Esther is Back!

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Happy New Year!

We hope each of you have had a joyful and HOPE-filled start to 2016. We are so excited to share the results of our year-end campaign soon, but first we wanted to share this story. And if you’re new to our CiH family, welcome!

As many of you know, one of our ladies, Esther, was in a tragic accident a couple months back, resulting in the death of her husband and two of their children. Esther is part of the House of Moses Orphanage partnership class, identified as vulnerable to having her children taken away if her and her husband couldn’t find a way to earn an income. This vulnerable identification was placed on them from the Zambian government before the accident. 

Imagine the past couple of months that Esther has faced. Not only did she bury her baby and first born child, but she also attended the funeral of her husband, housed all out-of-town relatives for months, lost her primary income source (her husband), and struggled to survive. 

After we shared her difficult story, you all stepped up, big time. You donated almost $1,000 to cover her immediate expenses of food, soap, child’s school fees, etc. And together with the community of our CiH classes, Esther and her remaining child have survived. They have been comforted, encouraged, uplifted. They have felt great pain, but they have also experienced great hope through the women surrounding her who have spent hours praying with her, cooking for her, cleaning her entire home. 

We expected Esther to be out of class for weeks, months, potentially a year, until she could get herself out of bed and re-join the group. But just THIS WEEK, the start of a new year and her graduation year, Esther walked back through our doors. Still tender, still hurt, but walking forward, stepping into community, and making progress in her healing process. 

(Esther in yellow, working on her end-of-course practical exams)

(Esther in yellow, working on her end-of-course practical exams)

We are so proud of Esther. We are so overjoyed to have her back at our Chikondi Community Center. Esther thanks each one of you who have played a part in her story of rising from the ashes. It’s just the beginning, but she is so very thankful. 

And also just as exciting, Esther is looking forward to the future now. She is dreaming of ways to care for her child, not out of desperation but out of pride and hope. With your contributions made in 2015, we are able to provide Esther with a seed for her to launch her own business, a long-term solution to her immediate needs. 

Esther will receive a sewing machine and materials, an opportunity given to her by you. A rare occurrence in our programming, but a bright solution to a tragedy in our family. Esther will graduate this March, and she has already started working on her final examination sewing projects. She will start sewing and selling curtains as her business, and she is so excited about it. 

We are, too! For a woman to grasp a long-term solution rooted in education and independence, especially coming out of such a dark situation, is incredible. Her forward thinking and desire for dignifying work is such an encouragement to us, and I hope it is to you also, as Esther paves a new way for women in Zambia. 

Esther’s story has touched more lives than we thought possible. And she’s just one woman in our program. Thank you for being a part of a movement so impactful in the lives of so many. 

With Chikondi,
Amy

Through Rose's Eyes

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Rose is 45 years old, a mother of two children, and part of the newest graduating class from our Chikondi Community Center training program in Zambia. On Saturday, September 12, our entire CiH family gathered together at our center for a most joyful graduation day as we celebrated our largest graduating classes yet, a total of 8 women! Rather than recap all of the details that just don’t do the day justice in how incredible it was, I wanted to share the day through one story- Rose’s story. 

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When Life Gives You Lemons, You Make A Skirt

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The storm that destroyed the facility couldn’t destroy the passion and determination with the Muchochoma Village ladies and our training staff. When life gave them lemons, they made skirts. They made skirts sitting on maize sacks on the ground in the sunshine. The most beautiful skirts from the most inspiring determination. 

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Unlikely Students

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Our heartbeat has been for the vulnerable women of Zambia since the very beginning. And in telling those stories, the cultural norms often come out strong, presenting husbands and fathers as the abusers, as the neglecters, as the ones who don’t care and don’t want to care. And while that’s most always the case with the stories we hear from our ladies, there’s always an exception to the rule. And for this particular story, there are two exceptions to the rule. 

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Meet our Superwoman: Elina

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Meet Elina. She’s our In-Country Director. She was a member of our first graduating class in 2014. She’s a mom of 6, grandmother of 2. She gained valuable skills from our program, and now works passionately to see other women in her community receive the same life-changing opportunity. Sounds like her full-time job would be enough to contribute to the community, right? We thought so too, but we’re quite wrong. 

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Graduation Recap: Class of March 2015

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Here's a little peek into what happens at a Clothed in Hope Graduation Ceremony (hint: it's FUN!). Enjoy the photos, and celebrate with us all that this day means for the 7 women who graduated from our skills-training program. Thank you to all of you who have donated and purchased products, because you are the ones who made it happen. You have given the life-changing gift of education to women in Zambia. You have given HOPE. And rather than this being the end of their journey, it's really just the beginning.

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Intern Feature

From the very beginning, we've relied heavily on the involvement of our interns. Our interns and volunteers are the people who have made it possible for CiH to be where it is today. They plan events for us, they fundraise, they network, they share the CiH story, they connect products to consumers who care about the story behind their accessory, they bring new ideas, and they are awesome while doing it. These folks are just the best, and we can't say enough great things about them- not just the current interns, but all who have gone before them, working in the trenches to give HOPE to women in Zambia. 

So without further ado, meet our Spring 2015 Interns! These women are pretty incredible (and the most fun to work with). Learn more about them:

interns.jpg

Lauren (in red), Caroline (top), Roxanna (in her fabulous LOVE T)

Name: Lauren Haile
University: University of South Carolina
Major: Fashion Merchandising
Year: Junior
Hobbies: Relaxing by the river in my Eno hammock, eating Chipotle bowls, playing intramural sports for my sorority, Phi Mu.
Favorite Place You've Traveled: Paris!!! I went in May and the food and architecture there blew my mind.
Favorite CiH Product: The Chikondi Twist bracelet, I wear it everyday!

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Name: Caroline Dowling
University: University of South Carolina
Major: Fashion Merchandising 
Minor: Public Relations
Year: Junior
Hobbies: Playing tennis, laughing, shopping, being outside, and eating ice cream!
Favorite Place You've Traveled: Swaziland
Favorite CiH Product: No doubt the Turban Headband

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Name: Roxanna Rojas
University: University of South Carolina 
Major: Retail with emphasis in Fashion Merchandising
Minor: Theatre 
Graduation Year: May 2016
Hobbies: crossfit and volleyball
Favorite Place You've Traveled: New York 
Favorite CiH Product: My favorite Product is the Love T-shirt because its so versatile. I can wear causally or when I go workout! It's a comfortable t-shirt. 

These women go above and beyond to provide Stateside support for our Zambia operations. And while we wish they'd stick around forever (pretty please!), we realize this is just a stepping stone for many of our interns. We love seeing them pursue exciting career opportunities with Ralph Lauren Corporate, major marketing and social media companies, and graduate degree programs. We love and support our CiH family of interns and volunteers, and love that they choose to use their passions and gifts for the benefit of the ladies we work with. 

Thank you Lauren, Caroline, and Roxanna (and all who have gone before you) for all you do! You are truly making a difference in the lives of women in Zambia. 

Love,
Amy
Founder & Executive Director



[For info on how to apply for Fall 2015 & Spring 2016 internships, contact us here.]