It is April 19th and Spring?… here is my backyard

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Have you ever had to do one of those group team building exercises where you are hypothetically stranded on an island and you are being asked what you will take with you? Well, we have done it for real!  There were 5 of us, 3 Americans and 2 Ghanaians, stranded on somewhat of an island surrounded by arid land instead of water.  We were marooned in a pickup truck leaking water from its radiator and without the leisure of what we wish we could have brought.

It was on the annual visit to the artisan communities we work with and we had a tight time schedule. A Ghanaian friend with a reliable pickup truck offered to provide a ride and in turn scout the Northern part of Ghana with us which he had never visited.  I breathed a sigh of relief when his brand new “looking” pickup truck pulled up to pick us from the transport station. I planned an uneventful trip, hoping to take a break to see the sights.

Our trip to the basket weavers’ community went well. We visited a crocodile village for a little adventure and celebration, yep we have a weird way to celebrate, which also went well without anyone of us losing a limb.

Setting out early on our return trip, we were a couple of miles away from any village when my friend exclaimed his engine was heating up. He stopped and checked his car and indicated he needed to fill his radiator with water. We emptied a couple of our bottled water bottles into the radiator and continued on for less than a mile when the radiator got thirsty again! We filled it with more bottled water only to watch it run out.  We looked on; I was beginning to feel fear thinking this could be bad. I pulled the driver aside who had never been to the Northern part of Ghana and let him know I have been told on my last car break down in the area that this area where we were stuck was known for robberies. I was hoping the radiator will hear me and heal itself. His eyes opened to the size of space saucers.

One of the passengers was Seth, an avid runner and mountain climber from frozen MN. He pulled out a Swiss army pocket knife to unscrew the thirsty radiator out of its hiding space, and low and behold it looked like a strainer or a shower head. The puzzled and quiet look on everyone’s face (with the exception of the driver) was “how could this be?” How could such a new “looking” car have such an aged radiator?

Seth, fished his ultra-thin Mac laptop out of his backpack and googled for the solution. We had an answer – raw eggs or crushed pepper to seal the holes. Seriously? I asked if anyone had gum, another passenger (Jen, a hardy outdoors woman who carries every foreseeable tool needed for a successful camping trip) had a pack of gum handy which we proceeded to chew to stick to the holes. We at last traveled at 10 miles per hour to the next village, stopping intermittently to quench the now insatiable thirst of the radiator. We found a fitter (or a car mechanic) and also discovered that passenger number 3, also from MN was showing symptoms of a heat stroke and we were very far away from the nearest city.

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The word ‘logistics’ held no meaning to me until the launching of House of Talents.  It slowly came into my consciousness as we grew, then took a central part of my focus, and now demands constant attention. Logistics makes you think and breathe differently. Sometimes it is the anticipation of knowing there are beautiful goods on their way to me from an artisan community in Ghana, or a shipment of goods from an artisan community in Mali  held up somewhere in the world such as Casablanca  en route to the US for no clear reasons. Sometimes logistics is in my travels, when I do not always know what people I will meet or what villages will open their doors to me. When I travel, some of the experiences are so beyond what I am used to that they almost feel out of body. It is one of the things that keeps my trips memorable, provides markers for time and place and is the preamble to so many of my numerous stories.

So it is fitting now that I start my stories with logistics. Stories on how I get around in my travels. These stories are only funny to me when all is over, and when hindsight provides me with perspective. I never see the humor or the lessons when I am in the middle of dealing with it.

Getting from here to there and sometimes farther away can be a complicated proposition, unless you have your own car. Without one it gets rather pesky, albeit somewhat adventurous, travelling in the West African region. The one thing I can count on, but never seem to adequately plan for, is the car breakdowns.

So let’s start with how I get around, and along the way you will get to meet my travel companions. I don’t have pictures for all of the numerous adventures, but have a couple often taken by others. The last thing you think of during a travel problem is to immortalize your misery, your fear or the fact that you are just plain lost.

From motorcycles, farm tractors to pirogues (or dugout canoes) we always seem to make it to our destination; the story always ends well.

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I was in Mali February 2012 when the initial demonstrations and rumors of a coup d’état had just begun. With the current political situation still fluid and uncertain, I will be postponing my annual 2 months trip to Mali and Ghana until a semblance of stability emerges in Mali. In the meantime here is one of my old stories on a previous trip to Mali titled Boy in jersey

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Thanks to your support, we have had the best year since our inception 3 years ago.  We now serve a community of over 1000 artisans in the basket weaving community alone, and have secured market access for them not only in America, but also in Western Australia, Japan, Canada and several countries in Europe.

Collectively, and with your help, we are making a difference.  Once again, thank you and many blessings to you in the New Year.

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The season for celebrating is once again upon us. While you gather with family and friends, rejoice in the warmth of the holidays, exchange gifts, we want you to know how grateful we are for your business and your interest in the House of Talents mission.

As 2012 comes to a close, we’re taking stock here of all the accomplishments we have been able to make with your help at House of Talents and we look forward to a new year of hope and promise.

From our family to yours, we wish you the warmest of holiday wishes, safe travels and an upcoming year of prosperity, health and wonder!

- Kate Herzog and the House of Talents team

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House of Talents is making the following impact:

We support our artisan communities in many ways. We provide for their healthcare insurance, help organize the delivery of mosquito nets to their community, provide their children with scholarship opportunities as well as help develop and support much needed community libraries and self initiated community projects.

Through our work we dramatically and sustainably increase artisan household income leading to increased access to education, healthcare, food, savings and  financial independence. Together with support of our retail partners, we are now providing income to over 1,000 Ghanaian women in the basket weavers’ communities alone.

Kate’s Story

House of Talents was established by Kate Herzog in June, 2009. Kate is originally from Ghana, and taught herself how to read at the age of ten. She dedicated herself to achieving an educationand earned a degree in Economics from the University of Ghana Legon. Kate has always had the desire to give back to her community in Ghana, and after completing her MBA at the University of St. Thomas, was finally able to begin bringing this dream to reality by founding House of Talents.

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The variety of weaves and materials used worldwide make for thousands of different types and styles of baskets; it has been said that baskets are a reflection of the diverseness found in the population today. Each individual weaver creates their own masterpieces with varying weaves, materials, colors, and patterns. The purpose for which the basket was woven also factors into the intricate designs; some are woven tight enough to hold water, while others are made with a more open weave.

Traditional basket weavers use materials they have at hand to create the baskets needed sustain their lives. The materials historically consist of natural fibers which can be found in the native environment. Examples of typical fibers include many varieties of grasses, vines, trees, and roots. Essentially, any material flexible and strong enough to withstand weaving can be used. Baskets vary not only across geographies and cultures, but also within the regions in which they are created, based on the creator and the materials available in the immediate area.

When the trading and selling of goods between distant lands became common, items to be traded or sold were stored in baskets to accommodate the many forms of transportation. Because these baskets traveled across seas and continents, weaving styles and designs were ultimately distributed throughout the world and shared across cultures; some were adopted for practical use, others coveted for their craftsmanship and attractiveness.

Just the same as ages past, baskets today are used for functional purposes and are also appreciated as forms of art. Many are collected and displayed simply for their beauty. True basket weaving is still done by hand, so it remains an art form: handmade and quite personal, carrying the artistic signature of the person who made it.

Whether you have baskets in your home to store and organize, or for the uniqueness and beauty, please enjoy them. Someone, somewhere has put much effort and artistic touch into your hand-made basket, and it is indeed, special and one of a kind.

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Chateau St. Croix Winery & Vineyard
1998 A State Road 87
St. Croix Falls, WI 54024

Saturday, September 15, 2012: 11 am – 7 pm
Sunday, September 16, 2012: 11 am – 5 pm

51th Annual Bayfield Apple Festival

Bayfield, WI

October 5-7, 2011, 10 am – 5 pm

Victorian Christmas at the Historic Courthouse – 20^th Anniversary

101 West Pine Street

Stillwater, MN 55082

Friday, November 17, 2012, 6:30 pm –  9 pm

Saturday, November 19, 2011,  10 am – 5 pm

Sunday, November 20, 2011, 11 am – 4 pm

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