ABCD Had a Cow

And another, and another, and…. By day, I’m a community organizer at Action for Boston Community Development, or ABCD. Tuesday last week, I hauled a bunch of crafts Samburu people and a few others had made in on my back, to see if I could sell enough to my colleagues so ABCD could purchase a cow for the Samburu.  Last Christmas, I had sold close to $200 worth of crafts (which went directly to food supplies for the Samburu) and thought ABCD had a good chance of raising $250 this Christmas.  A Samburu has negotiated with the Maasai to buy cows from them at the excellent price of $250 a head (Heifer International “charges” $500) although prices fluctuate.

I was real busy with meetings on Tuesday but my friend Libby in the next office over asked if she could lay out the bags of beaded earrings, carved giraffes, wood spoons, beaded bracelets, cloths, dolls and lots more on her table. Soon folks were sticking their head in my office as I pounded away at my computer, saying “how much for…?” Libby started bugging me to put up a flyer by the elevator, advertising the crafts “because I think we can sell a cow.”

Sonja in our office falls in love with the carved giraffes (she has a known love affair with giraffes in general). The bone napkin rings and salt & pepper shakers go. I haul in more bags from home: Kathleen scoops up the carved, wooden creche in a flash, along with bead bracelets made by the Samburu school children and many other items. “I’m doing my Christmas shopping here,” she announces. In shock, I tally up the cheques and cash in my hand and realize that, in 2 1/2 days, ABCD has bought a cow for the Samburu and are well on the way to four more legs at least. Our CEO, John, buys two woven hand bags for his daughters.

Libby and Sonja, tired of me saying “I’ll ask if we can put up flyers in a bit” and then heading to another meeting, produce a fantastic flyer on their own — “ABCD had a cow! Please help it have another” for the Samburu. Belatedly, I ask our boss if we can put them up around the building. Yes, we can and off go Sonja and Libby.

Friday morning, I haul in more dolls, cloths, picture frames (with great, huge African porcupine quills decorating their leather sides — Jill snags these and more) and bone napkin rings. After a meeting, I’m back at my desk trying to type up its minutes and the phone rings. It’s Pat from South Boston, “How much is a cow?” “Uh,” I say, “we’ve got beaded bracelets and dolls and stuff up here that you can buy for $10 or so. The Samburu made them. We’re trying to raise funds for a cow.” “Yes,” Pat says, “How much is a cow?” “Ohhhh,” I finally realize, “You want to do a cow. It’s, um, $250.” “Great,” says Pat, “Whom do I make the check out to? I’ll get it to you this afternoon.” And when I came back from lunch, there on my seat was an envelope with $250 and a note saying “Merry Christmas. Thanks for giving me a chance to help.” Tears came to my eyes. That was Cow B for ABCD.

I can’t say Libby, Sonja or I got a whole lot of other work done Friday afternoon: it was simply too much fun and joy helping people fall in love with the pieces the Samburu made.  By the end of the day, we had sold enough pieces that ABCD staff, single-handedly, bought four cows for the Samburu. We have already named them: A, B, C and D!

Today is Thursday of the next week (it’s been a busy weekend and week so far — only now am I finding the time to blog). My friend who’ll be involved in purchasing the cows was over at my house this past Sunday and I gave her the four cows worth of sale proceedings. She’s as flabbergasted as I. Sales have been slower this week, but Jill was back again, Irvienne has a lovely woman’s beaded collar; Chris has one too and Eric just bought a Moran’s “beads on leather” bracelet for his 16 year old son, whose birthday is today — made by one Moran and now worn by another.Once I got home this evening, I counted up the money from this week: ABCD has expanded its alphabet: we now have cows E and F!

Last Christmas was grim for those in Samburu East.   The police announced plans for raids on Christmas Day itself.  Women had fled into the bush with fear for their bodies and lives. Many Samburu felt no one cared or knew what was happening to them. Lives and cows that the police hadn’t taken were still being decimated by the drought.

This Christmas for Samburu East is different. The drought is over. The police are basically under control (but the police situation for the Laikipia Samburu in Central Kenya is different, as I have written in recent blogs). Now is the time to rebuild the herds and help the Samburu regain control of their own lives and future. I’m so proud of my colleagues at ABCD, who care. I’m so proud of the Rotary Club in Bethel, Vermont, who also have donated a cow. 

Humans can do evil things to their fellow humans. Unfortunately, the police, military and others in Kenya have shown that. But people can also care about humans they have never met. They can see a flyer and ask “how much is a cow?”

Merry Christmas, my Samburu friends,  my ABCD colleagues and you –

Have a Cow!