Pantyline Productions: an Act of Craftivism

Today, we have a great story of Craftivism in action. Jennifer Gurecki, while pursuing a Master’s Degree in non-formal education, became aware of an activist organization called Dolphin, based in Kenya. Jennifer spent some time in Africa working with Dolphin, and getting to know its founder Winnie.

After returning to the U.S., Jennifer decided to use her screen-printing skills to help raise money for Dolphin. Her business, Pantyline Productions, donates 20% of all its sales to the organization. And Jennifer’s personal story of what all this means to her, and to Winnie and her work, is fascinating. Read on, and visit Pantyline Productions’ website and Etsy store to learn more.

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Jennifer, will you tell us how you first became interested in Dolphin, the organization you’re seeking to support?

Winnie is the founder of Dolphin, and she was also the first women to produce “The Vagina Monologues” in Kenya. She decided to start Dolphin after witnessing gruesome violence against women and the devastating affects of AIDS in her own community. I felt a deep connection with her, and had tremendous respect for her after listening to her tell me about what she had experienced in her own life and how brave she had been to take a stand in her community.

It’s not easy for a woman in Africa to say that violence against women is wrong and that is a direct result of the AIDS epidemic. I witnessed a handful of male teachers and administrators who told us that there was no need for this type of education because the only girls who are raped are girls who are promiscuous. Not everyone is receptive to change, especially when it means changing engrained social norms.

Tell us something about the kind of work Dolphin does.

Winnie, Duncan, and their team of volunteers visit secondary schools in the Nairobi area, reaching nearly 15,000 students in one month. They mainly focus on working with girls, but they have expanded their curriculum to also work with boys. They teach girls self-defense skills, and through skits they teach girls about different scenarios that they should watch out for, such as not entering into a male neighbor’s home. They teach both girls and boys about HIV/AIDS and different ways to respect women.The reason why their work is so necessary is because of all of the cultural myths surrounding the disease. Some people believe that if you have sex with virgin, you will be cured of HIV. We know that what really happens is that now another person contracts the disease. There have been horrendous and increasing cases of young girls and boys being raped.Another issue is infidelity, which also is culturally accepted. What you see is men having indiscriminate sex, not using condoms, and then subsequently infecting their wives.The tools used by many organizations in Africa, including Dolphin, are to teach the ABC’s: abstinence, being faithful, and consistent condom use. Uganda was the first country to introduce this methodology, and they actually have seen a decline in HIV rates.

What was it that compelled you to use your craft skills to support Dolphin?

The non-profit scene is grim (I’ve been working in it for years and it is tiring). Everybody is fighting for money that exists in a very small pot. I was already screen printing and really loved it, so I decided that I could easily make it to the next level. Incorporating as a non-profit is a nightmare, so with a simple business license and seller’s permit, I was doing it — raising money while doing something that I enjoyed.

Since I can do everything from home and the hours are flexible, I have been able to do meaningful work in my community (I’m an educator) and then have a creative outlet.

And let’s face it — making panties is fun. It can be emotionally taxing to be involved in the issues of poverty, violence against women, HIV/AIDS. There has to be an outlet for all of the pain, for knowing and seeing what is happening in Africa. Kenya is a beautiful land, with beautiful people, but that doesn’t mean that I didn’t see things that brought the grim realities to light. I guess crafting for a cause gives me the balance that I need.My community supports me, as well, which is great. People think the panties are fun and they feel good about their purchases.

What will Dolphin do with the funds you raise?

Dolphin can reach approximately 15,000 students with $500. The funding covers the cost of transportation from school to school, food for the volunteers, and the cost of copies of curriculum, and then paying to use e-mail. They do not have an office, and no one receives any compensation for the work that they do.

My goal is to raise enough money that Winnie and Duncan can pay themselves a small stipend of $150 each per month, plus $200 per month in operating expenses. We are trying, as well, to save up to buy a vehicle, as Winnie and Duncan live in the rural highlands, about 4 hours away from Nairobi. Since funding is an issue, they walk everywhere once they take the bus into the city.

How does all this make you feel about your handmades, knowing that they’re helping someone you respect to do important work?

I feel like I’m actively participating in making change in this world. It can be really easy to look at all of the problems and become overwhelmed, to only see the doom and gloom, to feel like nothing can be done. But the wonderful thing about working in Africa is that the smallest amount of support makes the most tremendous difference.

I know that I’m not solving the world’s AIDS crisis; I know that making panties isn’t the most profound work that is being done. But it is something, and it does make a difference. Just acknowledging that Africa and Africans deserve the support of the rest of the world is huge; there are no words to describe how much it means to Winnie and Duncan that someone outside of Kenya cares about what they are doing.