Our Newest Location

With hearts full of excitement, it’s our joy to announce our newest village partnership in Zambia…

Chibesula Village

Many people in the Chongwe area of Zambia have heard about the success of our skills-training program and co-ops in Muchochoma Village over the years.

They’ve witnessed the transformation from a self-proclaimed “beggar village” to now a generous, equipped community of empowered women.

The women of Chibesula Village were determined to join in.

This village is home to 115 people who are in the seasonal (and extremely labor-intensive) business of charcoal-making and maize farming. The drought in Zambia hit them hard, as part of the 50% of the nation whose maize crop failed.

When we toured this village as a team back in January, storehouses were beautifully crafted, ready for the abundant harvest of maize. Each storehouse would hold enough dried maize to feed each family for a year. Now they sit empty. Something has to be done.

Our program in Chibesula Village is starting with 7 women who are committed to launching and growing sustainable small businesses for the benefit of their families and entire community. Women will learn tailoring from our certified tailoring instructors, Tresa and Elina. They’ll also partake in our proprietary Entrepreneurship Curriculum to learn all things business, from the profit equation to diversification.

The group of women is utilizing a local church building as a facility space. They made all of the details happen, determined to get this program up and running in their home community. And they did it!

We launched this partner program this month, and are thrilled to finally share the news with you all! Enjoy this short video from our visit there in January…

Our ongoing programming relies on our HOPE Club to keep things going, and launch exciting new partnerships like this one in Chibesula Village. We need you to join us in our efforts.

What is the HOPE Club?

HOPE Club is a community of people - just like you - who choose to give monthly, 
giving HOPE to women in Zambia through funding our empowerment programs.

Choose to make a lasting difference right where you are and join our HOPE-giving efforts.

Commit to breaking the cycle of poverty today with a monthly donation commitment.

Support our Staff Fundraiser

So, Why should I?

Our fundraising efforts have always been directed toward the vulnerable women + programs assisting them. So this is pretty different, I get it!

We’ll have a time to jump back in with our women entrepreneurs, but the people most on my heart after my recent trip to Zambia has been our Staff.

I have known these women and men for over a decade. All of the women on staff completed our skills training program and showed a strong desire to share their empowerment with their friends and neighbors.

After shadowing them all week, I saw this passion played out:

• Walking miles through washed out roads to reach each entrepreneur in remote parts of the city to encourage them and offer trouble-shooting advice for business hiccups.

• Showing up for women in their personal crisis, from abandonment by a husband to the death of a child.

• Teaching business lessons in 100+ degree heat to women in a remote village, then camping out with mosquito nets to teach again the next day

And so much more!

Our Zambia staff is championing HOPE for many Zambian women and their families. Without them, there would be no entrepreneur group. There would be no ability to distribute business grants. There would be no mentorship. There would be no CiH.

They didn’t ask for this unexpected raise.

But we have been on a mission to believe in and empower people from day 1, and I feel strongly that this is our time to love on our staff in a profound way.

So join us, friend!

Here are 3 ways to give:

1. For HOPE Club folks: increase your current monthly giving by emailing info@clothedinhope.org with subject line “I want to Support our Staff!”

2. Sign up for the HOPE Club! Your gift of $10 or $25/monthly will go far in supporting these incredible champions of HOPE.

3. Make a one-time donation to support this unexpected salary increase for our dedicated and incredible Zambia staff.

Then you can share! Share how you’re supporting Zambia staff as they empower vulnerable women in their communities, breaking the cycle of poverty one stitch at a time.

Thank you for walking with us - faithfully and generously - every step of the way!

With Chikondi (Love),
Amy
CiH Founder & Executive Director

Unsung Heroes

Usually on my trips to Zambia, I’m blown away by the stories of our women entrepreneurs - their determination, their resilience, their ingenuity. And I still was. But this trip left me in awe of a different group of people.

Our unsung heroes: our Zambia staff.

These women and men have been with us for years now, some since the very beginning. They have endured really difficult seasons of financial hardship and uncertainty. Some of our security team have been attacked. Some of our other staff have been robbed. These incredible individuals have walked through fire in their personal lives. And they’ve stuck it out with CiH when we’ve had really hard things to tackle together.

We had our Staff Retreat at a nearby lodge. The lodge offers an array of recreational activities for the day trip, such as fishing and safari and nature walks. After a very busy week, we were all ready to unwind. But we also had plans to discuss our direction and unified vision during some downtime.

We began the discussion with our accomplishments. My Western mindset immediately went to numbers - how many impacted, how many businesses created, percentages and data. But our Zambia staff offered their unique and valuable observations:

• Staff members saw themselves as “living proof” that the empowerment model truly changes lives and offered their own testimonies

• The entrepreneur training has made an indirect influence on the larger community, benefitting many

• Endurance: several staff noted how it is an accomplishment in itself to have pushed through seasons of difficulty while staying unified

• “Many will go on to believe there is still hope.”

  And perhaps the most significant accomplishment mentioned of them all:

• “Loving Others”

These accomplishments are only possible because of our Zambia staff. Sure we are also so grateful for the hundreds of women who have come through our doors, for those solid stats that prove the efficacy of our model. But the day in and day out investment of our staff has produced the most powerful accomplishment: loving others. In a world where it’s easy to feel unloved, unseen, unappreciated, our staff chooses to step out in their roles each and every day to make sure that’s not the case.

They are motivated by love, fueled by hope. Our staff reaches the most remote parts of the city compounds to visit with each entrepreneur, making sure she feels supported, ensuring that she has the training needed to succeed.

These women and men are our unsung heroes. They deserve more than just this post (more details coming on how to bless these incredible people), but I wanted our first follow-up post to be about them.

When it was time to wrap up and go off for fishing or nature walks, the staff refused to go. They said they would rather spend this precious time planning together, gaining a clear vision for what’s ahead, than to go off for the activity. (Don’t worry - we definitely all got to do an amazing safari drive together) But I found that to be a profound testament to who they are. Committed. Determined. Passionate. Not just a job, but a calling. I am honored to work shoulder-to-shoulder with these incredible individuals. Thank you for supporting them as you support Clothed in Hope as they support countless vulnerable women in Zambia.

With Chikondi (Love),
Amy

Zambia Trip Recap

I’ve been back longer than I was away in Zambia, yet I’m still reaching for words to describe what happened during this trip.

Practically, our week was very full. Meetings, home visits, business visits, planning, more meetings. I hadn’t been for a visit since December 2019, so there was a lot of uncertainty. After a few years of our planning being a reaction to the economic challenges of shut downs and health issues, it was time to begin a new chapter. One where we can look forward. To this year, to 5 years from now, to a renewed vision for CiH and its place in Zambia.

After 3 years away, I was confronted with questions from within:
Was there still a place for CiH?
Is our entrepreneur program even working?
What did our staff want?
What are the needs to be met?

I was braced for hard answers. To come to a scene of question marks and unknowns.

But that wasn’t what happened.

I walked into a quiet confidence from our staff. A peaceful assurance in our people. Validation that this is EXACTLY where we are supposed to be.

This isn’t to say that there isn’t still need. Rather the opposite. There is immense need. Poverty is more rampant and intense than ever. Abuse is widespread. Lots and lots of struggle.

But instead of the feeling of chaos to address these issues, there was a feeling of stability.

We have a history. We have a tested program. We have more than a decade under our belt. And most of all, we have a team who is more passionate and dedicated and unified than ever before.

I look forward to sharing details with our exact plans forward in an upcoming post, along with personal stories from our graduates and entrepreneurs. For now, I’ll sign off by saying thank you.

Thank you for sustaining us in the uncertain years when we blindly took one step at a time, unsure of how this story would play out. Thank you for your faithful commitment to empowering women in a sustainable way, for doing the hard long-term work of transforming communities led by locals. Thank you for continuing to hope. For sending your dollars and encouragement that kept our women going during times that seemed impossible.

It may sound cheesy or exaggerated, but this trip really was magical. Unexpected in every wonderful way. We lost our luggage and I brought home a parasite, so I don’t say that it was void of difficulty. But it was wonderful in the deepest sense. A unified vision formed. Meaningful relationships cultivated. Tender conversations spoken. Powerful moments shared. The stuff life is all about. Life. Love. Overcoming. Encouragement. Empathy. Compassion. Sacrifice. HOPE.

With Chikondi (Love),
Amy
CiH Founder

If you haven’t joined the CiH family just yet, now’s the perfect time. We need your partnership to continue this journey on behalf of women in Zambia. Sign up for the HOPE Club by clicking the button below:

A Legacy of Hope

When Clothed in Hope first began in Zambia in 2012, Shekiwe was only 10 years old. Her mom, Elina, joined our program as one of our first students. And as you may recognize her name, Elina graduated from our skills-training program to then become our Zambia Director as she is today. 

At 10 years old, many girls in Zambia are on their way out of school, especially as the third, fourth, or fifth child, when there are no more funds available in the family for school fees. Then comes the likely possibility of child marriage and teen pregnancy, two contributing factors to continuing the cycle of poverty.

But Shekiwe’s story has been different. 

Shekiwe grew up witnessing what was possible through her mom. Not merely surviving, as is the reality for so many, but thriving. She saw her mom chasing a dream. Igniting a passion. Living full of HOPE. 

Shekiwe’s mom, Elina, taught her determination in how she never gave up. Her mom taught her the importance of education through graduating from our program. Her mom taught her confidence in being proud of her accomplishments. Her mom taught her to dream big. To want more. To ignore the negative voices, and to embrace the possibilities ahead. 

Simply put - her mom taught her to HOPE. 

And because Shekiwe’s mom has loved, guided, provided for, and encouraged her every step of the way, Shekiwe is stepping onto a new path. A path dug out with hard-fought victories, struggles, defeats, and successes. 

Because of the incredible example shown by her mom, Shekiwe stayed in school. She excelled in school with a full belly, a growing mind, a stable home, and a loving family. Challenges that can trap young girls in a vicious cycle of dropping out of school, child marriage, and teen pregnancy stood no chance against Shekiwe, all because of Elina’s brave steps forward. 

Today Shekiwe is 22 years old (in the first photo below). She is truly following in her mom’s footsteps as she is in her second year at an esteemed fashion design school in Zambia. She runs a growing fashion brand called “Royalty Fashion Fanatics.” She is the second child in her entire extended family to ever attend college. She is incredibly talented. And she is full of HOPE. 

Shekiwe (first photo) with 2 of her custom designs for local clients in Lusaka, Zambia

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Shekiwe is just one of 1,028 children of Clothed in Hope women. 

Friends, imagine what is ahead. Now that we’re over a decade out, babies are becoming teenagers. Young kids are becoming adults. And we are witnessing families truly breaking the cycle of poverty. 

Thank you for writing hundreds upon hundreds of stories of HOPE in the lives of women and their children in Zambia. 

Teamwork Makes the Dream Work

Our Entrepreneur Co-op is comprised of 15 women who graduated from our program and are now successful entrepreneurs. Most all of these women have received at least one Business Grant from us over the last few years.

This group of women is committed to meeting every few weeks, checking in with each other to share new ideas, problem solve, and best of all to provide encouragement every step of the way. As some of you may know, running a business is tough stuff. Running a business as a woman in Zambia is extra tough stuff.

When we formed this group, we were excited for the strength in unity that would surely come about. And it absolutely has. But one unexpected perk has also arisen, because these women are just that amazing.

Enter: Village Banking

This form of group savings is just like it sounds in the name- familiar, cultural, communal. And while this group of women doesn’t live in the village but rather in an urban neighborhood, the premise remains the same.

How does it work?

Each woman saves money to her name, recorded in a group notebook. Rather than keeping funds in a box with a shared key, as is sometimes customary (called merry-go-round savings), this method doesn’t put the burden of safekeeping of the box on any one person.

Each time the women gather together, everyone puts money into the pot, each choosing how much she wants to save. Then one woman can choose to withdraw or take a loan from the pot. She will re-pay the loan with interest over a set period of time. The next time that the women meet, another woman will take a loan from the pot, and she’ll repay that loan with interest over time. At the end of that time period, all of the interest collected is proportionally shared amongst the women according to how much each woman has saved, which is typically a large sum.

Sound confusing? Yes, I’ve had to ask for clarity many, many times and still probably don’t have every detail understood. But what matters most is that the group of women have it under control, and they absolutely do.

During this last share, each woman was able to purchase or pay for some really substantial things. And when access to capital is pretty tricky, this Village Banking model provided them with larger sums of money to be able to make dreams come true.

Here’s just a snapshot of what some women did with their “shareout:”

• Doreen purchased tiles to put down in her primary school classroom, covering the dusty concrete floor with beautiful tiles for cleanliness and a nice learning environment

• Charity paid for her daughter’s school fees. Did you catch that? Because of this Village Banking model, Charity was able to send her daughter to school.

• Mervis bought popcorn seeds to start a side business when it’s not farming season.

• And Elina bought a small plot of land to build shops for passive income generation.

Charity with her shareout

I know we say it a lot, but we really are so proud of these women. For their ingenuity, for their grit, for their determination, and for their commitment to one another and to paving a new path for their children.

Thank you for supporting these women through your monthly HOPE Club gifts, one-time contributions, and end-of-year donations. You are helping create these ripples of HOPE in Zambia.

With Chikondi (Love),

Amy
CiH Founder & Executive Director

A Message from Zambia Director, Elina

Elina would like to share a message with you about this round of Business Grants:

Help us finish out our Business Grant fundraiser by partnering with one of the remaining 3 entrepreneurs:

Business Grants Round 2

Dear CiH Family,

Our amazing entrepreneurs have been through so much over the last couple of years since our first round of Business Grants. Still they persisted. We are thrilled to launch Round 2 of our Business Grants to help these women take their businesses to the next level to impact their communities.

For one entrepreneur, she's ready to hire her first employee, providing a job for a vulnerable woman in her community.

For another entrepreneur, she's wanting to launch her own skills training program in her neighborhood.

For another entrepreneur, she has a plan to introduce a bartering system amongst local farmers to increase access to food during this economic decline.

... And the list goes on! So much goodness. So many opportunities. So much HOPE.

Are you in?

You have the fun and unique opportunity to be directly involved in the success of one (or more!) of our women entrepreneurs in Zambia.

The process is simple!

1. Right now, head over to our Entrepreneur page to “meet” each of these smart, dedicated, talented business owners.

2. Learn about the pressing needs they have for their businesses.

3. Choose the business/project/woman you’re most passionate about partnering with.

4. Donate

And done! After you donate, you’ll be signed up for exclusive emails to follow along with the entrepreneur that you have decided to support.

If you want to fund an entire Business Grant for an entrepreneur, go for it! If you want to make several donations for several entrepreneurs to be involved in multiple businesses, go for it!

We're excited to see how you choose to partner with these incredible women.

Your donation and partnership will have a direct impact on the lives of women and their communities in Zambia.

You are needed. You are appreciated. You are giving HOPE.

With Chikondi (Love),
Amy Bardi

CiH Founder & Executive Director

Giving Thanks for You

"Unprecedented." How many times have you heard that word over the last 2 years?

We've heard it over and over again in an effort to make sense of these trying times. And I could use it here to describe this past year that started off with a tragic loss in our CiH family, a third wave, and challenging economic decline.

But what if we flip this word around?

Unprecedented: never before known or experienced

2021 was a year of unprecedented HOPE.

Ten women entrepreneurs in the middle of Zambia overcame all odds - a struggling economy, shut-downs, supply issues, and the undercurrent of poverty - to run and grow successful small businesses to support their families and benefit their communities.

Ten women faced their challenges head on, supported by one another, empowered with business knowledge, and cultivated a HOPE never before known or experienced.

Catherine's fields were FULL of vegetables and greens, and she experienced her biggest harvest ever.

Rabbecca doubled the size of her chicken run and had her biggest sale ever.

Tresa landed her first wholesale account with a local school to make school uniforms and acquired her biggest order ever.

The list goes on...

We are so very thankful that you have chosen to partner with us this year as we celebrate 10 years of HOPE, and look back on this year of unprecedented HOPE.

We hope that you, too, can look back on your year and find instances of unprecedented times in the very best way. A new perspective, a new hobby, a career change, an especially joyful day.

Happy Thanksgiving, friend. We give thanks for YOU.

With Chikondi (Love),

Amy
CiH Founder & Executive Director

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Join us on November 30 for GivingTuesday, a global day of giving, as we change the world through generosity. Here are some ideas of how to get involved on this fun day:

• Share Clothed in Hope on your social media accounts and tell others why you are part of our CiH family

• Run a Facebook fundraiser challenge, asking each friend to donate $1 or $5 to hit a goal together

• Make a tax-deductible donation at clothedinhope.org/give

10 Years Ago

10 years ago, I was finishing up my senior year of college at University of South Carolina. While I was sitting in classes about supply chain management and accounting to complete my Fashion Merchandising degree, my mind was elsewhere. Clothed in Hope became an official nonprofit organization in February of 2011, so I was deep into fundraising, planning, and preparing for the move to Zambia after graduation.

I think about those days sometimes, especially now at our 10 year mark. I had no idea what was to come. I knew that I wanted Clothed in Hope to be an organization that affirmed the worth of women living in poverty, that lifted them up in practical, sustainable ways. But I never knew that CiH would become what it is today. Back in those days I was emailing back and forth with the woman who has made it all possible, Elina.

Elina and I first met during my 2010 trip to Zambia. She was working at a community orphanage at the time. Our serendipitous encounter only came about because she was the only one who had an email address out of all of the women I met that day. I am so glad she had that email.

I asked Elina what women in her community really want and need. Do they need us to bring suitcases of clothes? Shoes? Toys for their kids? Do they need a feeding program?

She told me what they really want is to be empowered.

Back in 2011, in a little rental house in Columbia, SC, I chatted with Elina about the framework of what would launch in 2012. Long emails back and forth from here to Zambia. Our dreams, our thoughts. But even we didn’t know what could be.

We thought that if even one or maybe a few women could experience empowerment through life-skills education, that would be a success. And it absolutely would’ve been.

Never in our wildest dreams would we have thought that 316 women would walk through the doors at our Chikondi Community Centers, receiving training in sewing and entrepreneurship.

If I could talk to myself 10 years ago today, I’d tell her to dare to dream bigger. And hang on for the ride of a lifetime.

So much has happened since those days of emailing, dreaming, and planning. Products, new locations, pilot programs, losses, failures, and so many lessons learned. But one thing has stayed constant: our mission to empower women in Zambia through education and economic opportunity.

Thank you for walking with us every step of the way. Cheers to 10 years!

With Chikondi (Love),
Amy

An A-Maize-ing New Business

We’ve been keeping a little secret over here these past few months!

As you may know, we’ve been partnering with a rural village 3 hours outside of Lusaka, Muchochoma Village, since 2013. We began a sewing skills-training program with a group of women there and they were the producers of our Village Twist Bracelet back in the day. Thanks to a generous private donor, we were able to drill a clean water well, benefitting hundreds of people in surrounding villages. Then we built a permanent brick building there to house our manual sewing machines and provide a training center for our monthly intensives, led by our staff from Lusaka.

While many of the women are now proficient in sewing (which is so great!), they have always been amazing farmers. Muchochoma Village is a farming village with entire families pitching in to harvest maize, sweet potatoes, squash, vegetables, and more. We were able to sponsor a business grant to boost their yield last year through providing seed and fertilizer.

This year, our staff had a great idea to further the independent success of the village.

For every other maize harvest, the women would have to take the maize to a government-sponsored milling factory for it to be processed into roller meal, which then becomes nshima, the national staple food. There is always a high demand for this, as it’s typically eaten for each of the 2-3 meals per day. But the women were only making a tiny profit on each harvest, not leaving enough money to purchase seed and fertilizer for the next season.

In comes the brilliant idea.

Food scarcity is on the rise, the prices of food are climbing, and yet there is the opportunity here to make a good amount of money. Our staff and the women of Muchochoma Village came up with the idea to purchase a Maize Hammermill. The CiH women could farm on a communal plot, pick the maize at harvest time, process it on their own Hammermill, then sell it directly to the nearby villages, controlling every part of the process and getting every bit of profit for their hard work.

We had to coordinate a quick build of a concrete structure to protect the equipment from the elements and then a tricky transport of a huge piece of machinery out to a village, so it’s been quite the process to get this Hammermill there. But we are thrilled to share that this season’s maize has been harvested and the Hammermill is now in use with our ladies in Muchochoma Village in control of their new business venture. We are so proud of them for taking on this exciting new project and continue to support them along the way.

Just take a look at these incredible entrepreneurs living an empowered life for the benefit of their families and entire village!

A huge thank you to Highland United Methodist Church in Raleigh, NC for providing a generous grant to fund this Hammermill project!

The Power of Motherhood

The power of motherhood is what gripped me 10 years ago. A college student, 21 years old, and not yet a mother, I was shocked at the power of motherhood across cultures.

This organization was formed out of a deep desire and vision to see families remain together, combatting the orphan crisis from a preventative measure by empowering mothers to rise out of poverty. The power of motherhood was heartbreakingly visible in the urban orphanages filled with children whose mothers were alive and able to care for them, but simply did not have the finances to feed another mouth and clothe another body. That very power became re-directed in each of our life-skills training classes.

With babies strapped on backs with a fabric sling, mothers poured into our Chikondi Community Center ready to learn a skill and be reminded of the immense strength inside to keep their children in their homes, to see them grow up to live happy, healthy lives. Mothers breastfed hungry babies while guiding fabric through sewing machines. Mothers gave out a precious coin to a toddler to run to the corner shop for a snack. Mothers rocked heavy babies to sleep as they took notes about entrepreneurship and profit margin. Mothers cared for each other’s babies as they took turns ironing their latest design in the showroom.

For years, I witnessed this power but didn’t quite understand it. How could a woman sacrifice so much of their time, energy, and even bodies with no complaint?

What I didn’t understand was that these very babies were both the recipient and the fuel of their mothers’ power. Each stitch completed while feeding that baby gave life to the vision of this little one growing up to complete school and live a different life than his mom did. Each aching shoulder of carrying the heavy baby on her back was the sacrifice and contribution of the mother to provide meals on the table without lacking. While she learned and worked, her little one took notice. While she sacrificed much, she gained much in the secure feeling of empowerment and rising above the poverty that kept her captive for far too long.

Many people see my involvement with Clothed in Hope as an investment. Giving much through a commitment. But over the years I have truly seen this work as mutually beneficial and mutually transformative.

I stepped into Clothed in Hope as a far observer of motherhood. I then journeyed with these mothers in my own pursuit to become a mother, initially filled with deep loss and sorrow. As I shared my own grief of losing babies, other women shared their own stories of pain in lost little ones, or the grip of infertility and its cultural challenges. Once I had lost my own babies, the rocking, the snack time, the peek-a-boo, it all felt healing. Rather than another mundane task to complete, it felt purposed. That this was the gift of this community. That I, too, was tapping into the power of motherhood even in my waiting. Together we were modeling for these future world changers that hope is powerful, that joy is contagious, that community is necessary, and that love is life-giving. In the safe haven of our Chikondi Community Center, women were being changed through practical life skills, yes, but also with the fire and drive to pave a new path for the little ones who accompanied them day in and day out.

Years into CiH with layers of my own grief and anticipation, I became a mother. Carrying the sensitivity forged by the pain I experienced along the way, I felt a sense of comradery with the women of Clothed in Hope in a new way. I couldn’t equate my struggle with theirs, as we live on separate continents and were born into different circumstances, but I could start to appreciate the power of motherhood that is uniting across all cultures. In sorrow, in pain, in sacrifice, in really hard days, in profound moments of shaping a little one’s life forever.

Since starting Clothed in Hope, I have become a mom to two little boys. These boys know about the women in Zambia, and I look forward to the day that they’ll know these women’s stories of overcoming, of perseverance, of power. I love raising boys who are learning about life from these strong women, just as the many little ones have done while soaking in the room on the backs of their mothers.

And in just a few short weeks, I’ll become a mom to a little girl.

I’ll get to raise a girl to become a woman walking in the steps of these incredible women who have shaped me, taught me, challenged me, and shown me the immense power of motherhood. One that gives much, one that receives much. One that is utilized to better the world and inspire others. Whether or not my own girl chooses to become a mother one day, I am so grateful that she has this army of mothers who love her and can show her the diversity, complexity, and beauty of being a woman in a way that I’d never be able to on my own.

These weeks ahead preparing for my little girl to enter the world feel purposed and special. Like lighting a fire to begin passing the torch to the next generation of women who will change the world through both the mundane and the spectacular. Through showing up each day, putting in the work, giving much, getting much, and fueling the fire within.

I am grateful for the power of motherhood that has changed me over the last decade. I am grateful to learn from women who love deeply, live sacrificially, and shine so brightly for their benefit and for the sake of their children. Before I was a mother this power changed me, and as I walk in this new role of motherhood, it continues to each and every day.

I look forward to sharing the newest CiH woman with you once she has made her arrival. Thank you for walking this road with me, with the women in Zambia, in every season. We are all so very thankful for you.

With Chikondi (Love),
Amy
CiH Founder & Executive Director

Catherine's Business is GROWING

Earlier this year, Catherine S. received a water pump from her Business Grant. Catherine wanted this gas-powered pump to supply water to her vegetable farm to maximize yield and grow healthier vegetables. We expected to see a slight increase in quality during our first Entrepreneur Visit after she received the pump. But we expected there to be a learning curve as she figured out this new piece of machinery.

We definitely didn’t expect what we saw at the first Entrepreneur Visit at Catherine’s vegetable farm...

Catherine’s vegetable farm is HUGE and thriving and healthy and ready to be harvested already. And because of this water pump, she’s able to continue the planting and harvesting cycle even in the upcoming months of dry season, a time when she and her family have previously struggled to make an adequate income. This year-round irrigation system means year-round income and the ability to grow her business even more with the increased capital.

Catherine’s community is already benefitting with year-round access to healthy vegetables at an affordable price, especially during a time of rising food insecurity and economic hardship.

Catherine shared with us and her Business Grant donor, “We are saying thank you for what you have done for us by giving us this water pump. Recently we used to hire (rent) a water pump which was costly to us. We are saying thank you. Now we can do farming throughout the year. Things will be well with us this year.”

We love it! A relatively small investment is having a huge impact on Catherine’s life, on her family, and on her entire community. We are inspired and encouraged by Catherine’s hard work and vision for her growing business!

Click below to see a video of Elina, our Zambia Director, visiting just ONE of Catherine’s vegetable farms...

Celebrating 10 Years of Hope

It has already been 10 years since we began!

Can you believe it?!

What started as a dream in a dorm room became the most incredible reality, and it all started on our official incorporation date of February 21, 2011. 

Over the course of this 10th year, we'll reflect back on how we got started, sharing some never-before-heard stories, remembering our favorite ones, and asking YOU to also share yours! (More info below)

For now, let's  C E L E B R A T E!
 
Let's celebrate the hundreds of women in Zambia who have received skills-training in sewing + entrepreneurship to pave a new path of HOPE for their families.

Let's celebrate the thousands of children who now get to grow up in healthy + happy homes, raised by mothers who are equipped + empowered. 

Let's celebrate that HOPE always wins, even in the darkest and hardest times. And we've surely seen our fair share over the last decade.

Let's celebrate our amazing Zambia staff who share an understanding of the  hardships and lead with such compassion and love. 

Let's celebrate YOU! Our CiH family of donors and supporters who have kept this organization growing and thriving over the last decade. We have seen your sacrificial giving, we have felt your encouraging words, we have appreciated your advocacy and shared passion for what we're doing. 

We truly wouldn't have been able to do all we've done over the past 10 years if it wasn't for YOU.

Consider this your virtual high five with a toss of confetti and a cupcake shared (because no celebration is complete without a cupcake). Consider this your invitation to the most HOPE-filled, joyful party over the next weeks and months, celebrating the fact that even though hard things still persist, incredible things are still happening through HOPE.

Zikomo, thank you, from all of us at Clothed in Hope, to you, for walking this exciting road over the last 10 years with us. 

With so much Chikondi (Love),
Amy
CiH Founder & Executive Director

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Now it's your turn to share your story!

We want to hear why you've been involved with Clothed in Hope, whether as a donor, supporter, or advocate. Maybe it's your first year with us; maybe you've been with us all 10 years - we want to hear from you!

Email Us with a short video (<30 seconds) or photo of yourself + text explaining what CiH has meant to YOU through the years, and we'd love to share it with the rest of our CiH family as we celebrate this year. We'll even send you a goodie from Zambia as a thank you!

Still Going Strong

• We've held 9 Food Distributions at our Chikondi Community Center. Women wait in our courtyard, spaced out and with masks on, until it is their turn to receive the food bundle.

• Our 10th Distribution was in our partnership village, Muchochoma Village, where we sent a bus load of staple foods, soap, sanitizer, and fertilizer for their crops. Life in the city is really tough right now, but this village is feeling the economic effects of COVID-19 even harder. We are in contact with our women there and will continue to help as needed.

• In total, YOU have made it possible to provide food for 625 people so far!

Zambia is hurting.

Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, Zambia was already struggling economically. The details of the how/why is in this recent WSJ article.

Here's what it means for our women (and millions of others in Zambia): "At least 6.9 million of Zambia’s 17.4 million citizens don’t have sufficient food, up 290,000 from three months ago, according to the World Food Programme." 

THIS is why we are holding Food Distributions, when we aren't an aid organization. 
THIS is why we've been changing up our plans for this year. 
THIS is why we need to care. Food insecurity is a real problem, and it doesn't look like it's getting better anytime soon. 

We have plans in the works to create self-sustaining co-ops centered around food production, but unfortunately things like this take time. Until we can get a plan off the ground (figuring out details from thousands of miles away since we can't get there), we will keep taking care of our women in this way.

COVID-19 is spreading rapidly after a quiet and slow start in the country. Hospitals are nearing capacity, and there are reportedly only 4 laboratories testing for COVID-19 for the entire nation.

But there is still HOPE.

"My name is Martha Banda. I graduated in 2019. As to today, on behalf of the women of Chikondi, I really appreciate what you have done for us today, for remembering us. Thank you for the donation which you have given to us. It will go a long way during this pandemic that we are having here in our country. Thank you very much. May God bless you. Amen."

"Hello! My name is Sarah Zimba. We just want to appreciate all our helpers, those who have given us  all the goods during this Coronavirus pandemic. Most of us have been depressed, naturally down. So we just want to appreciate you. We want to thank you for what you've done! We say thank you. Let the works of your hands be blessed. Thank you very much!"

"My name is Maureen Chanda. I graduated in 2019. I just really appreciate what you have done. You have shown love. Just like the name of the center is, Chikondi, it means love. Some like me, I was working. I'm no longer working. This food will go a long way for me during this pandemic. Continue with this work. Thank you so much."

"My name is James. I am jobless due to this crisis. This relief has come at a time to keep me from starving. Help has just come at a time when I was losing it because I have no money to support myself for now. Thanks for everything you've done for us and where you have brought us."

Our graduates are trained entrepreneurs. They are capable and smart and determined. But a crumbling economy and global pandemic are just too tough, even for the best resourced. We've felt it here. They're feeling it there, big time. 

Let's keep remembering them. Remember our fellow humans in Zambia, in America, and around the world.
Thank you for giving HOPE and being a light in this dark time.

With Chikondi (Love),
Amy + the CiH Team

195 and Counting

These are some challenging times we’re all living in. 2020 certainly hasn’t gone according to our plans, and I’ll bet that it hasn’t been what you thought either.

We rescheduled our April trip to Zambia for next month, only to cancel that one after Zambia suspended issuing all tourist visas (and COVID-19 didn’t really quit). We had to postpone our entrepreneurship group meetings and delay the issuance of our business grants as the main focus of Phase 2.

Instead we’re holding weekly food distributions for our women. Around 15 women, past students and graduates of ours, come to our Chikondi Community Center and take a socially-distanced seat with their homemade chitenge masks on. Tresa, Martha, and Charity lead the group with some encouragement, time for sharing, and then hand out the bundle of groceries.

The weekly staples are Mealie Meal (local staple food made of ground maize), soya pieces (think dried tofu), rice, dried beans, cooking oil, and soap. Some weeks have added/changed items based on market availability. On the menu for this week: vinkubala. Vinkubala is the Nyanja word for dried caterpillars, an enjoyed side item with nshima (made from Mealie Meal). Vinkubala can be boiled or fried. Here’s a photo of them from the market:

When I first had the idea of Clothed in Hope 10 years ago, food distributions definitely weren’t part of the plan. We have seen too many times when these well-intentioned actions actually create a harmful dependence in communities. Plus, the majority of the women we were looking to work with said themselves that they want to be EMPOWERED to know a skill, run a business, and feed their families. They weren’t eating 3 meals a day, but they were all still eating 1-2 meals a day. But all that changed when the economic effects of COVID-19 hit Zambia during an already vulnerable time.

So how could we still make much-needed food distributions as a tool of empowerment?

• Only the women/moms come to pick up unprepared food. We don’t cook large quantities and ask people to come to us. We give the women the tools (food) they need to prepare in their homes. Their children don’t have to know that they got it from an organization. They can still see their mothers as food providers as they’ve always been. The family can still be together in the home unit for meals.

• Our Zambia staff is running the distributions. They locally source the food items to support local businesses to further the local economy as much as possible. Our staff has thanked us for getting to be a part of helping these women in such a tangible way. Most of our staff remember all too well what it was like to wonder where the next meal would come from, and they, too, are empowered to change their communities from the inside out.

We don’t see food distributions lasting forever. We hope they won’t be needed for many more months, if at all possible. Our staff continues to assess the individual situations of our ladies. Our next step will be to shift back to the Phase 2 model of business grants and investing deeply in our entrepreneurs. We hope to do that soon and will keep you posted.

Until then, we’ll keep on keepin’ on! THANK YOU so much to all of you who have given so generously and kindly over these past weeks and months. Thanks to YOU, we’ve been able to provide food for 195 people! Enjoy this joyful video of Ngoza celebrating when it was her turn to receive food. It’s the best!

Thank you for choosing to love big and give HOPE as we continue empowering women in Zambia. It may be a little different right now, but there’s still joy and hope here!

With Chikondi (Love),
Amy

Keeping Families Alive

Yesterday was our 2nd Food Distribution at our Chikondi Community Center. If you’ve been around here for more than a minute, you know that we are incredibly passionate about development. Teach a man how to fish (or teach a woman how to run a small business). We don’t give things away. We empower. We teach. We train.

But that model can only thrive when the individuals in our program have their basic needs met: food, water, shelter, safety. When one or more of those needs aren’t being met, the brain cannot absorb teachings on profit maximization, and it fails that individual greatly. When basic needs aren’t met, survival is the only focus. I’d imagine that would be heightened times 100 when children are involved.

And that’s where we are. Thankfully COVID-19 as a virus hasn’t affected much of Zambia in the way it has here in the US. But the ripple effects economically have devastated those who were most vulnerable to begin with. Inflation is sky-rocketing. Food prices are rising daily. It’s nearly impossible to run a micro-enterprise right now.

Our women and their families are hungry. Add on power cuts and dry season and they’re also struggling to find clean water in their own communities. Times are harder than I have ever seen there in the 10 years I’ve been going to or living in Zambia. And when those suffering are our dear friends, sisters, and staff, it’s just awful.

Thus, food distributions. We have seen over 300 women come through our doors since we started our training classes in 2012. Through the years we’ve been able to help a few individuals in their personal crisis thanks to the generosity of our CiH family. But now it’s not just a select few. It’s the majority. The majority of our women are hungry. And when people are hungry and desperate, things can get even harder.

We don’t want women to fall victim to sex trafficking or prostitution to get money. So we’re going to show up.

We don’t want to children risking their lives by begging around communities. So we’re going to show up.

We don’t want any more women to be left by their husbands due to no food in the home. So we’re going to show up.

We don’t want women to have to choose between feeding themselves or feeding their kids. So we’re going to show up.

We don’t want immunocompromised women to expose themselves to a deadly virus by looking for a few cents to buy some scraps of food for the day. So we’re going to show up.

We don’t want any women to struggle alone. So we’re going to show up.

The stories we’re hearing at each food distribution are heart-breaking. We are cycling women through based on greatest needs, but the need is still so overwhelming.

Just yesterday, one graduate said that this distribution has come at the perfect time to keep him from starving. (Not our “starving” but truly, starving.) He is jobless, and he shared with the group that this help as come when he was about to lose it all. “Thanks for everything you’ve done for us and for where you have brought us,” he shared.

Just yesterday, a previous student came and fell to her knees in gratitude. Her husband just left her because she couldn’t keep food on the table for him (though he was the one employed). He sent his brother to steal her sewing machine and loot her entire store, leaving her with absolutely nothing. She had been searching up and down her street for any food that people could spare. When we heard her situation, we brought her in. Tears of relief. Tears of exhaustion. Tears of pain.

I wish I could say that was it. But friends, these days are hard. These stories are excruciating. These women and their families are suffering immensely, more than I can ever fathom. It hurts me to hear and not be there.

But I am SO PROUD of our Zambia staff members, also facing their own hardships, who are stepping up to hold these food distributions in the safest ways to keep our families alive. They are doing hard and holy work, and it’s an honor to partner with them.

Right now our plan is to hold weekly food distributions, cycling through women in our program. We will stay aware of the greatest needs in the community and try to meet those as quickly as we can. Women will keep coming back for distributions for the immediate future, as long as the situation remains so dire. We are also distributing clean water for free for any of our women + any members of our community who cannot find it, which is turning out to be a lot. THANK YOU for making it possible to show up. THANK YOU for loving big, for giving big, for keeping hope alive in this challenging time. We know it’s hard for everyone in their own way, and we know that the only way we can all get through it is to stick together. I’m honored to do this together with you.

With Chikondi (Love),
Amy

We are so very thankful to have enough funds to keep this going for the next couple of months. We have no idea how long this struggle will last. If you’d like to contribute to our relief fund for food distributions and emergency assistance, you can give below:

(Thank you to our Head Caretaker, Eddie, for these powerful photos.)

Welcome Jennifer!

We’ve been keeping a little secret from you over the past months. Her name is Jennifer and she’s awesome!

Jennifer is our Social Media + Graphics Volunteer.

Yes, you read that correctly. Volunteer! Jennifer is a full-time art teacher with a passion for using her gifts to impact the world, so she’s chosen to donate her time and talent to us through this role! We are so blessed by her and thankful for her.

Jennifer and I have only had 1 in-person meeting, yet it feels like she’s always been CiH family.

Jennifer is the mastermind behind our gorgeous 2019 End of Year mailer + campaign. She created graphics for our Phase 2 launch. She schedules all of our social media and is also creating that content this year. Basically, she does a lot! I could go on and on about how much I admire her and appreciate her, but I’ll leave it here and let her do the rest of the introductions with a fun little questionnaire:

• Education: 2012 Graduate of Anderson University

• Current hometown: Charleston, South Carolina

• Why CiH? I was originally interested in CiH because of my connections to Africa and wanting to be able to use some of my talents to help.

• Where did you grow up? Aiken, SC

• Favorite place you’ve visited: Prague. The architecture and scenery are beautiful.

• Fun Fact: I bungee jumped at Victoria Falls, one of the 7 wonders of the world.

• Favorite Dessert: Tiramisu

• Favorite Season: Definitely summer; I love the warm weather and the beach.

• Favorite Color: Seafoam green

• Favorite TV Show: Great British Baking Show. I like seeing all of the desserts to get ideas.

I have been most impacted by all of the stories of how really hard situations have been turned into good. I’m excited for Phase 2 and how it will continue to multiply the amount of people impacted. The stories of how the women are now going to be able to form a community and help each other in their different needs shows how all things can work together for good.

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Join us in giving a warm welcome to Jennifer! We’re so glad you’re part of our CiH family!

Meeting Faith

If you’ve been following along with us over the past year, you may remember hearing the tragic news about the loss of Hope, a twin girl of one of the ladies in our program. Hope passed away from being severely malnourished due to a medical condition, just hours after we visited her and were met with incredibly discouraging road blocks to her care by a corrupt medical system.

Fast forward to last week when I was back in Zambia for a quick trip...

I was walking around the center during a break from our 6-hour Entrepreneurship Training. My brain was fried from teaching this course and fighting jetlag simultaneously. I stepped down from the staff office into our training room. Standing at the bottom of the step was a woman and her daughter speaking with a visitor who came with us from the US. I quickly acknowledged her with a traditional “Hi, how are you?” which was reciprocated. I went on with my break and training, racking my brain from how I knew those familiar faces. I just couldn’t place it.

When we got back to our Airbnb for the evening, Tara, the US visitor, informed me that the woman and the toddler were actually Mirriam and her daughter, Faith. The mom and twin sister to Hope!

I was stunned. Shocked. Mirriam’s eyes were full of life and joy. She stood tall and confident. And Faith – the most unrecognizable of all. The last place I saw her was in a tiny hospital crib crying out in pain and loss amongst a sea of other severely malnourished babies and toddlers in horrific conditions. She seemed like she was the size of a 9 month old baby when she had just turned 2. I recognized Faith’s eyes at the center the other day, but her body was transformed. She stood tall, smiling big with a full face and full belly. She skipped around the center like every little almost-3-year-old should. That’s why I didn’t recognize her. She was healthy and thriving.

Her mom told us that though the grief journey continues and tears come to them often, they are all doing well. Mirriam is feeding Faith nourishing foods such as avocado to fill her little body with all the fats and vitamins she needs to grow. You would never know that this Faith was the same little Faith in the hospital just 8 months ago. I know many of you were heartbroken for this family. You cried with us and you provided the funds for a proper funeral for baby Hope. You gave money towards food for the tradition of family coming to stay from far away to mourn the loss of baby Hope and hold up the rest of the family.

While we can’t take credit for the survival and thriving of Faith (that was a miracle!), we do know that your prayers, funds, and friendship have carried Mirriam and equipped her with all she needs to care for her beautiful girl.

With all that was going on last March, we didn’t even know about the other children in Mirriam’s family. Faith has an older sister, Dorothy, full of giggles and funny faces. Mirriam also took in Richard, her sister’s son, after her sister passed away just months after Richard was born. Mirriam remains married to her husband who has been supportive through all that life has brought them over the past year. Below is a photo of Mirriam, Dorothy, Richard, and precious Faith.

We miss Hope. We wish she was still here and a part of this family photo. And in the midst of that grief is also gratitude that Faith has survived. And now she thrives. Joy + grief. Gratitude + pain.

Maybe this explains your holiday season, too, as you miss a loved one or are walking through a season of suffering. We see you. We hold you close, just as we hold Mirriam and her family close. Thank you for being in our CiH family.

With Chikondi (Love),
Amy

A New Phase

Dear Friend,

For the last 8 years we have been bringing Zambian women through our doors to be empowered through life-skills education and economic opportunity. Over 300 women have made that journey with us, thanks to YOU!

While there’s a time for bringing in, there’s also a time for sending out. And after much, much thought, prayer and consultation, we believe that time is now.

Big changes are ahead for us and we remain full of HOPE that this is just as much the plan as the past 8 years have been.

It’s time for Phase 2. What does this mean? We will no longer be bringing women through our doors for formalized skills-training classes. We will no longer be hosting graduations or maintaining facilities. Here’s what we WILL be doing:

We will be going deep. We will identify the 15 highest-skilled, highest-performing entrepreneurs who have graduated from our program. These 15 women will be given a sewing machine and become part of a community-led co-op to take their businesses to the next level through the addition of apprentices and business grants. They will also be involved in an exciting new partnership with The Kukhoma Project.

Micro-businesses will become medium-level businesses. It won’t be a comfortable process, most likely. But the best growth isn’t usually comfortable, right? These growing pains will lead to increased independence, greater business profits, and a stronger community.

These changes won’t happen overnight. We are devoting 2020 to getting Phase 2 off the ground, making sure our loyal staff is taken care of in the process. I will be visiting Zambia in December 2019 and March 2020 for group intensives to brainstorm, problem-solve, mentor, and encourage these dear friends.

Part of my heart is a little sad to say goodbye to all I’ve ever known (of CiH) in my 20s, but the larger part of my heart is excited and hopeful as I step into a new decade with Phase 2. Though it will look different, we will continue to be dedicated to breaking the cycle of poverty, one stitch at a time.

With Chikondi (love) and hopeful anticipation,
Amy