create the intricate wrap bracelets.

Vox Volunteers teaching the bracelet technique

The bracelets were made out of string and beads, requiring a certain level of patience and dexterity that I was not able to maintain for very long. Looking around, I saw that many of my peers and the artisans had a much higher aptitude for bracelet-making and soon the room fell into a steady rhythm of ins and outs, ups and overs.  As the day came to a close, attendees were invited to view and purchase some of the other products that the Community Cloth artisans had made including scarves, hats, jewelry and clothing. It was nice to see that 100% of proceeds from each sale went to the artisan that created the product.

Hand-made jewelry and woven products from the Community Cloth refugee artisans

The design workshop left everyone who attended with a refreshing new view of The Community Cloth’s mission, as well as a new skill and hopefully (for most) a somewhat functional wrap bracelet.  Thanks to Vox for organizing and designing another successful event to benefit the Houston community and raise awareness for local causes.

As far as I got in my wrap bracelet (this took me 2 hours)

SEE MORE PHOTOS HERE.

SPECIAL THANKS TO: *Instructor Julie Tien *Sprinkles Cupcakes *Vox Volunteers AND *Our friends from The Community Cloth!

A glimpse of what "Common Threads" means to Vox Culture

We wanted to capture her reality, beyond the words “refugee” or “artisan”, in order to see her for the woman she is.

Interview with Moo Htoo conducted by: Alissa Kit, Viktor Kopic, and Irena Liang.

Many thanks to Roxanne Paiva (co-founder of the Community Cloth) and Mary Say who made it happen. 

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Just minutes after stepping foot into the apartment complex in Southwest Houston where Moo Htoo lives, we realized we weren’t just visiting one refugee family, but that an entire community had relocated here where we call home. But did Moo Htoo, her family, and friends have a different perspective on life in Houston? That’s what we wanted to find out.

We entered the apartment where we were greeted by Moo Htoo and a few others: among them, Mary Say, our translator. Almost immediately, Moo Htoo lets Roxanne know what she needs to continue weaving more hand-made products. This is when we got our first taste of the ingenuity that goes into her work, the kinds of tools she uses, and her dedication; which led me to wonder what her motivation was.

Moo Htoo has six children, one of whom is married and has a child. She herself has been married for 27 years. She was raised in Burma, but when the war destroyed all that she knew, she left her home and found herself in a refugee camp. In Thailand, where she spent the next seventeen years, she learned how to weave. It really wasn’t something that appealed to her at first, but since it provided a means to send her children to school, Moo Htoo decided to give it a shot. She had only been a trainee for two months when she found herself weaving faster than the others, eventually even inventing her own floral patterns. As the years passed, one thing was never forgotten: the camp is not home. Imagine raising your children within the confinement of barbed wire, labeled as illegal aliens, and unaccepted by local citizens.  In fact, the term that refugees were called meant “people with no place to be”.

Refugees must apply for resettlement and, if chosen, are then relocated to that country. The United States currently takes in more refugees than the rest of the traditional resettlement countries combined. That’s how Moo Htoo and her family ended up here in Houston, Texas. When asked how she liked it here, she responded lightheartedly, “If you say a place is good, then it is good.” In fact, Moo Htoo actively chooses to search for what she enjoys here. For example, she likes to listen to gospel music. She currently attends a Baptist church that meets in another apartment.

What do you want your children to know?

To always look up to the educated and the wise, so as to never have to go through what I went through.

What is the most important thing to you?

My health. If I can work, then I can survive. If I have money but I am not healthy, it means nothing.

Do you ever feel like giving up?

Sometimes, yes. Because I am human.

Common Threads' Grand Finale

As our last Common Threads event, Vox culture will be hosting the “Interwoven Mixer” on 11/3 (55 Bar and Restaurant). The mixer will be an interactive experience: a bazaar featuring music, dance, ethnic cuisines, a fashion show, and colorful crafts from the refugees’ represented countries. This multi-layered, multi-faceted event reflects the many stories and journeys of each and every one of these amazing women. The various components we have lined up also serve to enhance our appreciation of our city’s diverse population.

We are aiming to provide a stage where the artisans can promote their handmade arts and crafts, expanding their opportunities of making a living to better integrate their lives into the community. Several refugee communities of the Community Cloth with informal experience in selling their goods will be represented at the event. Show your support not only for their skill-sets, but also for their strength to endure the pressures of starting new.  

Guests will have the opportunity to purchase one-of-a-kind products at the bazaar such as woven bags, knitted scarves, embroidered linens, baby clothing, and rugs-- all handcrafted by the artisans.

Come learn more about the cultural heritage behind the creative ware that the refugee artisans design. Join Vox Culture in celebrating the contributions of our refugee community!

ENTRY FEE: There will be an entry fee of $15.00. Guests will receive a sampler platter and signature cocktail. All proceeds will go towards the refugee artisans and their families.

VOLUNTEER: If you would like to volunteer at this event, please sign-up here: http://bit.ly/V5Z7X8

RSVP: For more information, visit our Facebook event: https://www.facebook.com/events/287630348009963/.

October Newsletter: Design Workshop | Sat 10/20

a. 10/20 Design Workshop: Jewelry Making
b. 11/3 Interwoven Mixer: Bazaar @ 55 Restaurant/Bar
c. Volunteer: Co-Fac for The Community Cloth
d. Cause Web: Educational Bites

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Vox continues our terrific momentum of "Common Threads" with The Community Cloth! 

a. 10/20 DESIGN WORKSHOP: Jewelry Making

We invite you to celebrate the contributions of our refugee community at our next event, Design Workshop. As part of our Common Threads series, we've created a fun and informative session for the refugee artisans in Houston who make handmade products to support their families. Since many of these artisans are not already trained in jewelry making, Vox is excited to introduce them to the designer-inspired Wrap Bracelet that can be sold year-round! At our first event, Style Scope, some of the artisans learned about what’s fashionable this season at Francesca’s. Now it’s time to put this knowledge to use! This will also be a great opportunity to meet and hear the stories of these talented women who are a part of our growing community.

ENTRY: $25 includes the instruction session, your custom take-home creation, Sprinkles cupcakes, AND sponsorship for an artisan to participate!
LOCATION & TIME: Vox Culture Warehouse (8570 Katy Fwy, Suite 116) @ 2:00-4:00PM
VOLUNTEER: http://bit.ly/PnTdts
RESERVE YOUR SEAT: http://on.fb.me/PMi3Dw

b. 11/3 INTERWOVEN MIXER: Bazaar @ 55 Restaurant/Bar

As the grand finale to our Refugees at Home trimester, Vox will be hosting the Interwoven Mixer at 55 Restaurant/Bar. This interactive experience will be woven with music, dance, ethnic cuisines and a fashion show. The multi-layered, multi-faceted event reflects the many stories and journeys of these wonderful women. The various components lined up also serve to enhance our appreciation of Houston's diverse population. We are aiming to provide a stage where the artisans can promote their handmade arts and crafts, expanding their opportunities of making a living to better integrate their lives into the community. Guests will have the opportunity to purchase one-of-a-kind products at the bazaar such as woven bags, knitted scarves, embroidered linens, baby clothing, and rugs. All proceeds from sales will go towards the refugee artisans and their families.

ENTRY: $15 includes a sampler platter and "The Artisan" signature cocktail
LOCATION & TIME: 55 Restaurant/Bar (5510 Morningside Dr) @ 2:00-5:00PM
VOLUNTEER: http://bit.ly/V5Z7X8
RESERVE YOUR SEAT: http://on.fb.me/SGrkvU

c. VOLUNTEER: Co-Fac for The Community Cloth

Looking for a unique volunteer opportunity? Do you enjoy engaging in a small group or working one-on-one? Some of The Community Cloth artisans are in need of co-facilitators! Co-facs are a liaison between the organization and the women, and contribute an average of 10-15 hours per month. General responsibilities include building a supportive environment for artisans, offering friendship and helping to prepare for sales events. Please email allison@ogvillage.org if you are interested in learning more.

d. CAUSE WEB: Educational Bites

Vox Culture partners with organizations that help fight against poverty and injustice. Our goal is to develop a culture of advocacy which includes educating about issues, learning about how they impact the community, and taking actionable steps towards making a difference. While we support a breath of different aspects around poverty and injustice, our hope is to help our audience understand the interconnectedness and "cause web" between these issues. The symptoms of one issue can be the root cause of another...Check out the educational bites written by Viktor Kopic, our R&D Coordinator, to learn about how the causes that Vox supports are linked to one another:

• Link between Refugees and Human Trafficking
• Link between Refugees and Domestic Violence

We thank you for your continued support of our organization and are grateful for the wonderful volunteers that pour their hearts and creative energy to benefit Houston, our home. Be a voice for Vox! Visit us | Like us | Follow us

The Link Between Refugees and Domestic Violence

As September comes to an end, Human Trafficking Awareness Month gives way to a new social awareness issue and a new month. October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month. As Vox Culture continues to progress through its trimester on “Refugees at Home”, we will take a moment to look at how the issue of domestic violence affects refugees.

For the audience to grasp the connections that may exist between domestic violence and refugees, it is important to first note the different types of domestic violence that exist and that Vox Culture seeks to fight.

Domestic violence is the abuse of an individual or group that consists of a physical, sexual, emotional, verbal, and/or economic nature. Physical abuse involves contact intended to cause feelings of intimidation, pain, injury, or other physical suffering or bodily harm. Sexual abuse consists of the use of force or threat to obtain participation in unwanted sexual activity. Emotional abuse involves the intentional psychological degradation of an individual to obtain a form of mental control over the individual. Verbal abuse is emotionally abusive behavior involving the use of language. Economic abuse happens when one intimate partner has control over the other partner's access to economic resources.

Refugees can be, and have been, victims of all these various forms of domestic violence. While there are numerous individual reports and stories that can be found through a quick online search, Physical and Sexual abuse have been continuously prevalent amongst refugees, with the victims more often than not being women and children. These two types of abuse, together with Emotional, Verbal and Economic occur in refugee communities largely due to cultural differences. Examples of such vary, from families forcing their children to marry before adolescence due to tribal customs, to women being subjugated to domestic servant roles where they are forced to stay at home and have limited to no personal rights.

In many cultures, domestic violence is not considered a crime, and often refugee victims are unaware that they can report abuse. Even when these victims do report abuse, mainstream domestic violence victim services agencies might find themselves lacking the personnel with the appropriate multicultural skills as well as ill-equipped to deal with issues specific to foreign cultures and different refugee communities.

While many domestic violence services agencies and non-profit organizations have been gradually making progress in seeking to address domestic violence within refugee communities, more has to be done by society to help break the cycle of domestic violence within refugee communities. We must help empower the victims, invest in their talents, and offer them the opportunity to build upon themselves. We must also take the time to learn about the specific refugee communities that reside around us, listen to their stories, and try to understand certain aspects of their culture. By educating ourselves about others we are better equipped to educate these same individuals or groups in return - especially as to why domestic violence IS a crime. If we are to take these or similar actions, we can help give a voice and further empower refugee victims of domestic violence.

To learn more about what other organizations in Texas, such as The Houston Area Women's Center and the Texas Association Against Sexual Assault (TAASA), are doing to combat domestic violence and/or help refugee victims, you can visit their websites by clicking on the following links:

The Houston Area Women's Center

Texas Association Against Sexual Assault (TAASA)