Moringa Community: History

June 2008 - July 2008: Developing Moringa’s Projects

Rob records Abu and Linda's canning demonstration for Moringa Community's educational videos.

56 of Moringa Community's supporters attend Moringa Community's reception and African art sale, which raised $2,800 for our important work.

Abu gives a presentation on Mr. Jeffry's Third World Machine Shop before a large crowd at the Lehigh Valley Woodworkers Guild in Allentown.

In June 2008, Linda and Abu choose the Moringa Tree, a tree which grows in harsh environments and can provide sustenance for people and animals, as our symbol. Jeff coins the name MoringaCommunity.Org, and Abu’s supporters begin producing educational videos about food preservation in both English and Fante, Abu’s native Ghanaian language. From June through July, J.D.Lohr Woodworking produces nearly 70 hours of video production that would be carefully edited down to 6 hours of finished educational DVD's that will help to instruct African carpenters on how to fabricate and use Mr. Jeffry's Third World Machine Shop. Additionally, 2 DVD programs are produced on Food Preservation / Canning and Pickling with Linda and Abu.

At this time, Moringa had about 80 project supporters, who we invited for a project reception and African art sale in Abu’s honor that would provide an update on the new, more effective direction of the project. Fifty-six project supporters came from several states to attend the event. Our auction of fine African Art and jewelry raised $2,800 after reimbursing our Ghanaian artists who sent us work.

Abu also attended the 2008 Furniture Society Conference with Jeffry Lohr, and staff of J.D.Lohr Woodworking Inc, Eoin O'Neill, and Rob Spiece. The Furniture Society is an important international organization of professional studio furniture makers. It's primary membership are largely American and Canadian Furniture makers but the organization has significant numbers of members throughout Europe and Australia as well. The annual Furniture Society Conference consists of three intense days of presentations, demonstrations, panel discussions on important topics to the trade, a vendor fair, plus multiple seminars that engage and motivate the participants. Abubakar was very fortunate to be able to participate in this event along with the staff of J.D.Lohr Woodworking Inc, Jeffry Lohr, Robert Spiece, and Eoin O'Neill.

In July, Abu and Jeff attended the Shades of Africa trade fair to research what kinds of import from Ghana sell in America. Although our primary focus is the creation of practical cottage industry created goods for West Africans, ultimately we hope to expand to unique and interesting goods for both the tourist trade and export/import to the USA.

Later that month, Jeffry and Abubakar make their last public presentation of Mr. Jeffry's Third World Machine Shop to the Lehigh Valley Woodworkers Guild in Allentown. This was a very well attended event and was of high interest to the members of the LVW Guild. An excellent synopsis of this presentation was published in the Lehigh Valley Woodworkers Guild Newsletter Aug.2008 issue.