News from the Sanga Amaj Center
The Sanga Amaj Women’s Drug Treatment Center in Kabul, the only residential clinic for women seeking treatment for substance abuse, continues to host therapeutic stitchery as part of its recovery program. Women participate in a Rubia-run initiative teaching embroidery and other hand crafts as part of their comprehensive treatment. In May, Rubia invited Dr. Margaret Mills, Professor of Near Eastern Languages and Cultures at Ohio State University to talk to the patients at the clinic, hear their stories, and share some of her own. Dr. Mills spoke with the women in Dari, listening to their stories of how hunger drove them to opium and how they arrived at the clinic for treatment.

Dr. Mills visits Sanga Amaj.

We would like to involve more supporters in our decision-making and development. Therefore, we are inviting you to consider volunteering on one of Rubia’s committees. These committees are each headed by a member of the Rubia-US Board of Directors. Each committee is responsible for coordinating Rubia’s work in a specific area of our operations; see descriptions below. Joining a committee means that you—wherever your geographic location—will take an active part in shaping and sustaining Rubia’s mission. You will use your interests, talents, and ideas to help us assist families in Afghanistan survive and rebuild. And at whatever level of time and commitment you wish!

Education Committee—Dr. Jennifer Fluri; Finance Committee—Nancy Garrick; Governance Committee—Dr. Alicia Lucksted; Heritage Craft Committee—Beth Gottschling. If you have ideas for ways you can help Rubia that don’t fit with these committees, please let us know! Contact us at staff@rubiahandwork.org or 603-397-3438. We need the expertise and involvement of more supporters. It wouldn’t happen without you!

On April 17, 2009 an earthquake registering a magnitude of 5.5 struck Nangarhar province in eastern Afghanistan, Rubia’s home region. The quake that caused this disaster left 9,523 people homeless. Schools, homes and mosques not destroyed by the initial quake were damaged by the aftershocks. Hundreds of families continue to live without shelter and children remain the most vulnerable. More than 2200 children have lost access to basic services and education. In response to this disaster Rubia and the Peter M. Goodrich Memorial Foundation raised funds to help the villagers rebuild their lives. Through the combined networks of our generous supporters we raised nearly $12,000 which will be distributed in the form of building, cooking and household supplies.

After nine years of operating as a project of SEE (Social & Environmental Entrepreneurs) we have just become a federally recognized 501(c)3 non-profit organization. This is a huge leap for our organization and we are excited by the opportunity this affords us to expand programs that impact the well-being of women and children in Afghanistan.

Inspired by our work in Afghanistan where we developed the Rubia model — integrating education and economic development—we are now working in Manchester, NH with Burundian refugee women. Rubia has completed the first in a series of Sewing Confidence classes for the refugees that combine functional literacy with machine sewing skills, helping the women build confidence as they become engaged in their new American community. Experience with this project is yielding new methods of combining literacy and stitchery which we will apply in Afghanistan. We envision Sewing Confidence evolving into an international collaboration as the Burundian women develop the skills to incorporate Rubia embroidery into items for sale in the US. This project has been funded in part by the Women’s Fund of New Hampshire.

Rubia's Collaborative Quilt Project
Rubia's Collaborative Quilt Project, Women helping women, Stitch by Stitch will be opening at its 10th location in September 2009. This quilt will hang as a part of a larger exhibition "From a Women's Perspective", a juried show sponsored by the Washington D.C. Chapter of the Women's Caucus for Arts. The show runs from September 8th - October 30, at the Edison Place Gallery, PEPCO Building, 701 9th St. NW, Washington, DC.

Representatives from Rubia will be at the opening reception, September 11th from 5:30pm to 8:30 pm, and will have our hand-embroidered goods from Afghanistan for sale. The Juror's talk will be at 6:30. Please join us at this event. The gallery entrance is on 8th street between G & H, one block west of Verizon Center Gallery Hours 12:00 - 4:00 Tuesday - Friday

This was the fourth year Rubia was selected for the Santa Fe International Folk Art Market, the largest folk art market in the world, featuring many of the finest folk artists from around the world. Attendance was stronger than ever. We spoke with many returning and new supporters who sought out Rubia’s embroiderers and wanted to know more about women’s lives in Afghanistan. The July 2009 issue of Country Living magazine highlights Rubia pillows on page 60 in an article about the Market.

Thank you to WADAN for continued mentoring and support in Afghanistan. WADAN provides Rubia with an office, infrastructure, technical assistance and much hospitality.

Thank you to the many thoughtful individuals who responded to our earthquake relief request and generously contributed to the fund that will help Afghans rebuild their homes.

Thank you to Wilmer Hale attorneys Amy Segal, Margaret Gerety, and Mary Rose Scozzafava for indispensable advice and assistance on our 501(c)3 application.

Thank you to the generous individual supporters who collected and donated fabric, supplies, and machines for Sewing Confidence; and to the Women’s Fund of New Hampsire for sharing our vision and funding the program.