The Beauty of Chikondi

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The second weekend of our training program here in Zambia, way back in late July, the CiH women were given an assignment to design fabric bracelets. Back then we had no idea just what this would mean for our group, for our organization, and for each individual involved. Our women came back with 2 beautiful designs, the Twist bracelet and the Knot bracelet, and we’ve been making them ever since.

Bracelets weren’t part of the plan. But hope motivated by love always has been. Bracelets are just our method for spreading and cultivating hope in the lives of so many across Zambia. If I don’t say it enough already, our CiH women really are incredible.

As mentioned in the last post, Hope is Contagious, our women couldn’t keep the skill to themselves once they saw what it’s done for their lives and the lives of their families. They had to give it away, to share it generously and sacrificially.

This past Thursday we all boarded a Zambian mini-bus (an experience in itself), and traveled over 2 hours to the remote village of Muchochoma. Down a bumpy dirt road and taking a turn that looked like it was into a bunch of bushes, we arrived at Muchochoma after hours of singing, laughing, and celebrating what CiH is doing in the lives of many. Not even just CiH, but hope and love. Chikondi. Each Ng’ombe CiH woman wore her {re}styled shirt sample and matching accessories from the previous week’s training sessions, all so proud of their beautiful designs and great sewing talent. Thinking back to this one day in particular, we couldn’t be prouder either. Those women not only feel inspired but they are inspiring to us, and we hope to you also.

Huddled under the one big shade tree in the village on a hot summer day in late September, we explained the motivation behind CiH: Chikondi. The Ng’ombe CiH women described the value of commitment, quality work, and dedication to the program as core values they’ve thrived upon, values counter-cultural and widely unheard of. There was nothing super similar between the two groups. Ng’ombe women were all dressed up in original designs, Muchochoma women were dressed in worn shirts and traditional chitenge wraps. Ng’ombe women live in a chaotic capital city slum compound, Muchochoma women live in grass huts in the bush with the only 40 or so people they’ve known their whole lives. So many more differences exist, yet they all have one thing in common. They understand the value of love and relationships in life.

It didn’t make sense for 10 CiH women to board a bus on one of their workdays to share a skill that they were taught, much less with 12 strangers. Nor did it make sense for them to sacrifice their time and materials before leaving by preparing strips of chitenge fabric for women to learn how to make the Twist bracelet. But what about love makes sense anyways? We’re talking about real, honest, selfless, beautiful love.

Each Ng’ombe woman paired up with a Muchochoma woman to teach her about hand stitching and bracelet making. Despite all differences, bonds were formed, laughs shared, and a good time had by all of us. The Muchochoma women picked up the skill in record time, just an hour or so, and were making Twist bracelets like they had known how their whole lives. Incredible women, they are. Three 2-week old babies joined the group on the backs of their mothers, 20 children sat on the outskirts of our group just watching, and we all got the sense that this would be a pivotal moment for this village. Crazy stuff happens when we choose to love, only through the recognition of how much we’re loved. Last Wednesday, Muchochoma was a village of skill-less women struggling to survive. Last Thursday we drove away from a group of women empowered, encouraged, and skilled, all because our Ng’ombe CiH women stepped out in love.

I could go on and on about this day in Muchochoma, but words will fail to share the depth of what happened on that day. Photos will even fall short. If I can share anything though, it’s that Chikondi isn’t just a brand of bracelets. It’s love that creates and sustains hope, transforms families and communities, and breaks the chains of deep-rooted oppression. And it’s spreading.

(Check out facebook.com/clothedinhope for more photos and youtube.com/clothedinhope for a couple of videos from the Muchochoma training day)

Hope is Contagious

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con·ta·gious (adj.): Transmissible by direct or indirect contact; spreading from one to another; infectious

What happens when hope is really, truly, beautifully experienced? It spreads. You can’t contain it. You want everyone to know how you got it. You want everyone to experience the benefit and joy that you have. You just can’t keep it to yourself.

The exciting announcement is this very thing. It’s happening. Hope is spreading.

What’s really amazing with the contagion of hope with our CiH women? It’s reaching beyond their families and friends, even beyond their community. These women have a vision for CiH as a vehicle for hope across this entire nation. They want to see the lives of other Zambian women changed despite deep cultural oppression and a class system that tells them that change is impossible. They want all of this, because they now have it. They are empowered, and they will not be stopped.

So tomorrow it begins. A new chapter for us, an incredibly exciting one.

All ten CiH women want to share their skill. It can’t be held within the walls of the Ng’ombe compound anymore; hope is busting at the seams. Elina brought the idea to the group that they should share their knowledge with those so much less fortunate than themselves (our group is made up of women living a slum compound, keep in mind). Those who seem to have nothing still want to give, and give generously. That’s what hope does to you. It makes you alive, it gives you purpose, it makes you understand the true value of love, and it wants to reach out to others.

The women, apart from any direction from US staff, have unanimously decided to sacrifice their own materials (scissors, fabric, hand needles) to start another branch of CiH in a remote village 2 hours away from Lusaka. So tomorrow all of us city folk are cramming on a bus for a 2-hour drive down a bumpy road that shouldn’t really be a road, to a village named Muchochoma in the Manyika region of Zambia.

It’s nearly impossible to frame a context for this village for you, but we have to give it a shot. Just try to imagine this, and know that this is 100% real and not exaggerated one bit. -Muchochoma village does not have a school. Children must walk 2 hours if they want to attend, but very few actually do due to the inability to afford school uniforms. -There is no clinic or access to healthcare of any kind. With 40 adults and 40 children, the population is extremely young due to preventable disease accounting for lives lost without proper healthcare. -The people speak their own tribal language due to their isolation. None of our current CiH women will be able to communicate with them, but we will have one translator with us. Apart from the assistance we can still manage, as smiles and laughter seem to be pretty universal. -The men of the village have no means of an income, except to produce and sell charcoal, which is a 3-day trip to town to try to sell what they make along the way. They leave the women and children at risk during this journey in hopes of coming back with a few dollars. -The nearest water source of any kind is a 3-hour walk away from the village. Beyond a shortage of drinking, bathing, and cooking water, this also makes farming nearly impossible and extremely inefficient due to lack of irrigation. -Village housing is comprised of mud huts with thatched roofs and dirt floors. The gathering spot for residents is under a giant shade tree nearby.

As far from normal as this village sounds to our American standards, we are quickly reminded that the women of this village are just that: women. Women with hearts, craving hope, experiencing joy despite oppression, courageous women. Tomorrow we are all excited to launch CiH: Muchochoma as our 10 CiH women from Lusaka will be training, encouraging and equipping 12 village women with the skill of sewing, knowledge of profitable business, and most importantly with hope motivated by love.

There will surely be photos and video to come, but until then enjoy this photo of some Muchochoma women from a few weeks back, the first time Elina and I met with them. What a joy.

With So Much Chikondi, Amy

What Now?

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So you've seen all 10 photos, read all 10 quotes of what the women are thankful for. We hope your introduction to them was as meaningful to you as it has been to us. We're getting video ready for you to continue to get to know these great women, but until then, what do we do now? Would it be a huge shock to you if I said that we need your help? Well, we do. We need your help.

We're coming to the end of the official in-country launch. One month away from a time of transition and growth. Again, this isn't a chapter closed but rather a launch into a new one. Exciting things are in the works. Expansion is ahead. The 10 women are continuing their skills training, they're growing in community with each other, they show up early and leave late, and they're creating beautiful bracelets for income-generation and self-sustainability. The "plan" not only "worked" but it's exceeded every expectation. CiH brings a light to the dark slum community through empowerment and opportunity when culture and society shouts otherwise, and it does so through 10 amazing women.

What now?

First, check out our unique, handmade, Zambian-made line of bracelets, the Knot & Twist Bracelets, as a part of the Chikondi brand (meaning "love," chosen by the CiH Zambian women). Motivated by and created by love, each bracelet is a beautiful representation of each woman's life. Each bracelet not only betters the CiH woman and her family through finances and empowerment, but also allows for replication of the program to reach countless others in Ng'ombe and throughout greater Lusaka, Zambia. The Facebook album is accessible here. Check it out. They're pretty incredible.

Next, dream with us. See what is, giving hope to vulnerable women in the Ng'ombe slum compound, and see what it could be, expanding hope beyond those walls to fight the oppression of Zambian women through substituting it with opportunity and joy. And see where you play into this. All of us together as individuals could create a powerful movement of hope and love through education and empowerment. We're not giving money away; we're investing in the lives of Zambian women to allow them to thrive through financial independence, self-sustainability and lasting community development. We're just getting started.

What will you do to help?

If you want to give a sewing machine, do it on our Give page. If you want to invest in lives with us, donate to our general fund on our Give page. If you want to rep CiH in your hometown, buy a shirt on Etsy. If you want to donate your talents, email us on the Contact page. If you have advice for us or if you'd like to sell bracelets with us, Contact us. If you want to keep up, follow us on Rally, Twitter or Facebook. Basically, the possibilities are endless. The greater the involvement, the greater the impact. Let's do this. Together. With chikondi.

Lastly, stay tuned for your first chance to purchase a Chikondi Knot or Twist bracelet, to give hope...

Meet Margret.

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Zikomo for giving me hope to go on with my life.

Margret is the tenth and last woman to be introduced from the CiH program. A mother of one girl, she recently lost her husband to malaria. As a 25-year-old widow in this culture, she will face the rest of her life alone, unable to re-marry. Yet she radiates joy and treasures life. We find her story powerful and inspiring, and hope you have seen the beauty of each one of these women.

Meet Carol

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"Zikomo for sending my 3 children to school. I was unemployed but now I can take my kids to school."

This training program isn't just helping vulnerable women in Ng'ombe. It's benefiting entire families, providing them with opportunity through education that was not possible beforehand without income for fees. You're helping to change families, paving a way of hope for the next generation. Zikomo.

Vulnerable Women: Single Mothers

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Yesterday I had the joy of going to Kamwala with Tresa to purchase more fabric for our beautiful bracelets and headbands. After returning with a bundle of vibrant colors and African prints, I just sat in the house with Tresa to hear of her life outside of CiH, outside of the training class. Little did I know, I was about to learn more than I have in a while about this culture, by just sitting. And listening. And loving. Tresa is a 23-year-old beautiful mother of two boys, George (6) and Joshua (2). Tresa is Elina’s daughter and lives with her in Ng’ombe, along with the other children. Her smile lights up an entire room. She has a singing voice that brings joy to everyone. Behind that smile and that voice is a story, a life of hardship which she faces each and every day.

You can read more details of Tresa’s story here, but let me share a bit of what she shared with me yesterday. Our heart as an organization was ignited by the story of a widow, but continues to grow with the stories of other vulnerable women, such as Tresa’s as a single mother. Tresa was offered promises of marriage and security with each of her son’s fathers, but each time proved to be a lie, a scar, a burden for her to endure.

Single mothers don’t receive “child support” in Zambia. They receive what is called “damages” because the child left behind from a man is said to have “damaged her life.” This is just a one-time payment of less than $1,000, but a payment that many women never receive due to corruption and bribes throughout the system. Tresa has never received a single payment from George or Joshua’s fathers.

When talking about marriage, Tresa said she desires and hopes to marry someday, but culturally it’s not that easy. Most men do not accept other men’s children as their own, so when a man marries a woman with other children, he neglects to treat her children fairly, as humans even. Tresa shared that her married friend’s husband refuses to let her children attend school and eat full meals. The oppression of the woman isn’t isolated to her life, it’s culturally carried by her children as well. That’s why Tresa told me, “it’s better that I remain alone, so that my children will not have to face that.”

When we hear injustices, we tend to say, “something has to be done, that’s just not right.” I absolutely agree with that. But we can’t change a culture with deep-rooted customs, traditions and beliefs just overnight. We can help Tresa, and the other single mothers suffering from this hardship in Zambia. Before CiH, trapped in poverty, unable to send George to school without the help of a working husband, Tresa has suffered greatly in ways unimaginable to most of us. Tresa has been empowered though, to take advantage of opportunities brought by CiH to enjoy a new life, one not just improved through finances, but changed through renewed confidence, the ability to send George to school this term and to feed both him and Joshua, and with the hope of renting her own place with her beautiful family. Tresa won’t let her title as a single mother define her life or the life of her children. She is a woman: strong, courageous, beautiful, selfless, hopeful, empowered.

Thank you for bringing hope to single mothers in Zambia. Join us as we witness the ripple effects of one program in one compound in Lusaka. It can’t happen without you.

With Chikondi, Amy

Community-Owned and Sustainable

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When setting up an African nonprofit from the US, there are always things you hope for but just may not be possible. There are things that happen that you didn’t see coming. But there is such joy in the moments where things go exactly as planned, as wished for, for the good of the organization and every person it impacts. This week brought one of those moments. In order for a nonprofit like ours to really thrive and be of great benefit to the people of Zambia, it must be community-owned and it must be sustainable. We’re not the crutch they lean on, we’re the fuel to launch them towards empowerment and ownership of CiH in Zambia, for truly lasting impacts in their communities and in their families. It’s not the easy way to do things, but it’s the way that’s worth it. For some this takes years to establish. For some it never really happens.

For us, we are thankful. The ten women of CiH excitedly proclaim, “I am a fashion designer!” as they create beautiful, handmade, high-quality bracelets, and now headbands, from their own designs. The women show up before class is scheduled to begin, and leave hours after it is supposed to end, breaking the notion that everyone here runs off of “African” time. When I asked them if they’re enjoying the program the replied, “why else would we stay for hours after?” And this isn’t just something that launched quickly but will quickly fade. We’re just getting started.

One day this week, the women all spoke Nyanja to each other, discussing something I couldn’t quite understand with my few-word Nyanja vocabulary. After they were finished though, they told me that they all just decided that CiH must be a group thing. They all must help each other, encourage each other, challenge each other to be the best they can be. They all are committed to the success of one other, and no one person will receive more benefit than another. They’ll all receive the benefit together through the hard work they contribute as a group. They value the friendship of one another and delight in learning, creating, and sharing life with each other. This just sends waves of joy throughout every fiber of CiH. What we hoped for, what we dreamt, is a reality. These ten women take ownership of their skill as a group, and they see the future as opportunity to thrive. They enjoy hope.

Perhaps the most exciting moment up to this point was one I didn’t quite plan for, one that exceeded my highest expectation of the whole community-owned thing. I’ve been planning on training a leader here to fully take over CiH when I’m in the States, one who’s passionate about the women of Ng’ombe, one who’s trustworthy, dedicated and committed. I had ideas but I thought the one woman would only be decided upon my leaving Zambia in October. Boy was I wrong. Elina walked me out on Tuesday afternoon and handed me a piece of paper. Written on it was a list of 13 guidelines for the group to follow so that they can further succeed in their learning, design and production. Elina also told me to take 2 days a week to work on the business-side of things because she’s got it covered. She’ll take care of what needs to happen. Mondays and Wednesdays are all hers, and it’s a win-win for everyone involved. How incredible is this?!

Sooner than expected, thankful, and full of joy, I am proud to tell you all that Clothed in Hope is sustainable. Clothed in Hope is community-owned. Together, we’re equipping and empowering Zambians to improve the lives of Zambians, the best possible way to see development and change better this nation.

Great and exciting things are happening here. Will you join us? We’d love your help.

With Chikondi, Amy

Introducing Chikondi

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This week marked another momentous step in the skills training program here in Lusaka, Zambia. All ten of our CiH women stepped beyond designers and producers to become businesswomen.  They created the first batch of beautiful fabric bracelets from traditional African chitenge, with love, joy, and according to the group-decided quality standards.  As all 80 bracelets are spread out on my table this very moment, I know that these aren’t just bracelets. They’re not even just money. They’re beauty. Each bracelet represents a story, a life of a woman here in Zambia who sings with her friends during each workday, who laughs and rejoices in triumphs, who has her friend to rely on in the tougher days, who sacrifices herself for the survival of her family, who takes on each day of life with joy. This bracelet here is an expression of the hope found here despite the difficulties and discrimination faced by these widows, single mothers, vulnerable women in this slum community. Each bracelet is different; it’s unique, just like the ten incredible women I’ve had the joy of getting to know. I look forward to sharing their words with you over the next weeks and months, and of how your support is creating a ripple effect of betterment throughout this community, one that has gone unnoticed and uncared about for too many years.

When we were developing our product line a couple of weeks back, everyone decided they wanted a Nyanja name to represent these bracelets and other handmade items. And the name they decided on couldn’t be more representative of this organization. It’s Chikondi (chee-cone-dee). And it means love. From our women to your homes, our women wanted to share with you the love they’ve felt from CiH and from each other, expressing that there cannot be hope without love as it is our motivation for every day of life.

Our beautiful Chikondi bracelets will be up for sale shortly so check back for those along with more exciting updates along the way. There is always much to share. Until then, here is a short clip from the ten women of Clothed in Hope: Elina, Doreen, Jessy, Tresa, Margaret, Given, Bridget, Emeli, Pauline, and Carol. Check it out: We are Clothed in Hope

We are Clothed in Hope, and let’s live today in Chikondi.

[With this great opportunity and huge steps forward comes great need. We just purchased 4 more professional-grade machines this week. Our commitment to quality for you and better opportunity for our women brings higher costs to our program. With some unexpected expense, we could really use your help. The cost difference in purchasing these professional machines instead of our budgeted cheaper (easily broken and poor quality) machines is just over $1,000. If you would like to help further our sewing training program, you can donate directly on this site. All donations are tax-deductible and are greatly appreciated by each and every woman here with a huge “Zikomo” (thank you)!]

With Chikondi, Amy & Elina, Doreen, Jessy, Tresa, Margaret, Given, Bridget, Emeli, Pauline, Carol

Progress

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Wow, so much has happened over here since the “Our First Day” post, that I don’t even know if I can cover it all in just a few paragraphs. But here’s my best attempt. Let’s start with the biggest news, perhaps ever: In just a few days, with no extra fees required, and with a ton of blessings, we have officially become a Zambian NGO!! A huge thanks goes to Brian and Elina, who we couldn’t be more grateful for. Here, there’s a Zambian way and a mzungu (outsider) way, so Brian and Elina helped us to go the Zambian way, the quickest and most efficient way. So stop right where you are, and celebrate. This is a huge step for us, one that opens a million doors. Because of our status, YOU can come here to share your passions and talents with the people of the Ng’ombe compound, legally! Since we’re officially recognized locally, we can apply for grants, seek out government funding, have a presence at local markets, and so, so much more. If you’d like to celebrate some more, go on ahead, but there’s more to share.

We are already in our production stages with some incredible CiH-designed accessories! Again, we thought we’d be lucky to have this started up in a month or two, but here we go. Last weekend, the women all wanted “homework” so they had the task of designing a bracelet from fabric and secondhand t-shirt material. Women came back for the next class with beautiful designs, all without Pinterest or Etsy influences to help them out! Such amazing creativity. I’m so proud of our women. Not only are they soaking up business and finance education, encouraging each other in their efforts, producing products, but they are fashion designers. And boy are they proud, too! Talk about empowering. These women don’t just have an opportunity to bring in income to their families, they have a new title to stand proudly in front of, one they’ve earned every bit of. Check out Facebook & Twitter for some of these designs, and hopefully they’ll be available at a store near you and on Etsy in just a few months! Elina designed the knot bracelet, and Tresa designed the twist bracelet, both of which are being produced at this very moment.

We’re not stopping there. Headbands and more are on the way to production next week, but this isn’t just some assembly line. CiH is a community of women, encouraging, loving, teaching, and growing each other through the shared knowledge and skills among our first group. They laugh together. They work out tough techniques together. They create together. The more I’ve been able to just be there, the more I realize the beauty and blessings of community. Jessy, Doreen, Elina, Tresa, Gift, Margaret, and so many others, are living life for each other. As much as CiH is teaching, we (all of us Americans) can all learn so much from these incredible women.

I think that’s where I’ll stop for now. But just know, it’s real, and it’s happening, and I will continue to be so thankful that you’ve chosen to be a part of it all. Wanna come over? Do it. Wanna donate a sewing machine to allow for more learning? Do it. Wanna spread the word so that CiH can spread throughout Lusaka? Do it. We can use all the help you’ll give.

With Chikondi (Love), Amy

Our first day

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So yesterday was incredible. It was our first training day! July 30 mark the calendar. I didn’t know if anyone would show up, or how it would go, but every expectation was met like 100 fold. Jessy, Doreen, Elina, Tresa, Pauline (Tresa’s cousin) and Monica (Jessy’s friend) all came dressed in their finest clothes, eager to learn and see the skill developed. We opened with my brother, Mark’s business seminar introducing the idea of profit, sales, and cost to them. None of them had heard of profit before so it was an enlightening experience for them all. Then I had over an hour to introduce stitches. We did the plain stitch to create a seam, discussed seam quality, and briefly talked about seam finishes. The women were actively engaged, determined to learn and diligent workers when it came to practicing. We practiced on chitenge, and are all so excited to share our product ideas with y’all in the US! After all of that, they used gathers to make their first project: a rosette/fabric flower. They absolutely loved it and Tresa even tacked hers to the curtain behind them after the training session had ended. We’re all brainstorming possible markets and products to keep profit up and costs down for the most benefit financially. All of the women know each other and are becoming better friends through learning and laughing together. We have a ways to go, but we have accomplished so very much in just 2 hours on the first day. I couldn’t feel happier about how things went, or more grateful for getting to be a part of this experience. To them, this is huge. To me it is also as I get to learn from women who are a part of a culture so different than my own. We all win. Tomorrow is another class day, so it’s odd I find myself planning for the lesson the night before like I’m some sort of teacher. Funny how things seem to work out.

Immediately following the class, Brian, the sponsor of my visa letter and a prominent community leader in Ng’ombe, stopped by to discuss some business with me. He is one incredible man. Humble, contagiously joyful, very intelligent, determined, and passionate just to name a few. His smile lights up the room, and his laugh is one I will cherish forever. What’s most special about him though is his heart for his community. He feels called to care for the vulnerable people, especially women and children in Ng’ombe, but knows he doesn’t have the resources to. He told me that by my coming, he is inspired because he knows there’s really something great happening in Ng’ombe. He thanked me over and over for coming, for leaving my comfort of America, to sacrifice for these women without looking for a benefit in return. But really, I’m the one benefitting. I’m the one inspired by his passion and determination to see better lives for his peers. I’m the one at a loss for words for his sacrificial love to begin filing to help us become a Zambian NGO without even ever asking him. Clothed in Hope will be a mighty force to bring empowerment, love and hope to many people there. I know this not out of my own wishing or pride, but because Pastor Brian has the same vision as me. And if you ask me, it’s pretty amazing that one man in the middle of some slum compound 6,000 miles away from my home shares my same vision for this place. He says he asks himself, “why here?” But his heart is to thankful for sending someone to serve this place. Now I ask myself, “why me?” It is a pure blessing to be here.

With Love & full of joy, Amy