Activities

Film Show 24th April – 8 pm at the library of Sint-Niklaas

It is slowly becoming a fixed item on our activity list : the spring movie show.
This time we have chosen a light-hearted film : Mira Neir’s Monsoon Wedding (also known from ‘Salaam Bombay’).

While the monsoon creates a romantic sultry atmosphere in the city of New Delhi, the Verma family is preparing their daughter Aditi’s wedding day. Father Lalit tries to make the best of things, but is getting more and more nervous with all the family members arriving from all over India. The situation turns into a calamity when daughter Aditi starts having second thoughts. Lalit has no choice but to prepare for the worst. Family intrigues and amorous secrets unfold : things are not what they appear to be....

A foretaste : Youtube trailer1 - Youtube trailer2

Past activities

Women’s feast report - 15th February

Just after Saint Valentine’s Day, on 15th February the women’s feast was organised in Lokeren. Since our organisation roughly consists of women (three quarters!) we were of course present. A lot of activities were planned : in between a colourful world fashion show and pelvis shaking dancing, two remarkable women reported on their journey. They crossed 9 muslim countries by motorbike, driving a total of 30.000 kms. Their story and their pictures were breathtaking and they had some funny anecdotes to share. Way to go, ladies!

A room full of women indeed creates a special atmosphere. What we have in common is stronger than colour or race, across boundaries we understand eachother. It felt fine, this cultural mix.

Also our little Indian shop was a success : lots of people were interested in our new project and especially in our shawls and jewellery (you know women!) and everybody liked our cake (right, you know women!!!). It seems that women spend more when they are ‘on their own’! We ended the day feeling very happy and having earned some good money for our new project.

Thanks ladies and see all of you next year.

Villa Trade 6th December 2008

Saint Nicholas had just come down from the roofs and there he was : Santa making his entry on the Market Place of Sint-Niklaas by means of an international christmas fare .
It was quite a weather ! No snow carpet, unfortunately, but pouring rain.

This year the classic Oxfam gift fare at the ‘Presentatie’ school was replaced by an alternative christmas market in open air,  a village of green Swiss cottages under the tower of the city hall.

Despite of bad weather we managed to please man ( actually woman) with our assortment of Indian products (jewellery, scarfs, decorative small boxes, small bronze statues...). Of course we would like to say thanks to our loyal supporters!
But more importantly once again we fraternized with our AAS Africans and we met some new faces. The people on these occasions are always such a cosy bunch !

Pancake baking at the ‘Azalee’ 20th September 2008

You really tucked in ! A pancake is always yum yum of course ! Enjoying the last bits of sunshine we had posted ourselves on the parking lot of the second hand shop and the Oxfam Fairtrade shop at the Heistraat in Sint-Niklaas.

With Ben Van Eynde’s  handy baking sheet we managed to bake 9 litres of fresh bio eggs’ dough in no time.
In the meantime at the cafeteria customers enjoyed our oven warm cake alongside a nice cup of honest fairtrade coffee.

The people of the second hand shop were as enthousiastic as we were and they helped us enormously. Such spontaneous cooperation gives us the energy to think of new fun activities to support India.

Working wearing our brand-new Paadhai aprons.

Mmmm how delicious they were !