Lesson Plan for Water Memory Scarf

Design students and bloggers, Hayley and Holly, merge their concern about water issues with their creativity in their blog Water is....

Regarding the fact that billions of people lack access to clean water, a basic human right, they assert:

"We are in crisis...more must be done... The ultimate goal of governments everywhere should be to insure that every person has access to a sanitary, piped water supply."

When I wrote to them about Amman Imman's project in the Azawak and the work of students to support it, they highlighted the project in a July 21 post on the blog. You can read about it on their home page.

These innovative students have put their ideas into action by suggesting a fundraiser that is equally fun, creative and meaningful: making a specially designed scarf that is representative of water, and selling it to raise funds to bring water to people.

Photo borrowed from from http://wateris.wordpress.com/scarf/

Here is an excerpt from their blog about the scarf:

"Inspired by Japanese textile artist Yuh Okano, this scarf is symbolic of the beauty of water. Bubbles and ripples are created by steam in a technique called shibori, or “memory in cloth”. The cloth remembers the water that created it."

Hayley and Holly's idea:

"For as little as US$3.00, the cost of the fabric alone, you can make this scarf. If you sell it for US$25.00, less than the price of hand-made scarves in boutique shops, the US$22.00 profit you make can be donated directly to a water related charity."

Let's dream a little here: What if, as we start our school year, teachers bring this scarf-making idea into their art rooms and classrooms as part of their world service fund-raising project, and donate the profit of $22.00 per scarf to Amman Imman's mission to bring water to the people of the Azawak? Not only would students be working with beautiful cloth that represents the form, flow and feel of water, but they would also making something with their own hands to help others. If, in a school of 100 students, each student made a scarf and sold it for $25.00, $68,200 would be raised to help people get the water they deserve as their human right.

To download the instructions for making the scarf, please visit the scarf page on the Water is... blog. Scroll down to the last paragraph on that page to download a PDF file with instructions for the scarf and an accompanying tag.

A note: This project requires some preparation before students can begin working with the material. Older students may be able to help with the preparation. The project is probably best suited to ages 6 and older.

Please pass along this idea along to all your teachers and friends!

To highlight and celebrate Montessori Students and the Amman Imman Project since its inception in November, 2006, and bring newer participating schools onto the same page as older ones, I bring your attention to these blog posts and categories:

In November, 2006, Ariane Kirtley presented the Amman Imman project at the Montessori Peace Academy Conference in Clearwater Beach, Florida. To read the story of how that relationship began, and what inspired it to flourish, read more here: The Hope of the Azawak



Schools began to get involved in raising funds. Here are a few early stories:

Oneness-Family Peacekeeper Holiday Bazaar (December, 2006)

Odyssey Montessori Students Embrace the Amman Imman Project (December, 2006)
Enthusiasm in the Cayman Islands Generates Funds (December, 2006)
Renaissance School: Our Shared Humanity (February, 2007)

As fundraising and awareness continued to progress, creative ideas and examples of student leadership abounded:

Collecting Awareness (December, 2006)
Oneness-Family School: These are our friends (February, 2007)
Minnieland-Huguenot Montessori: What Three to Fives Can Do (May 2007)
Student Leadership: The Potential to be Part of the Change (June, 2007)

Collaboration between schools and within schools became a key component of the partnership between Amman Imman and schools:

A Month Without Water (posted in Feb. 2007 for April campaign)
Palm Harbor Montessori: Your Change Can Change the World (March, 2007)
Walking in Solidarity and Unity (May, 2007)

Other schools in addition to Montessori schools joined this grassroots partnership.

East Catholic High School: Catching the Spirit (January, 2007)
Lawrence Intermediate School: Building Bridges of Connection (March 2007)
Hickory Day School: Students Take Initiative for Amman Imman (April, 2007)

The personal connection that initially inspired the teachers at the Montessori conference continued:

Letter from Ariane to Montessori Students Worldwide (January, 2007)
A Student's Question: Why don't they move? (March, 2007)
Sharing Gifts: Pictures from Tangarwachane (April, 2007)
Ariane's letter to all students and friends of the Azawak (June, 2007)

As the project manifested within the original schools and news about the project spread, stories continued to be sent in:

Odyssey Montessori School: Wells of Love Toy Sale (March, 2007)
The Barrie School: Turning Feelings Into Action (April, 2007)
Palmetto Montessori: Inspiring the Spirit of Giving (May, 2007)
Montessori of Maryknoll: A Little Does Alot (May, 2007)

The stories are numerous and from the heart. By only listing these few, I do an injustice to the efforts of all the children, teachers and parents who have collectively contributed to drawing attention to the serious concerns of the people of the Azawak and Amman Imman's mission to bring them water - what they themselves have continually pleaded for as their most desperate need. Please read all of their stories in this category: Stories From Schools

You will be inspired by these stories of children caring for children as school communities take on the mission of humanitarian work, teachers present and offer this project of change to their students and students initiate fundraising projects and become activists in support of the nomads of the Azawak.

This stream of inspiration flows outward toward the small team of individuals who have supported Amman Imman's work in Niger over the last several months. You can read about them throughout Ariane's updates. Specifically, I want to acknowledge the diligence of effort and the integrity of intent that pervades Amman Imman's mission to bring life and hope to the people of the Azawak.

We need to remember that while we have the ease of turning on a faucet when we are thirsty, for many people in this world a simple, clean glass of water is a precious luxury. How fortunate that we, with our children, can participate alongside Amman Imman in changing that for the nomads of the Azawak valley.

Finished water tower with most members of management committee and a few of construction company; the women members are missing.

All photos in this post are courtesy of Denis Gontero

Dear Friends of the Azawak,

Denis (my fiancé and work partner) and I have returned to France after five arduous yet extremely productive and rewarding months in Niger.

Our very exciting news is that the TANGARWASHANE BOREHOLE IS FINISHED. As many of you know, the borehole was originally equipped with a temporary installment until we had the finances to equip the borehole properly. This has been our primary activity these past five months, and we are so very pleased to announce that our goal has been successfully completed.

The borehole is beautiful, the populations are thrilled, and the water is pure and very easily accessible!!

The borehole is now equipped with a 20m3 capacity water tower (meaning it can hold up to 20,000 liters of water!), 4 animal troths that are 6 meters long, one water fountain with 6 faucets near the water tower, and one water fountain with two faucets in the village.

The animal drinking basins, all set a bit far away from the water tower and water fountains.

The larger of the two water fountains with three faucets on either side. One water fountain is near the water tower, and the other in the center of the village.

At the same time that construction took place, we also set up the Water Source Management Committee that is held responsible for the proper maintenance, financial, environmental, and social management of the borehole. Everything was done with the collaboration with the regional Department of Hydraulics, committee members were chosen democratically, and they were trained by Hydraulics specialists.

As field supervisor and field activities coordinator, Denis is our field hero. I was unfortunately unable to join him while all the final work was accomplished because I had to deal with administrative affairs in the capital. While in the field, Denis did everything from supervising construction to organizing community meetings with the hydraulics, populations, prefects, and mayors in order to set up the management committee.

Construction is Denis' field of expertise, and so when the construction was not done perfectly and did not meet his very high standards, he had the construction company start over. Luckily, the construction company -- HYDROBA -- held its own very high standards, and we are very pleased with their work. Their employees worked from 6 AM to 6 PM every day in over 110 degree weather, and always worked with a smile despite the very harsh physical demands and scorpions that kept them up a good deal of the night.

Construction of the water tower.

Water fountain being constructed.

Sign being placed on water tower at night.

Setting up the management committee was a more difficult task, as this procedure entailed politics and diplomacy, as well as the very delicate training procedure of committee members once chosen. The management committee will most likely need additional training in the future as well as supervision by both Amman Imman and the regional department of hydraulics.

For now, we have left the Tangarwashane borehole to the care and supervision of the populations, in order to evaluate over the next couple of months how things evolve. Indeed, they are enthralled to have clean and easily accessible water. But its not enough to be thrilled… it will be essential for them to properly take care of their water source so that it lasts a very long time, and so that they can take full advantage of the magnificent structure. We will do our best to keep you informed as to how things move along in Tangarwashane, as well as how things progress for our future borehole sites.

I want to address a very special thank you to Denis, who essentially WAS program Amman Imman in Niger these past few months, and was the key component to getting everything accomplished. I want to thank my father, Michael Kirtley and president of the Friendship Caravan who has been the big boss and primary coordinator in Niger and internationally for the entire project. And last but not least, a huge thank you is extended to our anonymous donor who financed the majority of the Tangarwashane borehole.

And thanks to you all for your support!

Yours in Peace,

Ariane