Casa Ursulina begins 2011 with a full house!

There's a waiting list for this beginning class in Moda (sewing), and the photo shows why. Niny, the volunteer "monitora" (teacher, standing front left), is obviously enjoying her enthusiastic students. Those who don't own sewing machines use those of Casa Ursulina . . . as many as are available. Others bring their own machines. But there's only so much space in the classroom, and it's all taken!

Photo left: On Wednesday mornings, eight young women come from the Las Almendras area for a beginning weaving class. Sister Mimi (front center), who teaches the class, recruited her students from this particularly impoverished area with little opportunity for enrichment. The girls are progressing well and enjoying learning. Right: Tamara is proud of her first scarf, which she completed on April 20. The first of the group to complete a project, she's already working on her next scarf.

Above: During her first class, Myriam (at head of table, in blue) provides her students with an overview of projects for the popular Home Decoration class. Note that there are no books or handouts; each woman brings a spiral notebook to copy everything the teacher says (this still happens in some Chilean schools!). Insert: Miryam and Isabel display models for the dolls that the class will be making. Right: Pamela organizes her resources for a new class in bisutería (jewelry making). The first project: learning to make a rosary!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Other classes include crochet, frivolité (tatting), spinning and dyeing wool, weaving I and II, drawing/oil painting, chorus, and a second level of sewing. Also offered are classes in body esthetics (hairstyling, makeup, manicure, etc.), danza arabe (belly dancing), natural healthy lifestyles, and practical ecology, together with a workshop focusing on Oración y Vida: prayer and life.