Happy news. I am pleased to tell you that Mawulidii Majaliwa’s wood carvings – all in single pieces from the wood of Bedlam and Pompanuck Farm – sold out in minutes Thursday night.

The crane sold for $200 – more than the asking price, and the Guinea Hen sold for $150. That does not include shipping.The two blue pigeons  sold for $100 each plus shipping.

Maria has offered to process the sales without any commission. She says there is a considerable waiting list for the pieces Mawulidi is working on now. If you wish to be added to the list, please e-mail her at [email protected].

Please don’t e-mail me, your names will be lost.

Twenty-five per cent of the carving sales will go to RISSE, the refugee and immigrant support center in Albany. The rest – every penny – will go to Mawulidi.

I received hundreds of messages and requests (and advice of course) about Mawulidi’s work, it touched a deep chord in many people. This is partly because of Mawulidi’s story – his family did not survive the Congo Civil Wars.

He was in a refugee camp in Tanzania for 20 years. But mostly, I think,  because the pieces are beautiful and unusual.

I have rarely seen this kind of craftsmanship, that kind of carving takes an enormous amount of skill.

I should mention that Mawulidi almost certainly would not be admitted into the United States today.

That is a tragic thought. He belongs here, he is a brilliant artist and a gentle, humble man. I bow my head once again to the Army of Good, who rushed to help this worthy person. He is what America is about to me and to others.

Mawulidi was denied permission to take his carving tools – given him by his grandfather –  with him to the United Staes. He had to leave them behind.

The Army Of Good send him donations for new tools, I found some online and bought them for him. He is a bread baker, he has a wife and four children.

Mawulidi is new to America, he  speaks little English and has never used a computer. He is not yet able to manage to do his own marketing. I am happy to help him for now, we will help him get there.

Obviously, there is a great market for his work.

So I’ve decided to sell his work on my blog until a permanent solution can be worked out. Fascinating to see where all of this goes. I never imagined selling wood carvings on bedlamfarm.com. Somehow, it fits.

Maria will keep track of the money and the shipping, something I would surely mess up. She is eager to do this, and I am, as always, grateful for her. Mawulidi is very special and we are honored to support him. And he is certainly a creative in need of encouragement. He had given up the thought of ever carving wood again.

RISSE will continue to get 25 per cent of the sales, they have been helping Mawullidi since he came to America, He will get the rest. We are not taking any money from these sales.

We’ll sort it out after the holidays. Mawulidi is working on more carvings, I will hopefully get them in Albany next week, he has invited met to meet his family and have dinner. I look forward to that.

Many people wrote to tell me the price for these carvings was too low, but we all feel they should remain low for now.

Mawulidi, a humble man who respects poverty,  wants his work to be available to everyone, not just wealthy people. Money is not the only reward for him. Given the demand, we will raise the prices slowly.

If you are interested in buying one of his wood carving’s or getting on a waiting list to buy one, contact Maria at [email protected].  Thanks so much.

“Independence is my happiness, and I view things as they are, without regard to place or person; my country is the world, and my religion is to do good.”  – Thomas Paine.