Chasing Dreams

in

The day before our 3-year anniversary since the founding of our organization, we began our third cycle of women to take part in our sewing and business skills training program. For the first time ever, we had to use an application process due to the overwhelming demand to be a part of what’s happening at the Chikondi Community Center. Word is spreading, and we are so grateful. Our in-country director reviewed each application to select women with the greatest need and also the greatest desire to learn the skills taught at our center for their benefit and the benefit of their families. And after quite the process, we excitedly called each of the 15 women in our newest training class to let them know of their acceptance into our program.

I, too, looked over each application to learn a little more about each story: how many children she has, why she wants to learn, what hardships she’s currently facing, etc. One woman is a widow and a mother of 9 children. She wants to learn sewing, tailoring and fashion design to start a business to support her growing children. Another woman is eager to learn so that she can impact her community. Yet another woman recognizes the all-too-real possibility of her husband someday becoming unemployed, and wants to be prepared with a trade of her own should that happen.

The desires of these women are powerful. They have great goals and big dreams. And every dream reaches beyond them to impact the lives of family members, friends and entire communities. We gladly open our arms a bit wider and our doors for hours more to educate and empower these women to be able to achieve these dreams. Women recognize the power of education in the ability to change stories and change lives, and have chosen to train with us at the Chikondi Community Center.

As I read over every application, I jotted down the ages and number of children to share with y’all to get a better idea of who the women are in our training classes:

The average number of children each woman has is 4 (and you’ll see quite a few of them on the backs of their Mamas if you come to our center). The number of children ranges from 1 to 9. The average age of women in this newest class is 36 years old. The ages range from 21 to 54 years old.

The last part is what strikes me most, what encourages me, what inspires me. With the average life expectancy hovering around 50 years old, the oldest woman in our class has already beat the odds. She’s thriving and she doesn’t stop there. Rather than remaining idle in her house, she’s chosen, after half-a-century, to get the education and training she’s desired her entire life. She’s interrupting her well-engrained life routine to receive the life skills training that will change her story.

And she’s not alone. Other women, one 43 years old with 5 children, or one 47 years old with 6 children, have realized the beauty of chasing their dreams for the benefit of others. They’re choosing this year, 2014, to push away the things that hold them back and to step out to begin a new chapter. They recognize that there is no better time than now, and we are so very blessed to be a part of this journey with them.

We look forward to sharing the stories of these ladies in the coming months, and how education really does change lives, no matter what age or chapter of life you’re in.

What’s your dream? Chase it. Reach out for it. Work hard for it. It’s never too late.

With Chikondi, Amy

P.S. In order to keep writing new stories in the lives of women in Zambia, helping them achieve their dreams, we urgently need you to be a part of it all, joining us as a faithful monthly supporter. Sign up HERE to be a part of HOPE in Zambia and know your gift is truly changing lives.

3 Years of HOPE

in

Exactly three years ago today, Clothed in Hope became an official nonprofit organization in the States. As I look around at all we are today, I pause to reflect on how it all began. I’d love to tell a little story I actually haven’t told to too many, a story of risk and a story of joy. The story of our beginning.

The fall of 2010 was my junior year of college at the University of South Carolina. I returned from a short-term trip to Zambia that July, and it weighed heavily on my heart ever since. Before going to Zambia, my plan was mapped out. If we’re being honest here, it was probably even mapped out in high school. I was to be a fashion journalist for a major fashion magazine or a buyer for a label in NYC. Everything I did supported my resume for this path- clubs, jobs, leadership positions, the list goes on. Until I decided to check “Go to Africa” off my life bucket list, I most certainly never even thought about nonprofit organizations, much less starting one.

I was burdened by the needs I saw, the faces I remembered, the oppression I witnessed. I felt something had to be done, though I knew the problems were much deeper than the surface issues. But this completely contradicted my path. I saw opportunity in empowering vulnerable women to better their families, to combat the orphan crisis preventatively and develop entire communities. My eyes were opened to how my skill, my passion, could play a role in this women’s empowerment and community development idea. I began to feel that my passions were possibly given to me for a greater cause. But it wasn’t that simple.

Throughout the fall, I really struggled. I was afraid of the truth I was feeling inside of me. I was afraid to step outside my plan, to entertain the idea of a different path. What would people think? How could it even work? How could I, just one person, take this on? What about my comfortable life? Won’t I be broke? These questions seem a bit ridiculous, possibly, but they were very real.

I brainstormed both sides. Comparing and contrasting was done. I daydreamed names for this imaginary nonprofit organization, how it would work, what we would do. I talked my friends’ ears off about possibilities (bless them). And other days I would retract it all and browse internships in NYC. But the more I dove into this scary unknown of a mystery nonprofit, the more I realized I had arrived at a new place.

A crossroads.

Fast forward to January 2011. A passion inside I just couldn’t shake. So I looked both ways at the crossroads and I had to make a choice.

Neither path would’ve been wrong. There’s purpose in every single career. But I knew the inclinations of my heart towards materialism and self-focus, and I knew my own convictions between the two decisions. Whenever I thought about, researched, spoke about the possibility of getting to be a part of women’s stories in Zambia, my heart raced and I got a glimpse of how joy fuels the risk.

I wish I could say that lightning struck and I made my life-altering decision, but it didn’t happen like that.

I was sitting at my desk in my college apartment in Columbia, SC. I was scribbling logo and name ideas, daydreaming yet again. But this day was different. It was time to make a choice, not because I had some hallelujah moment, but because it was time to pick. With no fireworks or drumrolls, I quietly took a leap, said yes to the massive risk, and exchanged my what-ifs for reality. I decided, with my roommate hanging out in my room, to voice the words to her, “I’m going to do this.”

And in that moment it all changed. Not my circumstances or the difficulties and intricacies ahead. But my heart. I was freed from the expectations placed by my peers and myself. I couldn’t fully chase the risk and the dream with my foot in another place. I said goodbye to my NYC plan, and that was it. I walked out of my room that night without a paper to prove my plan, without a single dime of funding, but with a heart full of assurance that though the path was going to be most challenging and most risky, it would also be accompanied by the fullest of joy.

Today I look back and remember those feelings of fear of the unknown. But I remember what I told myself to combat those feelings- “You will never know if you don’t try.” And I told my fear that faith is greater.

Clothed in Hope could’ve tanked before we even launched in-country. I am so very glad that wasn’t the case, and it has everything to do with huge helpings of grace and mercy through every single step.

Dreams in a college apartment have turned into a skills training program for 35 vulnerable women in Zambia. Three years of HOPE. And it’s my greatest joy to announce that yesterday we launched our third training class to place us at that incredible number.

We went from a class of 6, threading needles in Elina’s living room, to form our first official class of 11 with a local tailor as the sewing instructor, to initiating a partnership with an impoverished village to give back to 12 women there, to welcoming a second class of 10 new faces in April of 2013, to launching this third group of 14 women as the very first class prepares for graduation in just a couple of weeks.

I looked around today and just about exploded, thinking back to another what-if. What if I didn’t take the risk? What if I settled for my dreams of a comfortable life? Life would still be great, but it would be oh-so-very different. Today I am thankful for that college apartment, and for the One who met me there to take me by the hand for life’s greatest adventure.

To the ladies of the Chikondi Community Center, thank you for letting me into your lives. Thank you for opening my eyes to true joy, true vulnerability, true community. Thank you for challenging my worldview and for teaching more than I could ever imagine teaching you. I will never understand how I became so blessed to know each one of you. You are truly lights in your communities, a force against oppression, and a beacon of HOPE in a dark world. Zikomo Kwambiri, with all my heart.

So, CiH family and supporters, thank YOU for 3 incredible years, for impacting the lives of 35 (and so many more!), and for joining us on this adventure. Thank you for dreaming big with us, for taking risks, believing in the power of HOPE to change lives. Thank you for choosing to be world changers, where you are, with what you have. We couldn’t have even made it a year without y’all, and it’s nothing short of pure joy to celebrate three incredible years today.

Here’s to many, many more.

With the fullest heart, Amy

Let's Bake: UPDATE

in

Yes, it's only Tuesday. No, it's not the day we said we'd end our campaign, but we're ending it today. ...BECAUSE Y'ALL ARE AMAZING!

In just 4 hours y'all donated 251% of our goal, exactly $2,087.27. Just four hours! Y'all gave gifts ranging from $25 to $800, which further proves that together we can have a huge impact in the lives of people around the world. Look what happens when we all pitch in with what we have, investing in lives for the long-term through this program. I can't even express the humbling emotions that have washed over me the past day just in awe of it all. We are part of a MUCH bigger picture and I can't believe we all get to be a part of it.

Now $2,087.27 may not seem like a lot to some, and to others it's a fortune. And to us it's quite a fortune, a treasure. This money has well covered the cost of our Stove/Oven and Fridge/Freezer. The leftover funds have even purchased a BRAND NEW Singer Electric Sewing Machine and an Overlocking Machine/Serger!! Not to mention that we can buy as much butter and flour and sugar as our hearts desire.

You are giving life to 22 women in Zambia. Nutrition lessons, healthy lifestyles, income-generating opportunities, empowerment, education, friendship, sure-to-be laughs as we experiment and learn together, independence. I could go on and on. But I'll leave this post with 23 hearts bursting with gratitude (mine included, obviously), and a photo of our soon-to-be Top Chef: Zambia.

Even before we made the big announcement today- complete with Oatmeal Raisin cookies to sample what's to come- Margret told me, "I just love cooking. I will cook anything. It is my favorite thing to do. I really love cooking." And she said this all while cooking off a hot coil cemented onto a bucket of stones without any proper utensils or oven mitts. Needless to say, Margret is absolutely thrilled and we cannot wait to share our baking adventures with you all.

Zikomo Kwambiri (Thank you VERY much), Amy and the Chikondi ladies

We're Cooking Up Something BIG!

in

It’s a new week of a new year and we are so excited to invite y’all into something hugely NEW in our skills training program. Here at Clothed in Hope, we empower vulnerable women through life-skills training in sewing and business. The ladies absolutely love our program and are so grateful for it. But we’ve discovered that most of the ladies have a top-secret skill.

We have 22 Betty Crockers currently enrolled in our program. They love to cook. They love to host friends and visitors for lunch. Their desire is to one day learn how to bake and sell the goods they make.

So… we’re starting a Cooking & Baking program this month!!! The program will just be a fun and optional addition to our sewing & business training program, open to any of the ladies of CiH. They will learn how to cook nutritious meals for their families. They'll also be taught how to bake the most delicious treats to sell in local markets for income-generation. They can even store their nutrient-rich goods, such as dairy products and proteins, at the CCC to enrich their regular diets in a healthy way. We will supplement hands-on lessons with education about food- and water-borne illnesses.

The ladies let out shouts of excitement when we told them what might be in store for them, and we need YOUR help to make it happen.

We have a big request. But we know that the hearts of our supporters and fans (you all) are even bigger.

In order to launch our Cooking and Baking program, we need:

1 Oven with 4-plate Stovetop 1 Refrigerator with a Freezer

We’ve been bargain hunting around town for the best value and here is our current/immediate need for these:

Oven/Stovetop: $487.27 (brand new with a 2 year guarantee and delivery- the best!) Refrigerator/Freezer Combo: 343.64 (brand new, delivery included)

For a grand total of: $830.91 + some extra cash for flour, baking soda, sugar, and all the other essentials

Here’s the kicker- we’d love to purchase these on Wednesday (yes, in two days). Y’all think we can do it? We do. Because we believe in you, World Changers, to make it happen, and give this new education and income-generating opportunity to 22 women who are beyond excited about it.

It’s going to be awesome. And we can’t wait to show you photos on Wednesday of the newest additions to our Chikondi Community Center. First thing on the menu is homemade ice cream to sell at the nearby market with a vendor who has already agreed to let us use his space. You may be experiencing that Polar Vortex but it’s hot & rainy on this side of the ocean, and that ice cream is going to bring in some great funds for our ladies & our program.

Donate here now with whatever amount you’d like to give and be the one to help launch this brand new Cooking & Baking Program:

And if you need a bit more evidence of just how badly the ladies desire this program, check out these photos of their cooking and baking experiences at the Center on charcoal stoves and a makeshift stove with an electric coil on stones. Sounds safe, huh? These ladies are determined. Let’s do it for them.

With Gratitude & Chikondi, Amy

"Move that Bus" in Muchochoma Village

in

This post should actually be titled "Move that Ox-Drawn Cart" since our program with the women of Muchochoma Village takes us 3+ hours past a paved road and beyond where most people dare to take their vehicles. We absolutely love our time with these women and our partnership with them. Once a month we travel out to visit these ladies, many of whom have never been to a grocery store, have never stepped foot inside a real school, have never poured water from a faucet, or taken advantage of many other modern-day conveniences. Once a month we spend time building relationships with these women, women not unlike ourselves filled with laughter, joy, the stress of raising a family, and insecurities. We share the skills of sewing with them and they are the sole producers of our popular Village Twist Bracelets (click link to check 'em out). The money we give the women for their beautiful craftsmanship is invested into bettering an entire village. We've shared in the past about those benefits and we continue to see how development really works.

Today we want to share just one more exciting renovation within our Clothed in Hope program. Below you'll find one more "Then" and "Now" photo. Since the beginning, we've met the women of Muchochoma with their babies wrapped on their backs under the shade of a mango tree to escape the summer sun. Unfortunately, the ladies' ability to gather and meet has greatly depended on the weather. Summertime means morning meetings or quick afternoon sessions. And rainy season has usually meant no meetings, for months at a time. The fabrics would be ruined and the conditions too terrible for the women to gather to learn, work, and grow together.

So these women proposed their own solution. They wanted to build their own shelter. You heard me. Twelve women, ranging in ages from 22 to 60+ wanted to put aside their personal duties and businesses to build a shelter. This isn't just putting some putty on bricks. They had to build the bricks- clay bricks by hand. These women wanted to use the skills they know to further benefit their "Chikondi Club," giving a home to HOPE in the Muchochoma Village. We provided a few roofing sheets and it was just completed a few weeks back. Check out the photo for our upgrade from the mango tree shade sitting on stumps, bricks, and old food sacks to this beautiful handmade shelter. Pretty impressive work, ladies! We are so proud of the women of Muchochoma Village, of how they are taking the initiative with our program to see it grow and benefit many in the most beneficial ways, and how they continually inspire us to recognize true joy in life. What a gift to be a part of the lives of these 12 women.

Move that Bus!

in

The time is FINALLY here! We're so excited to reveal the finished product of the Chikondi Community Center renovations. There are currently 23 women enrolled in our skills training program which takes place within the walls of our little compound. Last year at this time we were just getting into fundraising to buy this place. Today we can proudly say it's ours, thanks to you. Check out these "Then" and "Now" photos and you, too, will see how this center is a beacon of hope in the Ng'ombe slum compound, after quite the extreme home makeover project. Women are eager to come, begging to stay late, all because they find safety, encouragement, love, and hope here. A huge thank you to the two volunteer teams who came this past summer to help out with decorating and making this building a home to our program and the community. I never dreamt in a million years that I would spend the majority of 2013 as a Zambian construction contractor, but there's a first time for everything, right? Dare to dream. Dare to do. The most beautiful part of the Chikondi Community Center isn't the bright turquoise walls with photos adorning the walls, or even the intricate Africa wall string mural. The most beautiful part of the CCC is each woman who walks through our big iron gate to join us on this journey of HOPE.

Enjoy the tour of our new home - now it's time to "Move that Bus!"

With Chikondi, Amy

the Holiday Collection is here!

in

Introducing fabulous new holiday items designed & created by the talented women of our skills training program! All items are produced in very limited quantities so pick up your favorites today to make sure they don't get snatched up. Here's a sneak peek at some of our new favorites. Find them all for sale at our Chikondi Shop.

Find more colors, styles, and patterns at our shop. Choose to give HOPE this holiday season.

Our Wednesdays

in

What do our Wednesdays look like? This.

We don't meet for training on Wednesdays because we know that all of our women are also full-time moms. And we love that about them. So we give women (like Margret) time to enjoy their families, take care of their households, and invest in their children (like Rabbecca).

Because HOPE begins in the home.

Program Snapshot

in

PROGRAM SNAPSHOT: Yvonne is receiving hands-on training to make a 7 panel skirt from our Tailoring & Design Instructor, Mrs. Mulenga (bottom left), during class at the Chikondi Community Center.

We believe in the power of education to empower women, to change lives, and to improve communities. We learn together. We grow together. >>To join us in our work in the lives of vulnerable Zambian women, Donate via our Give page. Team up with us as we break the cycle of poverty, one stitch at a time. Know that your contribution gives HOPE.

CiH + IJM

in

One year ago we launched our program in Zambia. Also one year ago, I sat down for our first meeting with IJM (International Justice Mission www.ijm.org) unaware of what this past year would bring. The meeting was primarily to continue learning about the property grabbing injustice faced by widows and their children so that I could better understand the culture and oppression we were diving into with our program launch. For one hour I listened to story after story of vulnerable widows having their property stolen from them, forced to be homeless, without even enough money to feed their children. Widows are threatened into secrecy over this injustice. The lives of their children are used as leverage in the deceitful dealings of former loved ones turned thieves. Story after story, the heart of Clothed in Hope continued to grow stronger for the vulnerable, for the widow, and it was incredible to hear how this organization run primarily by Zambians has been a symbol that injustice will not prevail. IJM Zambia takes on court cases for the widow and the orphans to rightly restore property to her family. But their efforts don’t stop at the slamming down of the gavel. The woman I was honored to interview is a part of the Aftercare program at IJM. IJM recognizes that it’s not enough to just win a case or fight for a case. The overall quality of life for the widow and orphans is in the hands of this organization and they choose the best for them. IJM offers temporary housing throughout the duration of the process, sometimes lasting 2 or 3 years. They provide intensive counseling throughout the entire process. They also connect with local organizations to connect women to income generating opportunities so that regardless of the court decision, the woman will be empowered and equipped to see her family out of this hardship and pave a new way for them.

That’s where we come in. The more this Aftercare coordinator explained the hardships of the widow and orphan coupled with the success stories through Aftercare and counseling, the more I got so fired up over what a partnership would look like with this powerhouse of an organization.

But not in my wildest dreams would I have ever imagined that the day would come when Clothed in Hope is a community partner of International Justice Mission. This summer, it came. We are officially one of less than a dozen community partnership organizations selected from over 150 from across the nation of Zambia. With multiple site evaluations and meetings, the puzzle pieces of CiH and IJM began to fit perfectly together. They advocate justice for the vulnerable. We seek to empower and equip the vulnerable to regain their ground after years of oppression.

With the most humility, it is my joy to share this partnership with you all. Together we are a greater force for justice in this world. Together we tell the widow and the orphan that they are not forgotten- they are treasured and we will enter into their pain to make that known. Together we empower, we equip, and we believe that hope is the greatest motivator of all.

So what does this mean practically?

- The 21 ladies of Clothed in Hope have been trained to make referrals of potential cases in their communities. With a personal visit from IJM and a lesson on the in’s and out’s of IJM’s case selection, the ladies are now equipped to fill out referral forms of neighbors or friends and turn them into IJM under the “Clothed in Hope” file. The ladies in our program aren’t just having their lives changed; they are life-changers in their communities. They are advocates and seekers of justice. They are empowered with a voice and with the ability to bring justice through this partnership.

- Hopefully sometime in the near future, we will be able to start our first training class solely for women receiving legal aid, counseling and Aftercare from IJM. We will be one of those income-generating opportunities that IJM names as one of the most vital parts in the restoration process in the lives of widows. Through tailoring, sewing and fashion design, widows will feel confident in their new trade to earn a living for herself and her children, regaining her confidence and her joy through the beauty of community.

Our wildest dreams have come true, and we are so very grateful. We are so excited that this connection has been woven between two organizations sharing the same heart for vulnerable women in Zambia. Incredible things can happen when we choose to step out, and we can’t wait to see what this partnership holds for years to come in the lives of Zambian widows. Thank you IJM for letting us share in your victories of justice in the lives of the vulnerable worldwide.

With Chikondi, Amy

Meet Dendy, Our New Stateside Coordinator

in

This American summer (Zambian winter) it's been so fun to have some Stateside volunteers, interns and supporters meet up with us here in Zambia to see what their contributions are doing in the lives of 33 Zambian women. We'd love to introduce you to one of those former interns who has chosen to come on full support staff with us as the Stateside Coordinator based out of Columbia, SC. We are so excited to have her as a part of our organization, and we're looking forward to sharing all the awesome stuff she'll be up to over the next couple of years! She's great and we know you'll think so too. So without further ado, here's a blog post from CiH's newest staff member, Dendy Steddenbenz:

For the past year I have volunteered with a nonprofit called Clothed in Hope. We believe that by teaching sewing, business training, and health education classes to vulnerable women in Zambia that we will ignite a change. These women have lost hope in this society and feel powerless and inferior to do anything that would make a difference in their lives and the lives of the people around them. Imagine being trapped in a spider's web (might be a little difficult but bear with me). You try to take a step forward, to escape, to do something for yourself, but you end up more tangled than before. Then maybe you build up enough courage to try again, and you try another step. Now, you're even more stuck. So, you think well maybe it's just better if I lie here and do nothing, than if I keep trying and instead get further and further from where I want to be. Well, this might be just how Zambian women feel. They have no drive. They are filled with fear and hopelessness. Clothed in Hope's mission is to break this cycle! We want to bring empowerment to these women who actually believe they are nothing. We want to free them from the people who shame them and instill inferiority in their minds.

So after that year of fundraising and hearing the life changing stories from the women of Clothed in Hope, I finally made it! And where might you be asking did I make it to?? ...AFRICA! I am here in Lusaka, Zambia getting to work face to face with these wonderful women. How crazy! It's truly a blessing to be here. I never really grasped the entirety of this organization until I saw these women working and learning and engaging in our program. It has been an incredible experience! One of my favorite days was actually this past Tuesday. I got to have the most amazing conversation with one of the women! Tresa had called me in to take my measurements for a suit (a dress made of chitenge worn to weddings or parties). I wasn't aware that I needed a suit to add to my wardrobe, especially since I was to be leaving in just a week and I didn't see myself wearing it back in the states. However, I wasn't about to say no when she offered to make me one! So, she began taking my measurements and we got to talking. She asked me questions about my family and my life back home. Then, we started to talk about her life and how much her life had changed in the past year. The men in her life had walked away and left her as a single mother of two. Her friends no longer wanted to associate with her, and instead pointed their fingers at her. She had barely any money and considered herself to be worthless. She said she began to pray that someone would come. Then she looked at me and said that we were the ones she had been praying for. In that moment she rejoiced for this community of women. She said that with the love of these women and Clothed in Hope she had found hope. Hope in life. Hope in her community. Hope in herself. She was no longer trapped on a web, lying in stillness. She was set free. She no longer felt like she couldn't be a part of something. It was truly both inspiring and encouraging!

This trip was the highlight of my summer! Getting to actually work in the Chikondi Community Center with the women I have heard so much about was incredible. While witnessing this organization bring hope to these women, they have in turn brought hope to me. I am looking forward to working fulltime for Clothed in Hope when I return to South Carolina as their Stateside Coordinator. I have such passion for this organization and I cannot wait to see it grow!

A Reminder

in

As I wrapped up our health lesson at today’s training class, I knew something was up. I’m scheduled to head back to the States this Thursday for a couple more months of much-needed fundraising. It’s never easy to leave and the see-you-laters surely don’t get any easier. The CiH women and I have decided upon a rule to just not refer to our separation in hopes that it doesn’t hurt as badly. So I thought that was the reason for the unsettling silence this afternoon, but I was so off. Instead of dwelling on the difficulty ahead, friends separated by thousands of miles and too many hours, the women yet again have taught me/us a huge lesson.

I burrowed into my notebook to finish up some last minute budgeting and planning. I looked up only to see 11 shining faces and dozens of colored paper hearts with fancy edges with the word “Zikomo” (thank you) written across every single one of them in colorful crayon. What’s this for?

It’s for every single one of you that have helped make the Chikondi Community Center a reality. They copied the names of each one of you out of my notebook, divided them up, and wrote yet another thank you note. A beautiful one at that.

Because they want YOU to know just how thankful they are. That you have inspired them. That you have stirred up hope within their souls. That you have gifted them with community. That you have seen the value in them and shared it with others. That you keep Clothed in Hope going through this center.

Some programs may gobble up your donation with overhead or administrative expenses, but today’s thoughtful and touching gesture was a solid reminder that the women feel every penny of your donations. Their lives are forever changed because of you. The impact is huge. I hope these little heart cards are a reminder to those of you who receive them that every single day you are inspiring hope within the hearts of 11 women in Lusaka, Zambia, their children, their families, their neighbors, and those who have yet to walk into the doors of the Chikondi Community Center.

So tonight I’d like to share with each one of you who financially support this organization that the hearts of the CiH Zambia women are shouting a grateful, encouraged, humbling “Zikomo.”

With Chikondi (Love), Amy

Muchochoma Village Update

in

Yesterday I accompanied Elina, Jessy and Emeli out for the every-two-week trip to Muchochoma Village to spend time with our outreach project there with 12 women. The women spend most time just chatting, swapping stories and laughs, but are also intentional in encouraging each other, talking about hardships and triumphs. The trip concludes with quality checks of their handmade Village Twist bracelets and payment for them. It’s a great time of community, and the “Chikondi Club” as they’ve named it is thriving.

It was my joy to get to accompany our CiH ladies on this particular trip, getting to re-connect with dear friends in the village and hear just how this program is literally transforming this village. With a bring-your-own-feed-sack rule, we all huddled under the shade of 3 big mango trees surrounded by 6 feet tall maize stalks for a fun day. And I walked away understanding this even more:

Development works. Work works.

Through our bracelet training and production program, women are able to earn a fair wage, an income that adds to the community and a skill that empowers. The women take pride in the quality of their bracelets. Women are now motivated to refine their skill, to keep on learning and to see even more changes come about in the lives of their families and in their village.

Who knew?! Instead of life being just about bracelets, the bracelets have spurred women on to seek other sources of income, to test new crops in their fields, and to take pride in working hard.

The improvements that come about from development-based programs like ours are usually difficult to see in the short-term. But yesterday it was incredible seeing just a few ways that the new income from Village Twist bracelets is transforming this village and its people.

1. There’s a new sweet potato farm that will be harvested in May. A few of the women from the CiH: Muchochoma group came straight from weeding and aerating that plot to attend our meeting yesterday.

2. They’ve used their new income to build their first official community building: a church. Never before have they had a common space to meet other than under the shade of mango trees. This church building is complete with grass siding, plastic sheeting roof and log benches.

3. The maize fields are higher and healthier than ever with the ability to purchase great fertilizer, learn about better farming practices, and stay motivated to care for their fields properly.

And the best part: the women love the program, the work, the new friendships, the visits from Lusaka ladies every 2 weeks, and opening up their hut to share the freshest batch of boiled yams and pumpkins with us.

With a trunk full of maize, pumpkins, and yams, we smiled all the way home knowing that Village Twist bracelets are more than a fun accessory. They are a method for changing a village for the better by the hands of its own people. Now that’s good stuff.

With Chikondi, Amy

Extreme Makeover: Zambia Facility Edition

in

Exciting news for everyone who helped to bring us to this point through our Indiegogo campaign: We officially broke ground on the renovations at the Chikondi Community Center last week! We have just begun the last step before being able to open the doors of the Chikondi Community Center as a place of learning, hope, empowerment, and joy for other vulnerable women in the Ng’ombe compound. We see this renovation process as not just another check on the list to becoming a place of hope, but as another way to spread hope, even now.

So we’ve connected our builder, Fred, with a CiH woman’s son who has been eager to provide for his family but hasn’t found work before this. Him and his friend are there from sunrise to sunset working as hard as possible because they, too, share the vision for what this place will be and what it is now: hope and opportunity. We’re using local craftsmen (friends and a husband of one CiH woman) to create our iron gate for our wall fence to provide a safe place for the women in our program. We’re getting the whole community involved, benefitting from the opportunity to be a part of what Chikondi Community Center is to the Ng’ombe compound. We believe in empowering Zambians to recognize their incredible talents and abilities, and we are so grateful to get to include so many skilled men as a part of this renovation process.

The building we purchased is what we’d like to affectionately call a “fixer-upper.” We knew this going into it. We knew that we’d love to enlist the help of the community, bringing all hands together to really take ownership for what this facility will mean for years to come. This facility consists of 10 rooms, ones we can envision coming alive with seminars, new life skills training programs, conversations of encouragement, fabric being cut and sewn into beautiful products, and hope.

And we want to invite you to be a part of every process, even this one. There’s a huge need, one of around $9,000 beyond the cost of the building to get this building up to operating standards. This includes everything from building a wall fence to keep the ladies safe, to painting our name on the side of the building, to replacing rotting doors, plastering the walls to keep dust from being inhaled, and everything in between. Below you’ll find a list of projects we need your help with. You can buy a door, a window, a bag of concrete, and so much more. Check it out. You, too, can provide hope and opportunity to the people of the Ng’ombe compound. You, too, can help renovate the Chikondi Community Center. Let’s do this.

------

1 Window for $30 (4 needed) Glass Panes $44 Window Putty $10 1 Burglar-Proof (barred) Door for $100 (2 needed) 1 Interior Door for $36 (2 needed) 1 Hardwood Door for $240 (2 needed) 1 Lock for $15 (4 needed) 2.5 Liters of Roof Sealant for $26 (2 needed) 2 Boxes of Roofing Nails for $20

(Next items for the Security Wall Fence) 200 Tons of Concrete Stones for $130 160 Tons of River Sand for $104 10 Tons of Building Sand for $120 10 Tons of Cement for $116 (9 needed) Reinforcement Bars for $39 50 Concrete Blocks for $38 (64 needed!)

(Next items for Wall Plaster to minimize dust inhalation) Building Sand for $121 (2 needed) Cement for $117 (3 needed) Undercoat for $50 (6 needed) 1 Liter of Paint for $32 (4 needed) Paint Brushes $7

Labor $75 (28 needed) Transportation for Materials $200

------

Roll up your sleeves. Put on your hard hat and click “Donate” to enter in the price of your sponsored building material.

In just a few days, with your help and the photos to prove it, we’d love to be shouting “Move That Bus” (or our ’94 Rav4, but bus sounds more legit)! We'll be updating this entry and crossing things off as donations pour in...

With Chikondi, Amy

International Women's Day

in

Today we celebrate International Women’s Day, a day recognized as a national holiday here in Zambia. All government offices closed, parades throughout the city, festivals at every shopping center. It’s a huge deal. Maybe because for one day, Zambia realizes just how important women are to the development of this nation. We can put our lives on pause to reflect on the contributions of women who have gone before us, both here in Zambia and around the world, as well as looking forward to the possibilities of impact and betterment through women in the future.

Women, especially those in developing nations, have the ability to impact the most lives. They are mothers breaking generational barriers for their children to have better lives. They are community influencers in areas of high poverty rates. They are the ones who hold families together throughout oppression and injustice.

And with hope and empowerment, they can do huge things. Zambian women could be world changers. And we’re so thankful to witness 11 Zambian women in our skills training program as world changers to their families, friends, and communities. And we hope you’ll agree with us in that they’re not only impacting lives in Zambia; they’re inspiring people around the world with their stories of courage, hope despite oppression, choosing love over despair, and inconceivable sacrifice for others.

So today we celebrate women. Our hope is for women around the world to see themselves as they truly are: treasured, valued, unique, and important. Incredible. Inspiring. World changers.

And for us it’s just started with these 11, with ripple effects throughout Lusaka, throughout villages in Zambia, and throughout the world. What a joy to be a part of it all.

More than a Statistic

in

(To keep this dear friend and CiH woman anonymous, we’ll use the name Sarah as a replacement for her real name) Sarah has been shyly asking to talk to me after each training class. We’ve missed each other with timing the past few times we’ve tried to chat.  I asked Sarah if she wanted to meet today after class because I could tell that the topic of discussion was really getting at her. Perhaps it was an issue with another woman in the community or a question about our products. Little did I know just what conversation I was going to step into.

Sarah has been coming to class much later than the other women. She comes in quietly, shakes everyone’s hand as customary, takes her seat and gives no excuse for her tardiness. To be grossly honest, I was getting a bit frustrated that she didn’t place the group as a priority like the rest of the women.

So she starts off our conversation with “I’m sorry I have been coming late.” As a group we have an openness policy where any offenses we make to the group must be covered with an apology to every group member. So this seemed like protocol. I forgave her and got ready to leave.

But wait. Sarah shares that her husband has been ill. Malaria, my first thought? Before I ask she shares, “and it’s not malaria.” The local clinic in Ng’ombe, serving over 80,000 people, has stopped doing many of the necessary tests to determine life-threatening diseases, most likely due to cut funding and understaffing. So Sarah and her husband have been to 4 different hospitals and clinics seeking answers.

Her eyes glassy, her voice soft and shaky, “He has HIV.” My heart falls out of my chest, my mind racing. Before I can think of any questions to ask, Sarah’s face lights up for a fleeting moment when she shares the great news that her 2 young children tested negative, and she too. But I could see the devastation remaining in her eyes. The heartbreak. The death sentence. The love of her life slipping through her fingers.

Sarah’s husband has been “sick” for over a month, bed ridden, losing weight rapidly. He can’t walk for more than 5-10 minutes without becoming extremely exhausted. His body is deteriorating. So what does this have to do with Sarah being late? Sarah is pouring out all of her love for this man. She comes late because she’s with him, taking care of him every second of the day, but prepares a big meal, serves it to him and instructs him to rest for the one hour she can get away to come to class for encouragement and training. Sacrifice at the deepest level. Sarah fears that her husband won’t keep enough weight to return to work. She looks at their money, dwindling rapidly without his paychecks to rely on.

Just months ago Sarah saw Clothed in Hope as a hobby since her husband was a successful bread-winner for their family. Now she clings to the group for community, for love, for income, though no other group members know about her husband yet. To us she’s seemed irresponsibly late. But now to me she seems like a hero. A woman facing the unimaginable, watching her young husband fade before her eyes to the disease of which no one knows much of anything. Choosing love, clinging to hope.

As of 2011, 13% of Zambian adults are living with HIV/AIDS. That’s 800,000 people. And 31,000 people died from this monster in 2011. And Zambia ranks 6 in world for Adult Prevalence Rates according to the CIA Factbook.

But all of this seems to change when it’s our best friend’s husband. When the pain expressed through her eyes shatters me to the core. When we try to conjure up hopeful solutions, but know deep down what’s ahead.

Sarah didn’t ask for money for those expensive pills to keep symptoms down. She didn’t say she’s quitting the group. She just said that she’s more dedicated to this group than ever before. And that her only wish for her husband is to somehow provide him with enough protein to have strength to endure the day.

Sarah’s husband is dying to HIV/AIDS. Sarah’s husband hasn’t told anyone because he’s waiting to find out how long he has to live, a test that will come back tomorrow. He’s afraid. She’s heartbroken. We’re heartbroken.

Sarah, her husband, and her 2 young children would greatly appreciate your thoughts and prayers. And if you feel so inclined, we would gladly accept any donations to provide her husband with the protein he needs to keep muscle on his body. 100% of donations in the next week will go to her husband for food and medical bills. We believe in development, but we also believe in loving those in need. Sarah’s husband needs our help.

With Chikondi, Amy