1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:07,200 Hi, welcome to Jewelry as Your Side Hustle with Sugar Gay Yisper and today I'm meeting with a 2 00:00:07,200 --> 00:00:14,720 friend of mine in Nairobi and that's my favorite continent because my son is there and his husband 3 00:00:14,720 --> 00:00:20,400 is coming next week to come visit and I am just you know I'm smitten so if you've ever been to 4 00:00:20,400 --> 00:00:27,200 Africa you get what I'm talking about and today we have a very special guest coming from Nairobi 5 00:00:27,200 --> 00:00:34,320 she's going to tell us all about Lagos Nigeria. Lagos Nigeria, I said it wrong. It's because my son 6 00:00:34,320 --> 00:00:41,200 was just in Nairobi so that's why. Okay so we're going to get started and welcome to our show Elizabeth 7 00:00:41,200 --> 00:00:46,800 and now introduce yourself to everyone because we're happy that you're here coming from so far away. 8 00:00:47,520 --> 00:00:54,000 Thank you so much Sugar. It's amazing to be with you. Your smile is captivating. So my name is 9 00:00:54,000 --> 00:01:01,920 Okiele Olatunji Elizabeth. I own Tunis creation and our organization is passionate about passing 10 00:01:01,920 --> 00:01:11,680 on needle crafts to children across Africa. In 2010 we set a goal to reach 30,000 African children by 11 00:01:11,680 --> 00:01:18,320 2030 so we are right about getting as many volunteers as possible, getting as many tools as possible 12 00:01:18,320 --> 00:01:25,680 to get children in Africa working with their hands and it's so exciting. That is very exciting because 13 00:01:25,680 --> 00:01:32,000 if we don't do that all of these handicrafts could be lost and there's a lot of this it's got to be 14 00:01:32,000 --> 00:01:38,000 passed down from generation to generation so and it also gives them something to do with their hands 15 00:01:38,000 --> 00:01:45,840 and use resources that they found so tell us more because this is so exciting to me so exciting to 16 00:01:45,840 --> 00:01:52,160 my heart and also at the end when you talk about how we can help you because it's a really big deal 17 00:01:52,160 --> 00:01:58,400 what you're doing. I'm proud of you. Thank you so much Sugar. So the idea is to get as many children 18 00:01:58,400 --> 00:02:04,080 as possible working with their hands because compared to the Europe, European countries and the US 19 00:02:04,640 --> 00:02:10,240 very few children know what to do with their hands and what about data for those who are for the adults 20 00:02:10,240 --> 00:02:16,240 who are knitting and crocheting across Africa there's very few data so the goal is to work in 21 00:02:16,240 --> 00:02:22,240 partnership with any country that we spotlight get the local volunteers in that country work with 22 00:02:22,240 --> 00:02:28,000 the local yarn stores in that country work with the local yarn shops and work with children in 23 00:02:28,000 --> 00:02:32,480 centers work with children in schools work with children in homes work with children in marginalized 24 00:02:32,480 --> 00:02:38,800 community so it's like an outreach and we choose to be do this outreach twice or tries in a year 25 00:02:38,800 --> 00:02:43,200 so once we spotlight any country that we're visiting we get all of these things together 26 00:02:43,200 --> 00:02:48,080 and off we go for a period of three to five days working across with the awesome volunteers 27 00:02:48,080 --> 00:02:52,640 and passing on these needlecraft skills to these children and it's amazing because we've actually 28 00:02:52,640 --> 00:02:58,400 done the first pilot pilot part of this program in Kenya Nairobi last year where we work with 29 00:02:58,400 --> 00:03:04,880 Eshi Yans and 11 awesome volunteers from Nairobi and we're able to reach close to a thousand children 30 00:03:04,880 --> 00:03:10,640 you know we taught them how to knit and crochet and the needles were supplied by pony needles 31 00:03:10,640 --> 00:03:16,800 industry alpha industries Nigeria also gave yarn and Eshi Yans herself also made some donations 32 00:03:16,800 --> 00:03:22,320 and we work with amazing children in different forms one thousand of them so now this is the beauty 33 00:03:22,320 --> 00:03:29,360 of working with the local volunteers the beauty is when we leave the local volunteers get to continue 34 00:03:29,360 --> 00:03:35,040 the program with these children they check on them they give them more skills to learn and they also 35 00:03:35,040 --> 00:03:39,760 work to the point where they create a platform for these children to sell their goods because it's 36 00:03:39,760 --> 00:03:44,400 not just only about teaching these children or this young adult or young people this skill 37 00:03:45,120 --> 00:03:50,560 it's about supporting them to make a market for their handwork so they have to be able to sell it 38 00:03:51,440 --> 00:03:57,840 exactly so the local volunteers now continue the pilot program with these children and we're always 39 00:03:57,840 --> 00:04:03,920 in contact so we can now offer these local volunteers more skills and we say oh you can get more training 40 00:04:03,920 --> 00:04:09,840 from craft craft and craft council of america you can get more training from american american 41 00:04:09,840 --> 00:04:14,720 council you can get more training from knitting for all you can have this supportive platform 42 00:04:14,720 --> 00:04:18,960 where you get more skills that you have to get to teach these children and this is like a win-win 43 00:04:18,960 --> 00:04:24,560 for the volunteers in that not only do they offer their skills to just children who do not have anything 44 00:04:24,560 --> 00:04:29,760 to pay them they also can offer their skills that they have been trained to work with children who 45 00:04:29,760 --> 00:04:34,400 can pay for this activity so it's like an empowerment it's like employment it's like putting something 46 00:04:34,400 --> 00:04:40,720 beautiful in the hands of both the children and the volunteers and it's not just yarn because I 47 00:04:40,720 --> 00:04:45,840 have another friend of mine that I'm gonna get the QF with because she's like a she's a dear to me 48 00:04:46,400 --> 00:04:51,600 and she crochets because she's from over there I'm not exactly sure where she's from I don't want to 49 00:04:51,600 --> 00:05:00,320 miss saying it but she crochets with wire and beads it makes amazing sculpture so you know it's just 50 00:05:00,320 --> 00:05:06,480 that whole act of doing and their repetitiveness and learning to love and don't you find that 51 00:05:06,480 --> 00:05:12,400 there's like real artists they're just born artists do you see that sometimes in your kids like 52 00:05:13,840 --> 00:05:20,400 yes so we you mean children who are born artists right I think I was born an artist I think if I 53 00:05:20,400 --> 00:05:26,800 would have had you teaching me I would have been so happy it would have been like yeah I'm making 54 00:05:26,800 --> 00:05:32,080 things like yes yes within you it's not just like oh I'm learning a new skill and it's gonna be 55 00:05:32,080 --> 00:05:37,920 helpful now exactly exactly sometimes very few times you find this just child or you find this 56 00:05:37,920 --> 00:05:45,200 young person who you just give a little push a little skill and boom they peek and they explode 57 00:05:45,200 --> 00:05:50,160 and they keep going and they are exploring and then you also find that child who you have to give 58 00:05:50,160 --> 00:05:56,000 the knowledge continue support you give all the motivation of the inspiration and they are able 59 00:05:56,000 --> 00:06:02,160 to go on but this is it every child deserve a chance to experiment and work with their hands 60 00:06:02,160 --> 00:06:07,760 and work with yams so our goal is to give them that chance by putting these materials in front 61 00:06:07,760 --> 00:06:13,120 of them that's the yarn that's the knitting pin they will now see give that child a chance to 62 00:06:13,120 --> 00:06:18,720 harness their potential to see if they have this natural gift as a craft artist or textile artist 63 00:06:18,720 --> 00:06:23,760 or yarn artist or if they just want to do it as a past time so they need the opportunity they need 64 00:06:23,760 --> 00:06:28,880 the chance just like you got your chance with your jewelry as well and you're able to explore 65 00:06:28,880 --> 00:06:32,960 I have so many beautiful things you're doing with your hands every child deserve that chance 66 00:06:34,160 --> 00:06:40,160 right and I really think that that's like the best gift that you can give a child is the ability 67 00:06:40,160 --> 00:06:47,760 to learn a skill that they'll be able to pass down to their kids or teach somebody else so I have 68 00:06:47,760 --> 00:06:54,000 I have a really good question for you because I'm like I'm thinking they're not knitting sweaters 69 00:06:54,000 --> 00:06:59,920 in Africa like that would be are they knitting sweaters yeah yes in a place like Nairobi the 70 00:06:59,920 --> 00:07:04,960 weather can be a bit cold so yes you can knit sweater there are other there are other cold 71 00:07:04,960 --> 00:07:12,560 regions in Africa where sweater is nice but everyone can make a plushy everyone can make 72 00:07:12,560 --> 00:07:19,280 a small teddy bear then everyone can actually apply the knitting and crochet to their environment 73 00:07:19,280 --> 00:07:24,800 so what is in your environment could it be that you could actually knit emojis do you know emojis 74 00:07:25,760 --> 00:07:34,240 yeah yes happy emojis excitement emojis positive emojis and you could have the small small small 75 00:07:34,240 --> 00:07:39,680 small plushies with knitted or crocheted with emojis in school bags there could be accessories 76 00:07:39,680 --> 00:07:45,680 in school bags and you could say you could say oh I am crocheting and knitting this plushies this 77 00:07:45,680 --> 00:07:51,120 small toys to teach friends in my environment to tell everyone in my environment that a smile 78 00:07:51,120 --> 00:07:56,080 is better than a frown or you could say I'm knitting or crocheting to create awareness for 79 00:07:56,080 --> 00:08:02,960 bullying that bullying is wrong and everyone can can speak up for when when he or she's been bullied 80 00:08:02,960 --> 00:08:08,080 you can actually make knit or crochet tiny hats for pre-tied babies the most important thing is you 81 00:08:08,080 --> 00:08:13,440 have the skill and you can use it to better your environment and your community right little blankets 82 00:08:13,440 --> 00:08:21,040 you can even knit a rug yes with rag you know rag rugs I have them all over I'm here not in 83 00:08:21,040 --> 00:08:28,960 this room but I have multiple rugs so you know that whole process of just working the fabric 84 00:08:28,960 --> 00:08:34,880 working the yarn working the needles you know the different sizes of needles and what they like 85 00:08:34,880 --> 00:08:42,080 there's a it's a huge community the knitting community you know is it hard to find wool 86 00:08:42,080 --> 00:08:47,920 over there or yarn is that like something and that's a whole other process it's making that yarn like 87 00:08:48,560 --> 00:08:52,240 I don't know if there's somebody over there that's doing that but that's like a whole process I know 88 00:08:52,240 --> 00:08:59,440 those people back in Canada I was friends with the spinners they were the girls that would take 89 00:08:59,440 --> 00:09:06,240 that wool they bought it by like a train load full and then they would clean it and dye it and then 90 00:09:06,240 --> 00:09:11,120 they were actually like they would just walk around spinning wool like they were ancient women 91 00:09:11,120 --> 00:09:17,360 because every piece of fabric from the beginning of time until you know until industrial civilization 92 00:09:17,360 --> 00:09:24,880 had to be spun that make the thread to make the looms to make the the cloth and these girls were 93 00:09:24,880 --> 00:09:30,880 crazy good like they were from a different time like that was just something they could walk around 94 00:09:30,880 --> 00:09:36,480 and spin they had little hand spinners and they could just spin that wool as they were doing 95 00:09:36,480 --> 00:09:41,920 their whatever even sitting by the TV you know didn't require the huge spinning wheel like we 96 00:09:41,920 --> 00:09:49,840 associate with that but it's a big business too is that the beginning product well you know now 97 00:09:49,840 --> 00:09:56,880 in in Nigeria and some of Africa except South Africa where they produce mohair and alpaca yes 98 00:09:56,880 --> 00:10:03,840 there are other regions of Africa only produce acrylic and most of those acrylic actually the 99 00:10:03,840 --> 00:10:08,880 fibers are imported they are not produced in the in Nigeria they are the acrylic fibers imported 100 00:10:08,880 --> 00:10:15,520 but it is spun into a yarn in Nigeria so we have acrylic yarns all over the place acrylic can be 101 00:10:15,520 --> 00:10:21,760 pretty good for learning because it's actually cheap absorbs colors and is very attractive but 102 00:10:21,760 --> 00:10:27,360 when it comes to finishing when it comes to fabric when fabric acrylic doesn't work so we 103 00:10:27,360 --> 00:10:32,640 are trying to work in partnership with the yarn factory and say we are in eco-friendly we are 104 00:10:32,640 --> 00:10:39,600 eco-friendly community in the world at the moment we do not want a non-bald degradable yarns you can 105 00:10:39,600 --> 00:10:44,800 give us natural yarns and so we have some fewer companies like Alpha who are producing a bit of 106 00:10:44,800 --> 00:10:50,720 cutting I was sent some samples to experiment with recently 100% cutting made in Nigeria cutting 107 00:10:50,720 --> 00:10:56,160 that can be spun into yarn for our young ones to work with but in in the interim I have companies 108 00:10:56,160 --> 00:11:02,160 like Rowan Yance who sent me samples of premium and premium and amazing yarns for my learners and I 109 00:11:02,160 --> 00:11:07,360 take a few balls to class do in my outreach center to some of the schools who I'd worked with in the 110 00:11:07,360 --> 00:11:12,080 past to say yes you can actually work with a hundred percent wool yarn and it's an amazing 111 00:11:12,080 --> 00:11:19,200 feeling when I skip when a child takes a ball of 100% wool and I say this yarn was gotten from a sheep 112 00:11:19,200 --> 00:11:24,880 so as we keep evolving as we keep talking about this act and craft as we keep getting as many 113 00:11:24,880 --> 00:11:30,000 people to work with their hands we are confident that in the future we have more companies more 114 00:11:30,000 --> 00:11:35,520 factories who want to sell who want to invest in the markets will say yes we can produce luxury yarns 115 00:11:35,520 --> 00:11:42,400 luxury organic yarns luxury natural yarns for these children to work with and for the future 116 00:11:42,400 --> 00:11:49,200 generation okay so I'm already like in my mind packing a box for you I'm like is it hard to 117 00:11:49,200 --> 00:11:56,320 send stuff to you can be pretty expensive well besides the cost is it hard to get things through 118 00:11:56,320 --> 00:12:02,480 customs I know I've sent things to my son before and it took like I don't know like four months 119 00:12:02,480 --> 00:12:07,120 or something like that to get there and it was like a big hassle and they lost the box and 120 00:12:07,120 --> 00:12:14,160 I don't know it was like a lot of things happen is it hard to to mail things to you it's not hard so 121 00:12:14,160 --> 00:12:19,680 Rowan Yan actually sent me some yarns um my two ladies knitting needles also sent me some of 122 00:12:20,400 --> 00:12:27,680 return and fairly used um knitting and crochet pins they sent that to me and I also write in a 123 00:12:27,680 --> 00:12:32,000 couple of articles and blogs as well so some of those magazines are sent to me in Nigeria 124 00:12:32,000 --> 00:12:36,800 a bit of article contribution in uppercase magazine as well that have been sent to me so it's fine 125 00:12:36,800 --> 00:12:42,800 and I also happen to come to the US too I was in the US in May so if I could come around you could 126 00:12:42,800 --> 00:12:48,160 actually send these things to my hotel and I could bring them back myself so yeah because I know the 127 00:12:48,160 --> 00:12:54,480 importing is is quite the big okay so I have another really burning question how did you learn and 128 00:12:54,480 --> 00:13:00,960 tell me about that like how old were you when you picked up your first crochet needles and said 129 00:13:00,960 --> 00:13:06,080 yeah that's pretty cool I can do this so I was actually seven when my classmates taught me how to 130 00:13:06,080 --> 00:13:11,600 knit and they taught me with broomsticks so it was something we just did gatter stitch we never 131 00:13:11,600 --> 00:13:17,040 learned how to cast off we never learned how to read patterns it was just broomsticks that I used 132 00:13:17,040 --> 00:13:21,920 to learn how to knit when I was age seven and that was all I did about knitting fast forward to my 133 00:13:21,920 --> 00:13:26,880 undergraduate days and I went to study textile technology and a friend of mine gifted me a knitting 134 00:13:26,880 --> 00:13:32,000 thing and I was like oh I could go back to this craft it was something I love doing and that has 135 00:13:32,000 --> 00:13:36,560 been it all through that time to this very time so when I started my business I was like if you 136 00:13:36,560 --> 00:13:41,440 wake me up in my sleep and tell me a little bit need to crochet and I'll be do this thing why not let 137 00:13:41,440 --> 00:13:45,920 me make a business out of something I really really like to do and that was how soon inspiration was 138 00:13:45,920 --> 00:13:52,560 born it was born out of my passion for teaching and my passion for my love for young so it's a 139 00:13:52,560 --> 00:13:58,080 business that combines my true love love for knitting I'm love for teaching and that's why I don't 140 00:13:58,080 --> 00:14:04,640 ever get tired of teaching children you know I'm the same way so I'm trying to think about like 141 00:14:05,440 --> 00:14:11,920 why you're why you're saying this it's like why am I not doing this why am I not teaching 142 00:14:11,920 --> 00:14:18,080 children I don't I haven't tried to teach children really before you know I teach at the college level 143 00:14:18,080 --> 00:14:25,680 and I love teaching it's I've written two books on it like it's my thing but really like I think 144 00:14:25,680 --> 00:14:30,800 that this is a great opportunity for everybody to look in their communities and go what can I teach 145 00:14:31,440 --> 00:14:39,280 kids you know like how so tell us about like that next step of how you decided to go from okay 146 00:14:39,280 --> 00:14:45,200 I've got this great idea and now I'm going to really put it to use like do you go to schools 147 00:14:45,200 --> 00:14:50,240 and do you tell them like I made an after school program and I'm going to teach because it doesn't 148 00:14:50,240 --> 00:14:56,880 have to be just girls right like yes everywhere everywhere I find children it might be library 149 00:14:56,880 --> 00:15:02,720 it might be book club it might be it might be orphanage homes it might be community centers 150 00:15:02,720 --> 00:15:08,240 it might be schools anywhere I can find children and it was really really difficult at first and 151 00:15:08,240 --> 00:15:13,840 it still is because in Nigeria our economy is struggling and a lot of people can't ask struggling 152 00:15:13,840 --> 00:15:19,360 to afford the basics so very few people can actually say oh I want a knitting and crochet class 153 00:15:19,360 --> 00:15:25,040 and so many times I have to teach for free provided somebody can actually buy the tool so 154 00:15:25,760 --> 00:15:31,920 it's been very stressful but but as the world is going then the covid came and brought a bit of boom 155 00:15:31,920 --> 00:15:36,720 as well into working with the hands a lot of people were indoor and they felt oh what could we do 156 00:15:36,720 --> 00:15:41,520 and they decided to look at knitting and crochet and it's been like that so now is better than how 157 00:15:41,520 --> 00:15:46,800 it was before because before I could go around 40 schools and nobody says hey I want to buy your 158 00:15:46,800 --> 00:15:53,280 knitting classes so it has to do with a lot of my time I have to volunteer and after volunteering 159 00:15:53,280 --> 00:15:58,160 and giving everyone a taste of what it means to learn how to knit and I'll begin to get a little 160 00:15:58,160 --> 00:16:03,040 bit of request and then for my classes and I have a knitting book as well a knitting a busy book 161 00:16:03,040 --> 00:16:07,760 which is in a couple of other libraries across the country not selling so well like that but 162 00:16:07,760 --> 00:16:14,480 I have a few copies people buy here and there and thankfully I had the H&H award in May for the 163 00:16:15,680 --> 00:16:20,480 Golden Seasons Award I was recipient for the Golden Seasons Award in the U.S. and that brought a bit 164 00:16:20,480 --> 00:16:25,360 of light as well to the work I do and I'm also very active on social media as well so I keep 165 00:16:25,360 --> 00:16:30,000 putting the word out there to say if you get your children working with their hands you are going to 166 00:16:30,000 --> 00:16:36,240 help them improve their creativity and I must tell you sugar one of the most creative humans in the 167 00:16:36,240 --> 00:16:42,800 world are children they are so damn creative because they don't have bills to pay they have more time to 168 00:16:42,800 --> 00:16:50,880 think of course and you know I also know that when I was in sixth grade so I don't know how old I was 169 00:16:50,880 --> 00:16:56,640 then like I don't know 10 or 11 in my art class and I had two sisters that were older than me and 170 00:16:56,640 --> 00:17:04,000 one of them was really excellent in art and that art teacher was teaching me and she did not like 171 00:17:04,000 --> 00:17:09,920 my art and did not go well in that class and after that I never did art again because she was so 172 00:17:10,880 --> 00:17:16,080 ugly to me and I thought it wasn't until I got to college and I my first semester I had to take 173 00:17:16,800 --> 00:17:23,360 a class in ceramics it was just an extra class and then halfway through the semester my my 174 00:17:23,360 --> 00:17:29,120 professor said uh yeah you yeah you've ruined the budget for the whole class you're now up to 175 00:17:29,120 --> 00:17:37,040 like 100 pieces and that's like shop my budget so slow down so I found like that all that pent-up art 176 00:17:37,040 --> 00:17:43,360 that I hadn't been doing for you know all those years just exploded out of me and I never looked 177 00:17:43,360 --> 00:17:51,840 back and I was instantly an artist so it has to be encouraging words to these kids even if you 178 00:17:51,840 --> 00:17:56,560 don't like what they're doing it doesn't matter they their vision is not necessarily your vision 179 00:17:56,560 --> 00:18:02,400 but you've got to be like kind to these kids that she could crush them like that was crushed so that's 180 00:18:02,400 --> 00:18:08,720 why I'm so sympathetic to learn so it's important when I when I do train teachers as well teachers 181 00:18:08,720 --> 00:18:13,200 who also want to teach children how to knit and I tell them you are actually you you have this 182 00:18:13,200 --> 00:18:19,280 chance to mold this child you have an opportunity to to impact this child with the skill of knitting 183 00:18:19,280 --> 00:18:25,200 you must take this job seriously and be mindful of your words so when a child makes an effort in 184 00:18:25,200 --> 00:18:30,080 the knitting or crochet we do not compare children when they make an effort oh in two to three classes 185 00:18:30,080 --> 00:18:36,320 this child can only make a chain inspire them this child can only crochet or make a chain and this 186 00:18:36,320 --> 00:18:42,320 child can only knit some few stitches of data rows data rows on her knitting or knitting sticks 187 00:18:43,440 --> 00:18:49,280 be be be full with commendation commendation is like watering flowers and when you constantly 188 00:18:49,280 --> 00:18:54,720 water a flower it's going to bloom be very commendable and commend them and help them understand that 189 00:18:54,720 --> 00:19:01,360 this is not a race and there's no assessment for this skill do your thing and do it at your will 190 00:19:01,360 --> 00:19:05,440 and I've been able to have children who has bloomed over time and who have been absolutely well 191 00:19:06,640 --> 00:19:14,320 and they maybe now help other to teach others did I see you on the American craft alliance 192 00:19:16,320 --> 00:19:20,000 webinar or meeting round table this week is that what I met you 193 00:19:20,000 --> 00:19:26,320 yes that's what you met me yeah yeah that's what I thought because those women those women 194 00:19:26,320 --> 00:19:33,360 need to know your story those women does abby know your story like yes that should be that should be 195 00:19:33,360 --> 00:19:39,040 a good deal all the extras so supply should go to you like I'm kind of shocked by that 196 00:19:40,080 --> 00:19:45,520 yes abby is amazing I have a couple of articles on ab on the craft industrial alliance website 197 00:19:45,520 --> 00:19:50,560 that I wrote and abby has been very supporting I actually that was it was true abby's platform 198 00:19:50,560 --> 00:19:55,600 that I won the godness is this award and it's been very very encouraging I was in the US and I 199 00:19:55,600 --> 00:20:01,520 met some awesome young company I met my two ladies needles in the US and they they sent 200 00:20:01,520 --> 00:20:05,760 they are sending me at the moment I have one box to have gotten the remaining two boxes are on the way 201 00:20:06,480 --> 00:20:12,800 of knitting pins and crochet pins and some bags for these children who cannot afford to buy them 202 00:20:12,800 --> 00:20:20,080 so yes the what is out there I'm just saying on the next meeting next month the first Tuesday of 203 00:20:20,080 --> 00:20:25,600 every month we have a round table I if you don't do it I'm going to speak up for you because it's 204 00:20:25,600 --> 00:20:30,080 like hey does everybody know we have this great opportunity for all your extra yarn and if you 205 00:20:30,080 --> 00:20:36,400 have any old needles or if you want to help some kids um there's a place and one of our members 206 00:20:36,400 --> 00:20:43,280 needs to have needs to talk to you like this is like so eye-opening to me I am so proud of you 207 00:20:43,280 --> 00:20:50,720 number one I'm so excited to learn about you because I can generously give to your your classes 208 00:20:50,720 --> 00:20:57,440 like I can go to this local stores and buy knitting needles and you know use my coupons and my 209 00:20:57,440 --> 00:21:03,600 whatever I have and you know get a box together I probably have wool around here I have so many 210 00:21:03,600 --> 00:21:09,760 supplies that'll never be used if I don't like find a home for them and then I'm going to introduce 211 00:21:09,760 --> 00:21:16,240 you to my friend who knits with wire in beads because that's kind of like blow your head open 212 00:21:16,240 --> 00:21:22,400 it's like oh I see like she's got a different way of doing the exact same thing we're doing 213 00:21:22,960 --> 00:21:28,080 but now she's taking it to this whole other level and maybe that's something you could reach out with 214 00:21:28,080 --> 00:21:34,480 her because she's a friend and just go hey you know because if you just watched her um Instagram 215 00:21:34,480 --> 00:21:40,320 like she does really good close-ups of over her shoulder of watching her on Instagram yeah I'll 216 00:21:40,320 --> 00:21:44,240 send it to you I'll send it to you I don't want to mispronounce it because it is an African name and 217 00:21:44,240 --> 00:21:50,720 I'm terrible with names I can tell you in two seconds that because she's on my whatsapp and let's 218 00:21:50,720 --> 00:21:54,880 just make sure I don't I don't want to say her name wrong because that would be such an insult 219 00:21:54,880 --> 00:22:07,600 I'm and I'm not great oh okay hold on Naomi that part I got it's uh Gakunga Naomi Gakunga she's 220 00:22:07,600 --> 00:22:14,240 wonderful I'll send you the link but she is um yeah and you could learn really from her Instagram 221 00:22:14,240 --> 00:22:19,600 because you already know what the what change she's changed it she's doing or whatever she's doing and 222 00:22:19,600 --> 00:22:26,320 then oh it's with wire okay well wires and there's and then she does like found objects you know like 223 00:22:26,880 --> 00:22:34,160 because she says to me I learned on my mother's knee this is how my mother you know spread this to 224 00:22:34,160 --> 00:22:40,080 us so she's a she's a teacher too so you have a lot of people that want to support you I know 225 00:22:40,080 --> 00:22:46,320 we just got to get the word out for you and uh help me if you if you were touching the lives of 226 00:22:46,320 --> 00:22:51,920 of little children that are going to become artists one day we need to do everything we can to help 227 00:22:51,920 --> 00:22:59,280 you like that's a whole different game I just I'm so happy that you were on that call and that you 228 00:23:00,400 --> 00:23:05,920 met up with me today so that we could like get this little journey started like it's so good to 229 00:23:05,920 --> 00:23:12,560 give back it's so good for our hearts over here to think about how we could help another artist 230 00:23:12,560 --> 00:23:19,440 somewhere or multiple children uh to you know create something that they could sell now we know 231 00:23:19,440 --> 00:23:25,760 that selling is the hardest part because I'm an artist and I make lots of stuff but selling is the 232 00:23:25,760 --> 00:23:32,880 hardest part like to be an entrepreneur you have to be able to so many things you know like we have 233 00:23:32,880 --> 00:23:36,320 social media we have to be able to take pictures we have to be able to make videos we have to be 234 00:23:36,320 --> 00:23:42,720 able to have a website like there's like there's so much more than just oh I'm a creator it's like 235 00:23:42,720 --> 00:23:50,480 I'm a creator but I gotta be able to sell this so how how is that process for you because is that 236 00:23:50,480 --> 00:23:56,320 like the next level of teaching like it's like a whole other thing right now for children it's 237 00:23:56,320 --> 00:24:02,240 most it's much more than the product it's also about the process what the process does for them 238 00:24:02,240 --> 00:24:06,960 that when you are meeting with your two pins you are engaging the both part of your brain 239 00:24:06,960 --> 00:24:10,960 the left and the both part of the brain and you are getting your brain to think 240 00:24:10,960 --> 00:24:15,920 so what you're taking away from meeting is the will to think then also you're also learning 241 00:24:15,920 --> 00:24:21,520 that things follow a process you start from casting on you get through the learning curve you learn 242 00:24:21,520 --> 00:24:27,440 how to knit you learn how to cast off you learn how to read patterns you learn how to follow through 243 00:24:27,440 --> 00:24:32,400 and that's the natural order of things so children learn that they learn creativity they also learn 244 00:24:32,400 --> 00:24:38,320 finishing and they also learn how to appreciate the hard work of others so if a child spends a whole 245 00:24:38,320 --> 00:24:43,840 term trying to knit or crochet teddy bear you won't have that child go to a museum and see the art 246 00:24:43,840 --> 00:24:49,440 of others and want to re-unit because he or she would have thought if I can put this much hard 247 00:24:49,440 --> 00:24:54,480 work into trying to make a small thing how much hard work this artist have put into trying to 248 00:24:54,480 --> 00:24:59,760 put this masterpiece in the museum so children are taking away the beauty of hard work then 249 00:25:00,400 --> 00:25:05,760 we are also having an age where most some children actually getting addicted to being on the internet 250 00:25:05,760 --> 00:25:11,120 being addicted to their iPads being addicted to their phones being addicted to their electronics 251 00:25:11,120 --> 00:25:18,480 so one way they can actually distress or deplog is by working with their hands and they're also 252 00:25:18,480 --> 00:25:22,960 able to process their thoughts you know we have a couple of young people in Nigeria at the moment 253 00:25:22,960 --> 00:25:27,440 who are so falling in love with crochet I have some of them who actually sign up for my class 254 00:25:27,440 --> 00:25:31,760 so you find they are communicating and their hands are busy they are crocheting they're also 255 00:25:31,760 --> 00:25:36,320 learning the beauty of community they're learning the beauty of communication and this is I am also 256 00:25:36,320 --> 00:25:41,120 telling parents if your children sign up for knitting or crochet class you can sign up with them as 257 00:25:41,120 --> 00:25:46,400 well and learn together parents can sign up in their spare time as well and learn with their 258 00:25:46,400 --> 00:25:51,440 children and what better way when we have a skill that can help us get to the mind of our children 259 00:25:51,440 --> 00:25:57,600 so it's not just about the products but also about the process very few times the school have like 260 00:25:57,600 --> 00:26:04,640 an art exhibition an entrepreneurship fair where children can actually display their product and 261 00:26:04,640 --> 00:26:10,160 parents can come in to pick it so that is also encouraged but the goal is more of what the skill 262 00:26:10,880 --> 00:26:18,240 and the process of the skill than the product you know I love it that you're teaching them to 263 00:26:18,240 --> 00:26:23,600 appreciate and their artists because that's really how you also learn I think that that's brilliant 264 00:26:23,600 --> 00:26:28,800 like that really puts everything back together it's like it's not just about you it's not just 265 00:26:28,800 --> 00:26:34,320 about your mother and your community and then it's about appreciating all different levels of art 266 00:26:34,320 --> 00:26:41,440 that from the beginning to the museum quality so if you open that world like open up the world of 267 00:26:41,440 --> 00:26:47,120 like the professionals to them so they can see so they can inspire to that so they can go oh I can 268 00:26:47,120 --> 00:26:53,200 make something even better than that like that's where they probably really just blossom because 269 00:26:53,200 --> 00:26:57,120 then they can really like see oh I'm doing this for a reason and mine it's not always gonna look 270 00:26:57,120 --> 00:27:01,760 like this it's gonna get better and better and better because it is using both parts of your 271 00:27:01,760 --> 00:27:08,160 brain and you know using those skills that's you know like I remember look you know how I learned 272 00:27:08,160 --> 00:27:16,480 jewelry is that my grandmother taught me how to sew hand sewing she should have showed me a machine 273 00:27:16,480 --> 00:27:21,600 it would have been a little bit better use for my time but I learned so then when it came time I had 274 00:27:21,600 --> 00:27:26,560 to make something it's like my jewelry ended up I don't know if I have a piece around here but I 275 00:27:26,560 --> 00:27:35,040 still do it today where it's like sewing it's like beads and wire and and wiring on beads to a piece 276 00:27:35,040 --> 00:27:40,080 of wire I don't know if I have a piece here anywhere I'm gonna show you but that's really oh here 277 00:27:40,080 --> 00:27:45,120 here's one it's a crown it's a picture of a crown I don't know if you can see it but that crown is all 278 00:27:45,120 --> 00:27:52,800 just hand sewing like you know it's my grandmother showing me how to do embroidery that led me to 279 00:27:52,800 --> 00:27:58,720 creating a bracelet which led me to I don't know if I have another one in here which led me to this 280 00:27:59,360 --> 00:28:04,720 so it it does connect the dots all the way through you never know how it's gonna end up 281 00:28:05,760 --> 00:28:11,920 you know could have been that I got really good in embroidery I still have the pair of shorts 282 00:28:11,920 --> 00:28:17,040 there was a little pair of jean shorts I was knitting I did the back pockets that she sat there with 283 00:28:17,040 --> 00:28:23,920 me and and we did together and I still have that because it was priceless to me like that was something 284 00:28:23,920 --> 00:28:29,200 that that was something that just meant meant the world to me that I I know where those are 285 00:28:29,200 --> 00:28:36,800 could never fit into a boot this big but you know you know it was a long time ago so but it does it 286 00:28:36,800 --> 00:28:43,280 does come down to that where we have to be shown you know how how to do things and the earlier 287 00:28:43,280 --> 00:28:51,120 the better the earlier the better so tell me about your typical day a typical day in the life of of 288 00:28:51,120 --> 00:28:56,880 you how does it work my typical day actually starts with me brainstorming and thinking about the 289 00:28:56,880 --> 00:29:03,520 children who I want to teach or who I have been teaching and who I want to go meet so I like surprises 290 00:29:03,520 --> 00:29:10,320 so I'm always having extra yarns with me when I pack my bags I pack extra yarns and smaller balls 291 00:29:10,320 --> 00:29:17,200 of yarn variegated yarns funny looking kind of yarns and I have them with me as I pack my back 292 00:29:17,200 --> 00:29:24,000 to go to the school I want to teach not only that I also like wearing um modeling something 293 00:29:24,000 --> 00:29:29,360 finished that I had knitted or crochet something different new and every time in the week so I 294 00:29:29,360 --> 00:29:34,400 also like to wear that wear something finished as I pack my bag as well on my way to work and when 295 00:29:34,400 --> 00:29:39,040 I get to work and it's time for my class I could just pop in I have them already bringing their 296 00:29:39,040 --> 00:29:43,760 things and I also said to them I am not the only person who is coming with surprise you should 297 00:29:43,760 --> 00:29:51,680 also surprise me as well so some of them hide their yes and they're like I'm so when they come and 298 00:29:51,680 --> 00:29:56,400 they work so hard maybe somebody started a teddy bear in class and the teddy bear comes back and he 299 00:29:56,400 --> 00:30:04,960 already has his hair the bunny already done an ice cream did you just make that and everybody's 300 00:30:04,960 --> 00:30:08,880 like everybody wants to surprise me everybody wants to make me happy I want to make them happy as 301 00:30:08,880 --> 00:30:14,080 well so it's a two-way thing I want to get to the I want to get them excited so that they don't get 302 00:30:14,080 --> 00:30:19,440 tired of learning and they also want to get me excited as well and these days we are also infusing 303 00:30:19,440 --> 00:30:24,400 technologies into our class we try to go to youtube and check who is going to inspire us in every 304 00:30:24,400 --> 00:30:31,280 class so we have Jonah Lossin I'm sure you would have heard about him oh yeah yes so we have Jonah 305 00:30:31,280 --> 00:30:36,640 Lossin's videos on youtube that we watch and a couple of young crocheters and it is across the world 306 00:30:36,640 --> 00:30:41,520 who we also see then we have that tech time as well where we get to learn from interactive 307 00:30:41,520 --> 00:30:46,800 board and watch videos to get us expired then I get to check everyone's progress individually 308 00:30:46,800 --> 00:30:52,480 and that can be quite tough you know yes so yes every child is a different level of learning 309 00:30:52,480 --> 00:30:56,640 some still do not know the skill for two to three weeks of class they are still struggling 310 00:30:56,640 --> 00:31:03,360 so the the strategy I adopt in my class is moving from simple to complex so a child can remain in a 311 00:31:03,360 --> 00:31:08,240 simple phase as simple as doing a pre-needing skill of working with the spool loom with the 312 00:31:08,240 --> 00:31:13,840 nifting knitter for weeks provided that child can change color that child can stay on the tax that 313 00:31:13,840 --> 00:31:18,320 child can complete a project that's fine by me and you see that there are other children who 314 00:31:18,320 --> 00:31:23,040 boom you introduce them to knitting last week when they come back they already have a very long 315 00:31:23,040 --> 00:31:28,560 scarf so what do we do we say this child is ready to to progress to the point of reaching a pattern 316 00:31:28,560 --> 00:31:34,400 this child cannot be fed with a meal anymore we need to give you a solid solid solid meal so in a 317 00:31:34,400 --> 00:31:39,600 class of 20 children every one of them is a different phase of learning and that can be quite 318 00:31:39,600 --> 00:31:44,720 intense on the knitting teacher so it's exciting as well and before you know the class is already 319 00:31:44,720 --> 00:31:52,400 over and they're here the bail and they're like oh we don't want to leave and I'm like no the class 320 00:31:52,400 --> 00:31:57,440 is over it's time to go so we pack up making sure that everyone's item is back into their bag 321 00:31:57,440 --> 00:32:02,160 ahead of the next teacher so when I'm done I have to go to another class or another school 322 00:32:02,160 --> 00:32:08,880 it's very intense and it's very exciting yeah I know you give a lot of yourself I I I love your 323 00:32:08,880 --> 00:32:14,160 ideas on teaching it's kind of inspiring me even to be even a little bit better because I don't get 324 00:32:14,160 --> 00:32:20,240 to talk to other teachers so but what what you're saying is exactly right when I'm in a class 325 00:32:20,240 --> 00:32:25,600 somebody might have been doing this all different times in their life and so everybody's at a 326 00:32:25,600 --> 00:32:31,760 different level and that one-on-one is the key so and then not only that I also tell all the 327 00:32:31,760 --> 00:32:36,720 students their adults but I say now these are your friends forever because y'all are having 328 00:32:36,720 --> 00:32:42,400 the same experience together and afterwards I'm your friend forever you can always contact me 329 00:32:42,400 --> 00:32:48,880 but you also have other people that you now know it's about creating a community too like I think 330 00:32:48,880 --> 00:32:54,320 that that's probably really important for your students too is that now they have a new little 331 00:32:54,320 --> 00:33:00,400 friend that they can have a shade with exactly and then also I also leverage on the community to 332 00:33:00,400 --> 00:33:07,360 also teach so when we have the those who need to learn really fast I have them teach those who are 333 00:33:07,360 --> 00:33:13,520 still coming up and the children are better teachers than myself so you at times you could have like 334 00:33:13,520 --> 00:33:17,760 three or four children sign up for knitting or crocheting a class when you come back some months 335 00:33:17,760 --> 00:33:25,040 later everyone in the class is knitting or crocheting. Doesn't it feel good? Exactly so I said to 336 00:33:25,040 --> 00:33:30,000 I said to everyone if you want a skill to our flip generation you have to put it in the hands of 337 00:33:30,000 --> 00:33:37,440 children and so I say you get you get it distributed free teach one learn and teach the others and so 338 00:33:37,440 --> 00:33:42,800 so in a whole in a whole session we can have almost a lot of children who are crocheting they are 339 00:33:42,800 --> 00:33:47,840 being taught by their classmates they are being taught by their friends and they have their 340 00:33:47,840 --> 00:33:52,240 community and some even come and sign up for knitting and say my friend inspired me to come 341 00:33:52,240 --> 00:33:57,440 and knit and my friend inspired me to come and crochet so I let my meters market the club 342 00:33:57,440 --> 00:34:02,320 market my after club go bring your friends they're going to get a free ball of yarn go to them we're 343 00:34:02,320 --> 00:34:08,000 having fun yeah and so it's a community of chit chat chit chat chit chat and it's amazing I mean 344 00:34:08,000 --> 00:34:12,720 that that is I think that that's another reason that gets them excited it's like I'm gonna get to 345 00:34:12,720 --> 00:34:18,640 go back and I'm gonna get to see all these new these friends like you know that's that's just as good 346 00:34:18,640 --> 00:34:24,480 at our age as it is at any age like oh we want to go see our friends you know like have a little 347 00:34:24,480 --> 00:34:29,520 social time have some learning and it makes you feel good that you know you're helping somebody 348 00:34:29,520 --> 00:34:34,400 else to learn and you know all the different things that the teaching and learning all comes 349 00:34:34,400 --> 00:34:40,560 together to really make it a great thing now let's talk about how people can help you do you have 350 00:34:40,560 --> 00:34:46,080 like a a way that people can send you money is that the best like I just want to be your friend 351 00:34:46,080 --> 00:34:51,360 so all right all right but I want to support you because all right now I do not have I do not all 352 00:34:51,360 --> 00:34:59,600 right I do not take um money but I like sponsorship so I would have done Botswana next week but I 353 00:34:59,600 --> 00:35:06,000 didn't get anyone to pay for my flights so you can just buy my flight ticket I could do this visa 354 00:35:06,000 --> 00:35:10,880 you could buy my flight ticket and send me the ticket and I just go right away to the particular 355 00:35:10,880 --> 00:35:16,560 country I want to go to so I have yarn I have some couple of knitting pins but I have no flight 356 00:35:16,560 --> 00:35:25,040 ticket to go to Botswana so people can help me by donating a flight ticket to any country 357 00:35:25,040 --> 00:35:30,400 african country that we spotlighted that's how what any organization can help me and they can 358 00:35:30,400 --> 00:35:34,960 also help by sending me supplies or send to the country we have spotlighting ahead of us 359 00:35:34,960 --> 00:35:40,640 this is send the supplies there so we just go use it to teach the children then you can also 360 00:35:40,640 --> 00:35:45,920 spread the word you can spread the word as well and say oh Elizabeth from Tunis creation is doing 361 00:35:45,920 --> 00:35:53,520 this because the the idea is actually cement I'm not for sizing no one has anything or everything 362 00:35:53,520 --> 00:35:59,680 figured out all yet but it's a process and the more everyday girls the more we meet more children 363 00:35:59,680 --> 00:36:05,040 the more the idea will get bigger and better so all I need are times may just be an email to tell me 364 00:36:05,040 --> 00:36:10,400 oh this is how about you do it like this Elizabeth how about you do it like this Elizabeth so I need 365 00:36:10,400 --> 00:36:14,400 a lot of people to support me I need a lot of people to to be by my side I need a lot of people to 366 00:36:14,400 --> 00:36:19,360 make the announcement on my behalf and I need a lot of people to send me once I termize what I'm 367 00:36:19,360 --> 00:36:23,760 going to be needing in a particular country I need people to help send us support as well 368 00:36:23,760 --> 00:36:30,880 through sponsorship so that it can get done now when you came to the US in May where did you go 369 00:36:32,000 --> 00:36:38,400 I was actually in the H and H America and I was in a hotel so my hotel bills was actually partly 370 00:36:38,400 --> 00:36:44,160 paid by the the stippend from the Golden Seasons award and my two ladies knitting as they actually 371 00:36:44,160 --> 00:36:48,720 helped me pay for my hotel for three days and that was just fine and so a couple of friends 372 00:36:48,720 --> 00:36:52,960 actually did feed me and that was fun and I was able to return back to my home country Nigeria 373 00:36:52,960 --> 00:36:57,520 so I termized the things I'm going to need and I have sponsors take care of that and that's just 374 00:36:57,520 --> 00:37:04,960 fine now I've heard about H and H and of course I'm not a knitter so tell people about H and H 375 00:37:04,960 --> 00:37:10,400 because it's coming up again is it twice a year I'm not sure no once a year I think there's H and H 376 00:37:10,400 --> 00:37:17,440 Cologne in Germany and there's also H and H America H and H is an amazing program sugar it's a 377 00:37:18,320 --> 00:37:23,120 crafters community of crafters those who are in the industry of crafting 378 00:37:24,160 --> 00:37:32,000 showcasing their products in an amazing community of hand people who do handcraft come together 379 00:37:32,000 --> 00:37:36,560 showcase their products what they have to the world and people come and get to meet them connect 380 00:37:37,680 --> 00:37:43,920 and there's conversation and there's community so for the 2024 it happened in the Donald 381 00:37:43,920 --> 00:37:51,040 Stevenson Center in Chicago May 1 to May 2nd and there were amazing keynote speeches there were 382 00:37:51,040 --> 00:37:55,680 speakers from around the world who came in and they spoke about what was happening in their 383 00:37:55,680 --> 00:38:00,080 community with crafting and guess what they talked about they said now is the time to move our 384 00:38:00,080 --> 00:38:05,920 crafting to the hands of the younger generation now is the time they said now is the time because 385 00:38:05,920 --> 00:38:12,560 it's like it's like you were there for a reason to hear that word that you're doing that exactly 386 00:38:12,560 --> 00:38:18,640 thank you so much so they're like this is the time this is the time to move to move this craft to 387 00:38:18,640 --> 00:38:25,280 the next generation and H and H they also showcase young crafters who are doing something extraordinary 388 00:38:25,280 --> 00:38:30,720 so there was one young quitter who was an amazing work her work was on showcase at the H and H 389 00:38:30,720 --> 00:38:36,640 America I can actually pick her names then we have needles yarn manufacturers from all over the world 390 00:38:36,640 --> 00:38:43,280 from Mexico from China from Brazil they were there to exhibit their products they everyone had the 391 00:38:43,280 --> 00:38:47,920 booth assigned to them and they were different quilting project they were different knitting 392 00:38:47,920 --> 00:38:53,360 project they were different crochet product beautiful yarns amazing people all displaying 393 00:38:53,360 --> 00:38:58,880 their products and their services for the world to see and it was beautiful I'm super excited about 394 00:38:58,880 --> 00:39:04,560 10 in H and H24 2025 and guess what I was very plenty on taking videos that I brought back to 395 00:39:04,560 --> 00:39:10,080 my children and I showed them on my YouTube and they're like wow this is amazing then I also got 396 00:39:10,080 --> 00:39:16,800 the opportunity to speak to some next generation generations to them who came from a college 397 00:39:16,800 --> 00:39:22,080 they were studying text and I said to them you could come one day to Africa and see our craft 398 00:39:22,080 --> 00:39:27,520 industry and also come and check in Nigeria as well so there's community there's connection 399 00:39:27,520 --> 00:39:32,480 and it's like a big place for for business those who are in the craft business to connect 400 00:39:33,200 --> 00:39:39,840 and make great connection you should attend in 2025 it's amazing well is there any jewelry there 401 00:39:39,840 --> 00:39:44,320 like I'm a jewelry girl like I can do any kind of art but that's like would I be like 402 00:39:44,320 --> 00:39:49,600 so all kind of yes yes yes you could you could get a stand yes you doesn't have to be 403 00:39:50,160 --> 00:39:56,080 textile or fiber craft as long as it is crafting as long as it's a craft business it's a well it's 404 00:39:56,080 --> 00:40:00,800 like a marketplace for for craft businesses so you can have like a boot you can talk to 405 00:40:00,800 --> 00:40:05,360 abby you can have like a boot and showcase your business to everyone in the world I make great 406 00:40:05,360 --> 00:40:10,240 connection you could look at how can you use your jewelry as a jewelry owner how can you use your 407 00:40:10,240 --> 00:40:15,280 jewelry to speak indigenous languages to other communities in Brazil and across the world so 408 00:40:15,280 --> 00:40:20,160 there's great connections for you and there are a lot of other amazing things that you can do because 409 00:40:20,160 --> 00:40:24,960 I know that your jewelry is going to speak there's a language your jewelry is speaking sugar yeah 410 00:40:25,520 --> 00:40:31,360 sorry I was looking for this one piece and just reminded me like oh my god wait I have that ability 411 00:40:31,360 --> 00:40:41,360 I don't see it here now it must be in another room but oh my god yes I do do this I just don't put 412 00:40:41,360 --> 00:40:47,200 it all together sometimes it's like oh I feel like I'm such an outlier but yeah I'm gonna show you 413 00:40:48,160 --> 00:40:56,160 I'm gonna show I'll find a photo of it and I did a book on it so I'll I don't see a picture 414 00:40:56,160 --> 00:41:02,720 I don't see anything anyway I'm there okay so now I'm excited about H&H especially if I know you're 415 00:41:02,720 --> 00:41:08,320 gonna be there because you should really be a speaker like we need to work on that to make 416 00:41:08,320 --> 00:41:13,440 sure that you're really so that as many people as possible like I'm gonna make sure that I I'm 417 00:41:13,440 --> 00:41:18,400 gonna write a little note to abby and say hey I talked to Elizabeth today and I was really inspired 418 00:41:18,400 --> 00:41:25,120 by her story and you know blah blah blah so now I'm gonna be that I have been I invited into the 419 00:41:25,120 --> 00:41:30,960 H&H 125 I am on I used to volunteer to be on the Planet Committee and I tell you it's an amazing 420 00:41:30,960 --> 00:41:38,560 place to be amazing place so people do know about you okay so as we're like wrapping up this 421 00:41:38,560 --> 00:41:47,120 let's talk about your Instagram okay Tunis creation that's my name on Instagram okay 422 00:41:49,120 --> 00:41:54,080 and on your website also on Facebook as well Tunis creation also on Facebook as well Tunis 423 00:41:54,080 --> 00:42:01,360 creation on Twitter Tunis creation on Instagram okay and you're gonna also email me uh because 424 00:42:01,360 --> 00:42:06,080 I've got you've got my email address we'll figure that all out so that I make sure that I have that 425 00:42:06,080 --> 00:42:11,920 in this so it'll be here so that we we talk about that and it's in the description so everybody 426 00:42:11,920 --> 00:42:17,280 can always find you and anything else that you want to send me about how people can get a hold of 427 00:42:17,280 --> 00:42:22,640 you sponsor you like anything that you want to send email me that we'll make sure that we include 428 00:42:22,640 --> 00:42:28,240 this because people are gonna want this like and people are gonna want to copy your success because 429 00:42:28,240 --> 00:42:34,320 you are a passionate person you are a gifted person you are somebody who really cares about 430 00:42:34,320 --> 00:42:41,680 other people and I think we all need to be doing this so now you're inspiring me that's one you got 431 00:42:41,680 --> 00:42:48,320 me inspired like not only just to help you but to also take it out to the world because that's 432 00:42:48,320 --> 00:42:54,800 you know we can't just we can't just all be you but we can learn from you and take your experiences 433 00:42:55,360 --> 00:43:01,360 and um is there any other like thing that you would say like oh this is the hardest part of 434 00:43:01,360 --> 00:43:05,920 my journey I think the hardest part is probably just getting funds probably so that you can get 435 00:43:05,920 --> 00:43:14,480 informed and take it farther yes I'm also getting the needle and yarn manufacturer notion manufacturer 436 00:43:14,480 --> 00:43:21,760 to invest into the future which is young children now there was a young consumer survey that was 437 00:43:21,760 --> 00:43:27,760 carried out and it was discovered that young people below the age of 18 use all their disposable 438 00:43:27,760 --> 00:43:33,760 income to buy yarn and that is what I had seen first hand in my class so for this company's 439 00:43:33,760 --> 00:43:39,360 producing crafting materials you do not need all the plenty stories for children once they know this 440 00:43:39,360 --> 00:43:45,040 skill be confident they are going to come and have their appearance by your product so if the 441 00:43:45,040 --> 00:43:52,080 companies take it upon themselves to invest into educating this younger generation that is when 442 00:43:52,080 --> 00:43:58,400 we can say but that's when I can say I have been successful the work the work is huge only me 443 00:43:58,400 --> 00:44:05,200 cannot do it I need the companies producing yarn knitting pins notions to get into educating the 444 00:44:05,200 --> 00:44:11,360 younger generation because these ones are the ones who are going to be take these are the future 445 00:44:11,360 --> 00:44:15,600 of all of our crafting the next generation is the future of their crafting and it's important 446 00:44:15,600 --> 00:44:23,200 that we put these things in their hand and we teach them well I am so proud of you you started 447 00:44:23,200 --> 00:44:29,120 off my day which I didn't know was going to go in this direction to get my heart excited to get me 448 00:44:29,120 --> 00:44:36,560 have goosebumps when you're talking about it to make me think a little bit more about this topic 449 00:44:36,560 --> 00:44:42,880 I really hadn't thought about which is teaching but teaching it you know in a new way so I'm excited 450 00:44:42,880 --> 00:44:47,920 about that I'm excited about trying to help you and spread the word and now I'm excited about H&H 451 00:44:47,920 --> 00:44:53,120 and hopefully meeting you there next year because you know I am part of that craft 452 00:44:53,120 --> 00:44:59,760 alliance and you know it does matter to me and that's why I put my money there that's why I spend 453 00:44:59,760 --> 00:45:05,760 time going on these round tables and being a part of the group and trying to spread my word 454 00:45:06,320 --> 00:45:12,560 so you have made my day today I just want you to know that like I know you're on the 455 00:45:12,560 --> 00:45:18,080 opposite side of the world so let's see is it early in the morning no what time is it there 456 00:45:18,080 --> 00:45:27,680 this is 16 23 and that's it 23 minutes after 4 8am to the evening 16 23 p.m. okay so you're like 457 00:45:27,680 --> 00:45:35,840 six hours ahead of me yes that's not worse yeah so that makes about sense so uh I hope that the 458 00:45:35,840 --> 00:45:43,360 rest of your day goes as well as I'm gonna now have and uh I'm gonna be putting together something 459 00:45:43,360 --> 00:45:49,840 for you and and talking to you about other people that I want you to meet and also going on Instagram 460 00:45:49,840 --> 00:45:54,800 and seeing your story and sharing your story and all that so I've got your Instagram as well 461 00:45:55,680 --> 00:46:02,880 yes what is it are you on Instagram yeah sure sugar gay is for everything is sugar gay is for 462 00:46:02,880 --> 00:46:09,600 if you just pop it in it's all I'm I'm all one thing so you know because we're entrepreneurs 463 00:46:09,600 --> 00:46:15,920 we get that that's important that people can find a CC I screenshot your face on my face and I'm 464 00:46:15,920 --> 00:46:23,360 gonna put it on my social media oh yes yes yes yes yes yes do that too so that I don't know I don't 465 00:46:23,360 --> 00:46:30,080 know well I'll I'll end the I'll end the recording and then we will stay on for a second more and 466 00:46:30,080 --> 00:46:36,320 we will do that and I am really grateful to you like thank you so much for coming on to my show 467 00:46:36,320 --> 00:46:41,120 and I look forward to spreading the word and we're gonna make this really fun it's gonna be a great 468 00:46:41,120 --> 00:46:48,400 thank you funnier and I look forward to you coming to Africa Africa is beautiful Africa is beautiful 469 00:46:48,400 --> 00:46:56,400 while my son is just keep saying well I've been there several times but um yeah I know it's just 470 00:46:56,400 --> 00:47:07,440 it's just that long flight the US is very far very far okay for now I'm gonna end this recording 471 00:47:07,440 --> 00:47:13,200 and we are going to uh we're gonna stop but stay on don't leave thank you so much Elizabeth it's 472 00:47:13,200 --> 00:47:20,400 been really great hearing about your teaching and how your heart is so filled with joy on learning 473 00:47:20,400 --> 00:47:28,880 the craft of handicraft really of knitting and crocheting and teaching other girls so they can 474 00:47:28,880 --> 00:47:52,960 teach other girls too so you're a blessing and I'm so happy that we got to do this today