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!

We're Growing...

Ready for a BIG announcement?!?

I'm the worst secret keeper out there, but somehow I've kept this one for over a year now. And I'm excited to share it with you now that I'm able to do so!

My husband and I are excited to announce that we're growing our family AND the CiH family by FOUR tiny feet! And no, it's not twins...

Last summer we became parents to the sweetest baby boy through adoption! We're still in the finalization process - thus the secrecy - but we'll share his adorable face with you as soon as we can. Trust me, it's worth the wait. :)

Summer 2017: Day 2 of our son being home

AND this summer, as in one month from now (!!), we'll be welcoming a second baby boy to our family: Baby Luke (insert heart eyes emoji here)

Summer 2018: Baby Luke on the way

For those of you who aren't familiar with our personal story, here's a bit of it. We lost 2 babies in 2014 and 2016 through miscarriage. Those losses were devastating and their little lives continue to impact us even today, and will for the rest of our lives. We miss those babies and who they would've been in our family and this world. We didn't know what it would look like to have a family after only being familiar with loss. So we rejoice and give thanks all the more for these TWO gifts in our lives that we're completely undeserving of. 

It may start to make sense why we've started cranking out the CiH elephants and giraffes and kids backpacks. We've entered a fun, challenging, exciting new season of life, and CiH is still very much a part of it! I'm so thankful to get to raise our boys knowing a life bigger than themselves and their little bubble, to know about issues around the world, and take part in making a change right where they are.

We GET to invite our families into empowering families around the world. And while my babies won't understand that for a few more years, it's one of the greatest gifts we can give them. 

Life is now less business casual outfits and more spit-up stained t-shirts with nap time work crunch time, but I wouldn't change it for the world. Funny how the unexpected can be exactly what we need.

I'm starting my maternity leave on August 15, but we have some super exciting things coming up this fall that I can't wait to share with you! And now that the secret's out you'll be seeing a lot more of me around these parts :)

Thank you for walking this road with us!

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

International Women's Day 2018

Today, we are celebrating all of the women in our lives.

To the hardworking mothers who make daily sacrifices to create stability and provide for their families, to the young girls who encounter decisions each day that will impact their futures, to the women leaving their homes each morning to pursue their careers...each and every one of you is making an impact. Thank you for doing what you can, exactly where you are. 

Today is a special day for us at Clothed in Hope because women's empowerment drives everything we do. We have seen first-hand the impact that can be made when women are told "You are seen. You are important. You are capable." So, it can be expected that International Women's Day is a day that we hold very near and dear to our hearts, and we hope you'll join us in celebrating!

We've created these images for you to share on your social pages. Will you join us in creating awareness around this special day?

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Facebook + Instagram (right click to save)

Instagram Story (right click to save)

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Are you ready to make a difference?

We also want to invite you to celebrate this holiday by donating to our skills-training program or another women's organization. Either way, YOU are capable elevating women's roles in the world, and when you support Clothed in Hope you empower women to pursue their dreams!

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Zikomo (Thank You),

Meredith

Why Live Her Life?

We've been to all of them — jewelry parties, makeup parties, cooking parties...the list could go on. While each of these get-togethers has a different collection of objects to pass around and purchase, that's not always the reason you're there. It's just fun and relaxing to get together with good friends, maybe some new faces, and (hopefully) some yummy snacks. 

When Amy and I were designing and planning our Live Her Life Party, we wanted to create an event like the home parties we're all familiar with, except for one amazing element — the opportunity to EMPOWER women across the globe, right from your own living rooms.

A few weeks back, we threw our own Live Her Life Party so we could show you what it's all about. So before we talk more about the why, we want to show you the how — and it's really pretty simple...

As soon as you sign up to host a Live Her Life party, we will send you a box with mostly everything you'll need for your get together (besides a few household items like a laptop and scissors). For our party, I picked up some simple snacks from TJ's and decided to have a frozen pizza ready since it was during dinner time. The main thing to remember here is, keep it simple! We want your party to be a fun, laid back evening for you and your friends — no need to get all Martha Stewart on us (unless you find that sort of thing relaxes you, and if that's the case...send us a pic of that tablescape, girl)! 

Once you catch up and eat a bit, you will huddle around your laptop or tablet to hear Jessy's story. Kicking off the night with this short video is an easy way to introduce Zambian culture, and to hear directly from someone whose life has been changed forever because of people who chose to make an impact! 

After Jessy's story it's time to get cooking — Everyone takes part in making this Zambian dish!

Our nshima comes in a pretty little bag made by our students and a wooden spoon from our local market in Zambia (that our hostesses get to keep)!

Making the nshima together was so fun! If we had to make this every day, there would be no need for tricep dips at the gym, hah!

After a little more snacking and trying some Zambian food, you and your friends will make your own chitenge bracelets. These bracelets were designed exclusively for our Live Her Life parties. Working together with beautiful African fabrics is something our students do everyday as they learn a new skill that will improve their lives. We wanted our partygoers to experience this hope-giving part of our training program, and love that everyone will have something to take home with them after the party is over!

Once everyone finishes their bracelet, your group will take turns reading real stories from women in the Clothed in Hope program.

This part of the party is a little hard, and maybe even a little uncomfortable...but it's our favorite part. While a lot of the stories included in this party talk about immense adversity in our students' lives, it's the HOPE and success that we need you to know about! We need you to understand that it is because of people like you — who do what they can, where they are to make an impact in the world — that these women can stand up and say that they are proud, empowered, and capable. 

The final part of the Live Her Life party is inviting your friends to keep the party going! We not only want to raise awareness about the need, but provide a way for you and your friends to take part in our mission. Your group can sponsor a student during her 12-month training program, decide to give a one-time donation, or shop our product line! However you choose to get involved, this is the most important part of the night...empowering women from right where you are (and how fun to get to do it with your friends)!

So, why host a Live Her Life Party? We need you to help us tell these stories, we need you to believe in and take part in our mission. We could have sent you a box of things to sell to your friends, but we think you can do more, and we can't wait for you to join us!

Photography by Abbey Eaves

Chikondi (Love), Meredith

Zambia Christmas Party!

Every year we get to host a big and fun Christmas party for our entire CiH family in Zambia. This year over 150 women attended and brought their children for singing, dancing, skits, and of course a Christmas feast! Enjoy a few photos from our ZamStaff from the exciting day!

Women from Muchochoma Village made the 2 hour trek to our Chikondi Community Center! They performed skits they prepared as a group. 

Music by Jona, the youngest child of our Zambia Director, Elina

Time for the feast! Chicken, rice, potatoes, sodas, fritters, vegetables, potato salad, spaghetti, and this year's treat- apples! Looks like those nutrition lessons are paying off for the ladies to choose apples as their special treat. 

Keeping the littles growing big and strong

Margret's twins made sure to get their plates filled up!

Beautiful fashions on our beautiful students!

Such a fun Christmas party this year! Thank you for making 2017 an amazing one. We hope you'll join us for 2018 as many more women and their children will get to join our CiH family.

With Chikondi (Love),
Amy

Meet our Summer Interns!

We love finding college women who are as pumped about women's empowerment as we are to come along as our seasonal interns! This summer has lived up to the excitement in every way. Haley and Kara are college students in SC & NC, working with Meredith and Amy on all things Gala, Limited Release, product development, and a few other goodies. They have been a HUGE asset to our organization, and we've also enjoyed showing them the ropes at our nonprofit. While we gain, we also want our interns to gain valuable life and career experience that will get them one step closer to that dream job. We're excited to introduce y'all to Haley and Kara - enjoy getting to know them!

HALEY
Student at the University of South Carolina

1. How did you learn about CiH?

I learned about CiH from my bible study leaders freshmen year who knew Amy. I was working on a project for English and needed to interview someone about how nonprofits work and I remembered Clothed in Hope so I reached out to Amy! 

2. If you could eat one meal for the rest of your life what would it be?

Definitely would have to be breakfast: French toast, fresh fruit, scrambled eggs with cheese, bacon and LOTS OF COFFEE.

3. What is your favorite CiH product?

I love the Francis Shopper Tote!!

4. What is your favorite thing about summer time?

Being tan and getting to go on fun trips with my friends. I especially love going to the beach!

5. What drew you to join the CiH team?

I love the mission of it. When I first heard about CiH I was captivated by what they do. I would love to one day do photography for non-profits, so when I was asked to join the team I couldn't say no!

6. If you had to describe yourself as an animal what would it be?

Probably a cat haha. I am independent and like to keep to myself. I will chill in the background most of the time and then when people least expect it I make myself known.

7. Name one fun fact about yourself.

I am a superhero fanatic. My favorite movies are the Iron Man movies, but Spiderman is my favorite superhero. And my guilty pleasure Netflix Show is Arrow, which also happens to be based off a comic.

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KARA
NC State University

1. How did you learn about CiH? 

I learned about CiH through a friend in the College of Textiles at NC State who works with The Flourish Market.

2. If you could eat one meal for the rest of your life what would it be?

I would eat shrimp tacos and chips and salsa for the rest of my life :)

3. What is your favorite CiH product?

My favorite CiH product is the Grace Bow Clutch because it matches everything and is big enough to hold all I need for the day!

4. What is your favorite thing about summer time?

My favorite thing about summer time is laying on the beach with my girlfriends!

5. What drew you to join the CiH team?

What drew me to Clothed in Hope was the educational foundation of the organization, along with the opportunity for women in Zambia to express themselves through designing and creating products to create a sustainable living for themselves.

6. If you had to describe yourself as an animal what would it be?

If I had to describe myself as an animal, I would be a cat, because they are sassy, but loving and loyal.

7. Name one fun fact about yourself.

A fun fact about myself is that I've studied abroad in England, and traveled to 12 different European cities while there.

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There you have it! Two cat personalities, lots of beach-love, and a whole lot of fun. It's a joy to have you on our team, Haley and Kara!

The Very Beginning Pt. 6 + Final

This is the final post in our 6 part series "The Very Beginning." If you haven't been following along, you'll want to start HERE for the whole story!

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The women in our CiH class told me that I couldn’t live among them in the compound because people would know that I was there and I would not be safe. And if I wasn’t safe, I wouldn’t be able to help them and teach them.

I took that same truth to the situation of the gunshots that one night. I knew I wouldn’t be able to rest easy and be restored in that house if I stayed there. And I needed to be my best self if I wanted the best for the ladies.

So today I'm meeting with a USC-Aiken professor’s son who heard about me from some generous press that USC (University of South Carolina, of course) did for Clothed in Hope. He has a room for rent at his home in a prominent neighborhood in Lusaka. Maybe I’ll just go for dinner to feel it out and see if it’s even an option. Living with two guys wasn’t in my plan for Zamlife, but at this point I can’t eliminate any options.

Since I don’t have a car, they pick me up at the cottage. Both of these guys are also new graduates, all of us the same age. The professor’s son is from the south and somehow that brings a bit of familiarity to the weird situation. I made no-bake cookies to bring them a taste of home. I know how hard it is to be somewhere so different.

We pull up to their house and it’s amazing. Super safe with 24/7 on-call security, an automated gate from remote only. Beautiful grounds, a pool, a garden. Like an oasis. We sit down to dinner, a soup and some chicken tenders that had been prepared by their housekeeper who they are able to provide employment to with their social enterprise start-up funds.

Even though they’re talking about global economics and other really smart things that fly over my head 100x, it feels familiar and safe and welcoming. I feel like I have a pretty good judge of character, and these guys feel more like family than creeps.

But how will I explain to my parents that I’m moving in with two guys, soon to be three after their friend joins them? Mom and Dad don’t know what happened the other night. And I feel that this meeting is a divine one, that there’s purpose in the timing of me meeting them and this room being available for a very affordable price.

I sleep on it and think it through for a few days. The cottage seems lonelier than ever and I realize that I just need to be around people. That roommates would be good. Sure, male roommates aren’t ideal when it comes to finding BFFs, but I’m pretty much out of options. If anything, living with men would bring an added layer of security that I don’t get when living by myself as a woman in Zambia, unfortunately.

I call my parents and have to spill it all. They don’t say much but I know they’re shocked, scared even. And we all decide that moving in with them is the best option. They’re coming to visit in a couple of months and will see it for themselves. So I spend the evening packing up my things and move across town into the vacant room in the guys’ house.

My new bedroom, complete with makeshift curtains from extra muslin fabric and a chitenge I bought on the side of the road. Nonprofit budgets are real, folks.

There are a billion stories that can come from this unique living arrangement, but just imagine the show New Girl. But Zam style. With a few goat legs on the kitchen counter, a tortoise in the house, a black mamba once on the outdoor chair cushion, and plenty of other crazy tales.

A very dead, very venomous snake.

But here, I’m safe. And these guys have been incredibly helpful with finding a car for me to get safely around town, saving tons of time driving instead of riding. They have introduced me to people I should know, given me tons of advice, and provided the friendship and community that I really need these first few months. The biggest gift of this arrangement besides my safe place to stay has been the housekeeper/chef/new BFF, Faith. She teaches me how to cook with local ingredients and shares in much-needed laughs at the end of difficult days.

I’ve only been in Zambia for one month and already so much has changed. The program has taken off with our meetings a few times a week. We’re registered as a Zambian charity. We have a local bank account (thanks to the guys’ connections), a vehicle, sewing machines, and we just started making fabric bracelets to sell in America.

These bracelets - the Knot and Village Twist - are still available in our shop today!

What we’ve done in one month could’ve taken a year to accomplish. It hasn’t come easy, and there are plenty of days that I wonder what on earth I’m doing. But this job is so full of joy, of adventure, and I can see glimpses of how this really will be able to change a woman’s life. What these women desire is empowerment and education, so that’s what we’ll do.

I know we have a long road ahead of us to develop this start-up into a formalized program, but I’m here. And we’re still learning to trust each other. I want them to see that they’re worth the hardships of adjusting to life in Zambia. That I am excited to be here because it means being here with them, learning about their lives, their struggles, their joys, and being part of those stories.

We now have nine women in this first group, still meeting in Elina’s house. If even one of these women is impacted through this program, I’ll consider all of this worth it and a huge success. Only time will tell where this will go, how it will change, and what other adventures lie ahead for my life in Zambia.

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I lived in Zambia for over two years after this phase, in half a dozen other places with other people, with my husband (lots happened in that timeframe). I lived my formative early twenties halfway across the world in a culture so different, but I wouldn’t trade that experience for the world. I moved over to Zambia expecting to stay for years, decades, but after just three years I had worked myself out of a job.

What we thought would happen in 5+ years, raising up local leaders to fully run the program, happened in around 2.5. Elina, the first contact turned student, is now our Zambia In-Country Director, managing nine other staff members who were students or relatives of students. We went from five people in one living room to over 170 in three (soon to be 4!!!) locations, all because the women in our first class took the tools given to them and ran with them. They ignited their communities with HOPE, and showed what can happen when you dream big, work hard, and choose a new path for yourself and your family. We’re not perfect, and we’re not even close to having it all figured out.

But one of my greatest life joys and accomplishments is this group of 10 people who are now investing directly and intentionally in their own communities to see huge waves of change surge through places marked by oppression and abuse and poverty. THEY are the change-makers because of YOU. YOU set us on this course, keep us on this course, and what’s happening in Zambia through CiH is just so incredibly special.

If you do anything this fall, COME TO THE GALA FOR HOPE! One is in Raleigh and one in Columbia, so there’s double the chance to get there to meet Elina for yourself. To hear this story from her perspective, and to meet the most inspiring woman I have ever come across. I promise you won’t regret it.

Here we are, five years after that exciting, crazy launch of Clothed in Hope in Lusaka, Zambia, and we are just getting started, friends. Thank YOU for making it happen, for being our world-changers, our movers and shakers, our family. You are the very best. Let’s keep this going and keep HOPE spreading through Zambia and around the world.

Elina and I in 2012.

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If you're not in NC or SC and therefore can't make it to the Gala for Hope and still want to be a part of facilitating life-change for vulnerable women in Zambia, join the Hope Club! HC folks are our foundation, our family of supporters who keep the program running, thriving and growing. We'd love for you to join us. You can sign up HERE. 

The Very Beginning Pt. 5

If you're just now joining us, head HERE to start at Part 1.

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Mark is back in America. I’m living in a little cottage near the family’s house. Once I got all unpacked, I just sit on the couch and cry. What on earth am I doing? I had to get all of that fear and insecurity out of my system in order to move on and pursue what I know I’m here to do.

I walk to the compound by myself every day and it feels really good. I have my morning routine down of $7 Rice Krispies for breakfast (a worthy splurge to remind me of home), a hot shower (praise!), a little reading, and out the door to spend 10am-4pm with Elina and the ladies. I come home, stopping at the grocery store for fresh (mostly) vegetables, and cook up some rice to go with it, a three hour process from start to dishes cleaned and put away.

I’m housesitting for another American woman. This cottage is super cute, decorated exactly how I would dream of decorating my own place someday. It’s quiet and restful, and is a gift to be able to rent.

But I’d be lying if I said that nighttime isn’t hard for me. Often times, especially since it’s dry season, the power goes out around 8pm, and it’s just my laptop and me and bad cell service.  I’ll read a little bit, try to contact friends back home, try to catch my boyfriend during his work break, but usually just end up writing emails to people I miss. It’s only been a few weeks, but it’s pretty lonely here.

Tonight is a night like every other. The power just went out at 8, just after I finished the dishes and got a hot shower, thankfully. Today I had a lot of work to do on my computer and phone, and pulled a rookie move- I wasn’t charging them while I was using them.

Phone is almost dead, computer is dead, and I’m out of candles. It’s pitch black. I’ve always been kind of afraid of the dark, so I’m already on edge. I lock the house with the padlocks. Bars are on the windows (as most houses have), and I lock myself in the bedroom for some perceived safety. This night feels especially creepy, but I can’t tell my parents who are 6,000+ miles away. It’ll only worry them.

An hour or so has passed. I’m about to go to sleep when I hear a strange noise. Pow pow. Brakes? The road is quiet and I don’t think it’s a car. It gets louder.

It’s gunshots.

I hear them coming closer on the other side of the concrete wall that’s about eight feet high. My bedroom window is only two feet from the wall. I lay perfectly still, as if that’ll keep them away. Heart pounding, sweating, tears falling out of my eyes without my awareness of them.

I look around the room. There’s nowhere I could hide that wouldn’t still be exposed with the windows filling up most of the wall. Usually I like those windows and the breeze that flies through them.

So I lay there. Praying. Crying. Regretting every bit of the go-getter in me who thought I needed to live alone to prove my independence and such.

And I realized in that moment that there are two options: I will either be shot by this gunman approaching the property. Or I will live. That’s it. It may sound wild, but I just felt overwhelmed with the sense of doom, fighting fear with every ounce of my being. A physical pain almost. Would I survive this, or would this be the end of my story, my life?

By the grace of God, I somehow fell asleep. I woke up from the light shining in my window, birds chirping, the world seemingly unaware of the horror of the night before.

Cautiously I unlocked the bedroom door and tip-toed around the house. Everything was intact, the padlock still on the front door. I was okay. I made it through.

And I had two choices: either stay locked inside forever and live in the fear of what could happen, or choose to take that step of faith outside the house, trusting that the God who brought me to Zambia was the one who would walk with me every step of the way.

It changed me. It changed my idea of faith, of trust, of God.

I chose to get ready for the day, open the gate, and take the step outside, walking the same path I’d walked every day so far.

But I knew something had to change.

Part 6, the final piece of The Very Beginning, goes live 7/19

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Only ONE MONTH left to grab your ticket for our Galas for Hope! Meet Elina, our very first student and now Zambia Director, who is coming to the U.S. for the first time to share her powerful story with YOU! It's going to be great and we hope you'll join us.

The Very Beginning Pt. 4

If you are just now joining us for this fun blog series, you'll want to start HERE at the very beginning of The Very Beginning. 

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Mark leaves tomorrow. We have been killin’ it with all that we’ve been able to get done right out of the gate like this. We bought sewing machines downtown, another memorable experience. They shoved these giant manual machines into cars smaller than Corollas and drove them to the edge of the Ng’ombe Compound. And then some random guy came out to CARRY THEM ON HIS SHOULDER to Elina’s house where we’d begin our training. We know why he was so generous to help, so we tipped him a couple dollars for his hard work and he was thrilled. 

The Joanne Fabrics of Lusaka, Zambia

Our first five ladies learned how to make fabric flowers with a needle and thread. Mark presented on marketing and business practices from his wealth of knowledge. We established group rules, brought a few other ladies into the group, gathered photos and some stories, and started the ladies on the manual sewing machines. 

Jessy learning how to use the manual sewing machines

The days felt long but went by so fast with Mark by my side. They were full and rich and challenging and joyful, and we were getting in a really good groove. 

We took a taxi (that was recommended to us) three hours outside of the city to a national park with roads rougher than we or the taxi driver knew possible. After bottoming out several times and wondering if we’d ever make it in one piece, we arrived for our debrief and rest safari after two weeks of nonstop activity. 

And here we are back in Lusaka. Mark’s packing up. We’ve never spent this much time together, all day everyday, in our entire lives. We learned that we could eat dinner for less than $1 if we bought day-old scones at the grocery store and dipped them in our jar of peanut butter. We learned that Coca-Cola is cheaper than water, but probably won’t make you feel good if it’s all you drink. We learned how to say hello, how are you, and see you tomorrow in Nyanja. And we also learned that we could really get on each other’s nerves. 

A part of me is excited to send Mark back to America. I think I’m ready to do this thing on my own now (another “haha” moment, five years later). 

When Mark leaves tomorrow, I’ll be moving out of this family’s house and into my own place. I think I can handle living on my own in the middle of a brand new country that I still don’t really know. Right? 

Part 5 is a wild one & launches 7/12

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Time is running out to get your Gala for Hope tickets! Grab yours TODAY to be sure to make it for this amazing event! Elina is coming to America for the very first time to share her story with you, and it's an incredible one you won't want to miss. Go HERE to get your tickets.

The Very Beginning Pt. 3

If you are just now joining us for this fun blog series, you'll want to start HERE at the very beginning of The Very Beginning. 

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We wake up early to the sounds of screams and giggles of the kids running through the house. I think we’ve missed breakfast, so we dive back into the Clif bar stash. I never knew that mushy brown bars could be so life-giving. 

Afternoons in cold season may feel warm with the bright sun, but mornings are cold. Like shivering cold. Houses don’t have insulation; so all-night we felt the chilly wind whip through the glass slat windows. And for a girl who enjoys 80 degrees at bedtime, this is a challenge. I wake up still tired from stirring in the cold, only to find out that there is only cold water in the tap. The expert would’ve already tested the water to figure out the best time to bathe. But day three into my baby powder hair treatment, coated in the dust from the walk the day before, I have no other options. A true amateur. 

So I’m quickly introduced to the bucket bath with cold water in a cold tile bathroom. I don’t even think about how much of a gift it is that water even comes out of the tap, and instead am shrieking at Mark to take pity on me as he enjoys his own Clif bar breakfast in the other room. 

Here’s the technique: use your hands as a scooper and strategically position your head over the tub so that when the water hits your hair, not even a drop of its ice-coldness will touch your body. AND GO FAST. The body can just be washed down real fast and touch ups made with baby wipes that I packed last-minute. I just accept the reality that I will never be as clean as I hope to be, and move on with the day. And also scour the aisles of the grocery store later on to find all of the baby powder to keep myself from having to endure that cold water torture every morning. 

Ok here we go. Hair is half greasy, half wet, all cold. I’ve got my linen pants on (that I thought were required to be an American living in Zambia - joke’s on me), ready to face the paperwork day. 

We meet Elina at the bus stop at 8am. The office opens at 8 and we have to get a good start on the process. I’m thinking that we’ll easily be done by lunchtime, and start looking around for lunch options on our bus ride, as I’m practically sitting in the lap of the strange man sitting next to me so that all of us will fit in the bus as the “conductor” instructs. But you can’t beat it for 20 cents. Watching my tall brother fit himself in one of those buses shows that he’s got skills that would win any game of Twister. Just sayin’. 

We’re here. Standing in a surprisingly organized line at the office where we’ll register as an official Zambian charity. Elina and her friend take the lead on this, and I couldn’t be more thankful for them in these moments. They return and inform us that we have the forms! Yay! But they must be filled out by TYPEWRITER. I repeat, typewriter, like in the olden days, y’all. 

The only place they know to go find a typewriter? City Market. The market of all markets, one of the busiest, craziest places in the entire city of Lusaka. During my trip in 2010, I went here with a male leader and some guys from my group, and a man asked them how much it would cost to buy me. Real talk. 

Needless to say, I’m definitely not pumped to be going here. But we have to. We jump in another bus, walk over streams of litter, and join a huge mass of people heading to City Market, senses working overtime. 

We pass the stalls of fabric, secondhand shoes, counterfeit soccer jerseys, fake Barbie dolls from China, plastic hair clips, and are just a couple rows from the typewriter man. 

The row that’s between this typewriter and us is enough to send me back to America, but I’m with Mark and have to pretend to be brave and power through. A table stretching 15+ feet is covered in animal parts for sale. Cow tongues. Brains. Eyeballs. Entire heads. Feet. All bloody and smelly and fly-infested. If I had more food in my stomach than a little Clif bar, I would lose it right here and now. 

Sure enough, catty-corner to the animal parts table, cow tongues still visible, we’ve arrived at the typewriter. Phew. Let’s just get this over with and head back to the registration office, please. We hand our document to the typewriter man, and quickly learn that we won’t be leaving any time soon. He’s a hunt-and-peck guy. With potentially failing eyesight. And when he hits the wrong letter, the whole document has to come out, apply white out, and re-insert the document after it dries for a few minutes. 

Mark and I just look at each other and utilize our nonverbal sibling communication skills. He’s squirming, I’m squirming. Please just let us type this five-page document to get us out of here sometime today. But we trust, we let him do his thing, and meanwhile I’m going weak in the knees as the day heats up and the cow tongue smell becomes especially pungent in this dark, cramped, busy market stall. 

It’s as if we keep getting these “outs” to tap out of this whole Zambia thing and just return back to the land of familiarity. But nope. Can’t no cow tongues or brains or eyeballs or flys nesting in said cow parts keep me from empowering Zambian ladies. 

Fast-forward a few hours, more buses, probably 20,000+ steps clocked into our imaginary Fitbits, and our paperwork is miraculously submitted. A few days later, APPROVED!! 

We giggle about the cow tongues for days, and now after the end of it, I feel like the female version of Indiana Jones, ready to take on the world (“haha” –me 5 years later). 

Part 4 (it's about to get crazy) launches 7/5

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If you live anywhere in NC or SC, you won't want to miss this! Elina is coming from Zambia to share her story of how YOU have helped change her life and so many others! We have some special surprises planned for each location, so make sure you get your ticket before they sell out!

The Very Beginning Pt. 2

This is Part 2 of our blog series "The Very Beginning" written by Amy about her experience during our Zambia program launch in July 2012. If you haven't read Part 1, you'll want to start HERE.

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We hop in the van and are on our way, all luggage miraculously in tow. While we don’t know what day or time it is, we do know we’re not in Kansas (or North Carolina) anymore. Cars flying by at unreal speeds and maneuvers. Check-points, at which the kids say police are checking for monkeys under the car, which will take me months to realize isn’t true, because there aren’t monkeys in the city, whoops. The smell of burning trash and grass in dry season.  The dusty air. The streets filled with pedestrians walking to work, home from work, to the bus station, everywhere. The roadside stands of tomatoes and lollipops and laundry soap. We’re here. Lusaka. Home.

We pull up at the American family’s house in a quiet residential area within walking distance to a brand new grocery store (jackpot). Two giant dogs greet us, which we quickly learn serve a greater purpose than just a pet. “Make sure they smell you first.” … Or what? We quickly learn that we’ve gotta make friends with these pups since we’ll be coming and going on our own.

Their 2-story house (a rarity in Zambia) sits at the end of a road, behind a concrete wall and iron gate (a commonality for homes). The grass is green and lush, trees towering high, and it feels like a retreat.

This gracious family has agreed to host us strangers for 2 weeks, sight unseen, because they’re best friends with a couple who I Skyped with who are living in rural Zambia. The missionary/expat connections seem to work like this here. Loyal, tight, extremely helpful, and in this thing together.

Mark and I are led to the guest room with a bathroom attached, and within minutes it feels like we’re part of the family. And while we want to hang out and settle in, we’ve got work to do.

But first, naps. Jet lag recovery. And by day 2, we’re ready to get going.

We suit up with our backpacks, notebooks, a couple of Clif bars, and hit the road. We walk up the long road to the main road, and we’re greeted by other children walking to school, adults walking to where they need to be. Ok, we can do this.

A 30-minute walk leads us to the Ng’ombe Compound, a densely populated urban area. Around 120,000 people in 2 square miles. The scenery changes from paved roads to dirt roads, from greenery to dusty brown landscape only briefly visible between concrete block houses packed tightly together. There are children everywhere, running, playing, adventuring, many without parents in sight. And while there’s a new fancy grocery store just down the road, Ng’ombe seems to have it all at the main market that we walk through. Stalls crafted with wood scraps and cardboard adorned with the brightest red tomatoes, green peppers, leafy greens, bright yellow bananas, brilliant oranges, all perfectly arranged in towers and stacks for customers to peruse.

It’s noisy, with mini buses zooming by, packed to capacity, which is twice the number of people you’d normally fit into a little van like these. Music blaring from bars lining the main dirt road, from hardware shops and barber shops.

Mark and I say few words to each other. We’re just soaking it up. It’s not my first time here, but it’s still a lot to take in. And yet somewhere in the midst of all the hustle and bustle and new sights, it has this strange feeling of home.

Elina, a woman in her mid-forties, a good foot shorter than my super tall brother, emerges from her home. A huge smile, a wave, and a giant hug for each of us. We’re home, and she’s family.

I had been in contact with Elina since 2010. She just happened to be the only Zambian woman I met who lived in Ng’ombe and had an email address, so we were in contact by default (or by fate). Her heart was to see the women in her community empowered, and she was already taking orphans into her home, treating them as her own children. It was apparent from the beginning of our friendship that this woman is really, really special. She fights oppression, she advocates on behalf of the vulnerable, even being vulnerable and oppressed at times of her own life. Her story is hers to tell, but it’s an amazing one as I’d learn over the coming days, weeks, years.

Elina brings us into her home and all of the kids are there, all 6 of them, and even 4 or so others who are staying there temporarily or permanently. Shyness quickly fades with tickles and giggles, the universal language of friendship for kiddos. We’re ready to dig into our Clif bar stash when Elina’s daughter appears with bright plates filled with traditional Zambian foods.

We are still navigating this new friendship and we want to do everything to gain trust and be respectful, so we dig in. Nshima, beans, and a leafy green called rape. I’m still jetlagged and not as jazzed about trying new foods, so I pick at mine and quickly dump it on Mark’s plate during the few seconds we’re in the room alone. Just like the annoying little sister that I am. Mark, now stuck with pounds of food, cleans his plate with the same discipline as the guys on the Nathan’s hot dog eating contest.

Pretending to eat all of my food. Sorry, Mark!

Don’t get me wrong - the food was amazing. Just incredibly filling when you’re still jet lagged and used to only eating rolls with butter for the last two days straight on airplanes and at odd hours of the night that feel like daytime.

We wrap up the day, Mark eager to get home with the nshima-induced food coma and my jet lag screaming out for a nap, and make plans to get the ball rolling tomorrow.

Tomorrow will be paperwork day. How difficult can that be?

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Part 3 will be posted next Wednesday 6/28 so stay tuned!

**This month we had 3 HOPE Club Campaigners + Members cancel their sponsorship for personal reasons of their own, which left a bit of a gap in our income! Would YOU consider signing up for the HOPE Club to keep our program running smoothly? We rely heavily on our HOPE Club family to fund our Zambia operations, and can't do what we do without your partnership. You can sign up HERE.

The Very Beginning Pt. 1

As we’re gearing up for our Gala for Hope(s) this September, I’ve been pulling tons of Elina photos from the CiH archives. Photos of us together over the past 7 YEARS that I’ve known her. And before we look ahead, dreaming together at our Galas, I wanted to share this story, this incredible story of one simple “yes” making ripples throughout entire communities in Zambia. Not really “my” story, but the story that I get to be part of. A gloriously messy, painfully thrilling, hope-filled, risky, adventurous, faith-filled story.

And while this story for me started in the summer of 2010 on that impactful mission trip to Lusaka, Zambia with 23 strangers, we’re going to start this story at the beginning of the launch of CiH in Zambia, July 2012, FIVE YEARS AGO almost exactly.

Part 1

It’s 3:30 in the morning, which should really be called 3:30 at night since no one should ever be awake at that hour. I’m at the Raleigh/Durham airport with my parents, my brother, and my new boyfriend of 3 months (another novel for another day).

We have 4 suitcases packed to the capacity of 23 kgs which is actually 51 pounds, which takes some convincing for the check-in attendants for our airline. I’m wearing my Clothed in Hope logo shirt like a total goober, and have my shiny blue outdoors backpack filled to the brim, or as much as they’ll let me fill it to still be called a carry-on.

The day is here. The day that started as an idea in the fall of 2010, a dream in early 2011, and the next-step over the next couple years as I fundraised and started Clothed in Hope stateside. Logo, website, some funds to get me going, and a few Skype calls with people way more experienced than me who have gone before me on this whole nonprofit/move across the world by yourself thing.

I’m 22 years old, two months graduated from the University of South Carolina, and ready to take on the world. Perhaps the very fact that I’m 22-years-old is a gift in itself, the naivety and boldness that the age brings.

It’s time. Time to jump into what I’ve set out to do, to empower women in Zambia through fashion and business. But first I’ve gotta get myself on the plane. And thankfully I’m not alone.

My big brother, Mark, three years older than me and always way smarter than me, is coming with me to get started for the first two weeks. I definitely don’t realize how much of a gift this is, and instead throw him a few eye rolls when he gets bossy or I get tired/hungry/overwhelmed.

We hug our parents goodbye. I don’t have a return ticket booked yet and even though I consider myself an emotional person, I think I have to make them believe I am strong enough to follow through with what I convinced them I’d be doing. Mom and Dad are brave and even stronger than I pretend to be, hugging their baby girl goodbye and putting her on a plane and life-path to Zambia. Though they expressed their concern in the early days, they kept their reservations to themselves (assuming they’re human and had many) for my protection and out of the largest amounts of love that would take me years to realize.

And then I hug my new boyfriend goodbye. Bless him. He just turned 21 a few weeks before, and we just started dating after I swore off dating for this whole “Africa thing.” Life is funny like that. He’s tired, I’m tired (because it’s 3:30 in the morning), and we have absolutely no idea what we’re doing committing to a new long-distance relationship that stretches past oceans, on different continents and different time zones. We hug, but not for too long as to not freak out my parents and big brother. “See you later.”

This all seems normal, like the rational next step in the process of pursuing this dream. But I fail to recognize the number of people that I’ve taken along with me who aren’t able to jump on this plane with me. Little do I know, every friendship and relationship will change the second I walk through those metal detectors in the airport security line.

And as matter-of-factly as it feels to fly to NYC, we’re off to travel across the globe. To NYC, to London, to Nairobi, to Zimbabwe, and finally to Zambia. Within the span of 30 hours.

Crusty-eyed, greasy-haired, lookin’ a hot mess, we’ve arrived. It’s cold season, but it still feels quite warm in this tiny terminal without any ventilation, nerves through the roof. After being cleared for customs and immigration, we step into the “arrivals” area, merely a room the size of a doctor’s office waiting room.

Our eyes scan for the sign. They’re supposed to be here with a sign, this family who we’ve never met but briefly emailed with who offered their guest room to us strangers. What if this is a scam? What if they’re going to rob us? No time for questions or concerns, we’re here and we need the room they’ve offered. And we find their smiling faces. The mom with four of the cutest little kiddos smiling up at us and holding up our welcome sign. We’re good.

We’ve arrived.

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*Part 2 will be released next Wednesday 6/21. Stay tuned! In the meantime, head over HERE and get yourself a ticket for our Gala for Hope!

Let's Get Swanky

Hi friends!

Tomorrow the tickets go LIVE for our 2 Gala for Hope events in Columbia, SC and Raleigh, NC this September and we are so excited! 

We're excited to pull that gown out of the back of the closet, dust it off, and get swanky for a night. 

But more than that, we're excited to welcome our Zambia Director to the US for the VERY FIRST TIME in her life!! Elina, one of our very first students turned #girlboss extraordinaire, was approved for a Visitor Visa from the U.S. Embassy in Lusaka, and will get to see what America is all about. 

We started a bucket list with her with food to eat (Chickfila is a given), things to see (the beach being near the top of the list!), but when we asked her what she's most excited about, she said this: 

“I will be so excited to meet with the donors whom God has used to support the program, and our lives have changed through this life skill!”

— Elina

Did y'all catch that?! She is most excited to meet YOU! To hug your neck, to tell you thank you from over 150 of her friends and community members. 

We can't wait for September to get here, and really, really hope you'll join us for these incredibly special evenings of sharing stories of life-change, exchanging thanks, enjoying great eats and great music, and working together to provide this life-changing opportunity to hundreds more women in Zambia. 

Elina has been THE backbone of the organization since we launched in Zambia in 2012. She's fearless, she's determined, she's compassionate, and she's incredibly loving. I consider it an honor to call her my friend and my co-worker. To share her with you makes me so excited, to bring my two worlds together to let that love just explode. 

Elina and I in July 2012, the launch of CiH in Zambia 

Join us friends. 

We can't wait for you to be part of this treat!

With Chikondi,
Amy

Our Favorite Things

Summer is almost upon us, and we thought we’d share some of our favorite products from the Spring/Summer ‘17 line to kick off the season!

First up: Amy's Favorite (Our Founder)
The Regina Earrings

These earrings are so fun! Pair them with a little white dress, and you've got the perfect summer date night outfit.

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Kathy's Favorite (Our Stateside Director)
Francis Shopper Tote

We can't think of anything this bag wouldn't be perfect for when it comes to your weekly to-do list. Groceries, workout clothes, toys for your little one, books for the beach — The Francis Shopper Tote is the perfect summer companion. AND the best part is that you can just roll one (or five) up and keep it in your glove compartment so you're never without one!

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Meredith's Favorite (Our Creative Director)
Rabbecca Bag

The new Rabbecca Bag is such a perfect size — it's so easy to throw into any purse or weekender. I always get a little bit happier when I look into my bag and spot that cheery chitenge pattern!

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Elina's Favorite (Our Zambia Director)
Mini Chikondi Elephant

This guy will always be on our favorites list. And the only thing cuter than a Chikondi Elephant is a MINI Chikondi Elephant (all of the heart eyes)!

Now that we’ve shared our faves, you share yours! We would love to know which CiH products you can’t live without.

Share your favorites using #MyClothedInHopeStyle

Project Runway #2

Last year we started this friendly competition between past + current graduates at our March Graduation. It was such a hit that students asked that we do it again! Here's how it goes: past and current graduates are given 2-4 meters of fabric (or can use their own), and only have 1 week to create a custom design of their own. Then they have to strut their stuff and model it in front of the entire graduation audience! The audience votes for the Top 3 and winners get a cash prize (and bragging rights!). 

These women blow us away. Not only do they rise above oppression and abuse and all things awful to pave a new path for their entire families by learning a skillset, but they also transform into confident, beautiful, incredibly talented designers and seamstresses in the process. It is SO FUN to witness!! Since we didn't have it in the budget to fly all of you over to Zambia to see it for yourselves this past March, here are some of the highlights of Project Runway: Zam Edition...

Precious kicks off the competition with this custom tunic + head wrap, and styles her outfit with black leggings and perfectly matching heels.

Next up: this gorgeous sweetheart neckline dress with an A-line skirt

Bridget reacts to cheers from the crowd with this matching dress, jacket, visor, boots outfit. Such creativity!

Staying on trend with this hi-low hem dress in a gorgeous fabric of her own, with waistline, neckline, and sleeve detailing.

Gladys' head-to-toe ensemble gets quite the reaction from the crowd. Matching purse, a-line dress, and traditional hat in a beautiful traditional chitenge fabric. 

Maureen's final pose... check out that pleating detail on the neckline and hem! Gorgeous.

Doreen goes for the fashion-forward look with a peplum top and matching trousers. We love her matching makeup!

Our only male graduate, Aaron, receives thunderous applause, cheering, and shouting for this incredible chitenge suit, complete with sequin trim and a matching cane + hat combo. 

The Runway show concluded with SO many amazing designs from some ridiculously talented students of ours. But there could only be 3 winners...
Congrats to Bridget (1st place from Kaunda Square), Doreen (2nd place from Kaunda Square), and Precious (3rd place from Ng'ombe)!!

YOU are making this possible. The skill, the passion, the drive, and the dream. Women once discouraged by the hardships they've endured their entire lives are now dreaming big and opening their own tailoring shops featuring amazing custom designs like these. You are investing in the art of fashion design and the heart of rising above in a dignifying way. Thank you, friends. 

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

CiH @ USC Fashion Week

Clothed in Hope participated in this year’s annual University of South Carolina Fashion week, hosted by the Fashion Board! The 10th annual event was held March 20-24.

Doors opened at 6 p.m. for the Student Designer Showcase at 701 Whaley on Wednesday, March 22. Before the show guest had time to walk around and shop at vendor tables. We got to set up a table for our merchandise alongside of other local shops and businesses. At 7 p.m. USC student designers presented their work to a panel of judges on a runway. One of the judges was one of our own, Meredith Walker!

It was a lively atmosphere filled with music, photographers and refreshments from a local bakery.
The Finale Show followed on Thursday, March 23. This show featured local boutiques’ and retailers’ spring collections modeled by USC students. In the show we were able to share our newest headbands, handbags, and other accessories.

Fashion Board usually does many philanthropic events for different charities during the year. This year they chose us as the sole partnership! This is huge, as it has provided us with a consistent platform for the Columbia area.

Each night we had multiple volunteers come stand at the booth and talk to the guests about what Clothed in Hope does. We had a lot of fun and are thankful to all who helped us prepare for and work the event. And a huge thank you to USC Fashion Board for your incredible support!

(Article by Haley Babbitt, Photos by Fashion Board at USC)

Meet Megan!

We love introducing you to the folks who make things happen around here! So friends, meet Megan. She started off as an intern with us and is now on our Social Media Team as a student at the University of South Carolina (go Gamecocks!). She's smart, so kind, passionate, and just really great. Here's a little interview with her to get to know her better:

1. How did you learn about Clothed in Hope?
During my freshman year at USC, I heard Amy speak to the retail program. Her excitement and vision for the organization was contagious! I knew I wanted to be involved in Clothed in Hope's mission.

2. If you could eat one food for the rest of your life, what would it be?
Apple Pie is one of my favorite foods! Not only is it delicious, but it also makes me think of being surrounded by family during the holidays.

3. What is your favorite CiH product?
I like the twist bracelets because I love layering the pop of color with other neutral, metallic bracelets. 

4.  What is the last book you read?
I enjoy re-reading bits and pieces of the classic books I read in High School. The most recent book I picked up and reread was Pride and Prejudice. 

5. What drew you to join the CiH team?
Fashion is all around us but when it is combined with service it takes on a more important meaning. Fashion becomes a humanitarian mission. I respect the gifts and talents of the Zambian women and admire their trade. Working at Clothed in Hope allows me to support the  Zambian vulnerable women so that they can support their families. 

6. If you had to describe yourself as an animal, which one would it be?
I would be a peacock. They have fun, colorful feathers and portray a bohemian style. 

7. Tell us one fun fact about yourself.
I used to do Irish Dance. I love the ornate dresses, authentic Irish music, and it is a fun way to exercise.  

(Photos by Rachael Foster Photography)

Feel the Love

Happy February, friends!

We hope it's obvious by now that we love you a lot. And we love women in Zambia a lot. So what better way to celebrate the season of LOVE by spreading both messages at the same time?!

When you purchase an item (ON SALE) from our Curated Valentine's Collection, YOU are telling a woman in Zambia that she is deeply, richly loved. That she matters so much to this world. And, of course, you're telling the person you're giving the gift to - your wife, sister, mother, best friend, yourself - how much they're loved too. It's just a win-win!

Here's a sneak peek of a few items from our Curated Valentine's Collection. Order from this Collection before February 14th, and all items featured will be 25% off with code: FEELTHELOVE. You can shop it HERE!

With So Much Chikondi (Love),
Amy + the CiH Team

Christmas Party!

Every year we throw a Christmas Party for our ladies in Zambia. This year, with our new location in Kaunda Square compound and formalized program in Muchochoma Village, we had 3 Christmas Parties to throw! And from the reports of our ZamStaff, they were the best ever. 

Over 250 women and children attended these 3 parties, decked out in their favorite outfits - many women rocking custom designs that they've made - and ready to celebrate. We bussed a sound system out to Muchochoma Village, so everyone would get to enjoy an awesome dance party, even the folks 3 hours outside the big city. And the kids' favorite part - the food. We always go all out for our Christmas feasts, and this year was no exception. We served beans, rice, chicken, potato wedges (learned in our baking class!), greens, Fantas, Cokes, scones, and more! Many women cannot afford to eat chicken but once or twice per year, especially those out in the Village, so this was quite a treat for everyone! 

After the bellies were filled, more dancing, more singing, more laughing. And the women ended the party with a gift exchange they created and named "Secret Friend." We just love it so much. Women now have enough money, after providing everything needed for their children and home life and businesses to thrive, to participate in a gift exchange. It may not seem like a big deal to many of us, but it is!! A disposable income to enjoy gift giving, amazing. Women gave irons, fabric, kitchen accessories, pots, food, even cash. It's safe to say that this tradition will definitely be included in our Christmas Parties for years to come. 

Thank you for making it possible for our friends in Zambia to gather together with their children to celebrate Christmas as a big, happy CiH family. We just wish you could've been there, too! But until then, enjoy these photos from the fun parties, taken by our amazing ZamStaff who pulled it all off:

Chicken & Waffles for HOPE Recap

On July 14th we had our first Raleigh, NC event! Chicken & Waffles for HOPE was exactly what it sounds like: a Chicken & Waffles dinner with a Silent Auction and live music. And it was a blast!

We met so many new folks and were able to share our story with them. Our fundraising goal was $1,000 for this first-time event, and we made over $3,600!! Such an encouraging turn-out as people are joining our CiH family to give HOPE to women in Zambia. Our fabulous Raleigh Summer Interns put this event together in just over one month- aren't they incredible?!

Enjoy some photos from this fun-filled evening! But first, a huge thanks to the following sponsors for Chicken & Waffles for HOPE:

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HUGE thanks to Jordan Williams for sharing his amazing musical talent with us!

Cooked-to-order waffles, courtesy of Lighthouse Recruiting, LLC employees who graciously volunteered

Just one of our 26 incredible Silent Auction items- all generously donated by our sponsors

Thanks so much to Lighthouse Recruiting, LLC for providing the man/womanpower to pull of this event for us!

And to all who attended this event and had a blast with us, THANK YOU! It's events like these that provide the funds we need to provide educational opportunities to women in Zambia. Y'all are the best.

With Chikondi,
Amy