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.

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

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!

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.)

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

She Is Priceless

UPDATE: As of 10:00pm EST on 5/14, you raised $7,865!!!

THANK YOU SO MUCH to each one of you who gave generously to rebuild and restore HOPE in Muchochoma Village!

Rebuilding will start ASAP. The incredible women of Muchochoma Village will now have a place to sew, to be empowered, and to be reminded of their value. Thank you for stepping in and reminding each woman that She Is Priceless.

With Chikondi (Love),
Amy + the CiH Team

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Today is the She Is Priceless Global Giving Day hosted by Mercy House Global. We’re hoping to raise $7,500 so that we can rebuild our Chikondi Community Center in Muchochoma Village that was recently destroyed by a crazy storm. This facility will host dozens and dozens of women for their skills-training program, teaching them everything they need to know to become seamstresses and entrepreneurs in their rural communities. Basically, it’s a life-changing opportunity. And the building is where it all starts.

I could go into stats and everything, but let me pause right here. Let’s make this a bit more real. I’m currently home with a needy toddler and a sick baby, doing my best to keep up with things during nap time (aka now). You know how they say the key to confidence when speaking in front of people is to imagine them in their underwear? Well I’m convinced that the true feeling of fundraising is that I’M the one in my underwear in front of thousands of people asking folks to partner with us. Scary, huh? Yep it is.

Why do it, then?

Because it’s not about me. And maybe it’s not about you staring back at me either.

It’s about them - women in a tiny, overlooked village in rural Zambia. Women who have been told their entire lives that they’ll never become anything. Women who suffer unimaginable abuse and hardship. Women who are literally living off of the land without any access to electricity or running water. Many women who haven’t received schooling past elementary years because they were married off early for the dowry or they became pregnant or they were needed more at home than away at school.

This is for them. An opportunity that can change the trajectory for them and their children.

Imagine it - a woman gains a skill. She learns how to make money on her own through sewing and business. She starts that business with a microloan. She runs that business. Now what happens? She and her kids are fed. Not berries and leaves, but real, nutritious food to feed the body and brain. She and her kids are clothed. Her kids have school uniforms and the financial means to attend school. Perhaps they’ll become farmers too. Perhaps they’ll become teachers, doctors, accountants. Where there was previously a determined path of poverty, there arises opportunity. Options. Steps to break the cycle of poverty for this generation and the next.

Is that worth it, friends?

Is SHE worth it?

We think so. We think she’s worth it all - the sacrifice, of finances and time and effort. We think she’s worth hearing that she’s special and valued and important, even if she’s hearing it for the first time in her entire life.

Why?

Because She Is Priceless.

Will you join us today in standing up for the women of Muchochoma Village and putting brick by brick on a strong foundation of empowerment to see lives changed for years to come?

Will you donate?

Be An Encourager

Everyone wants to be encouraged. And I think all of us can think of a time in our lives when we really needed extra encouragement. Maybe you aren’t worrying about where your next meal will come from (or maybe you are) like many women in Zambia. But I would bet that you’ve experienced many of the same hardships that they have, even if they’ve looked a little different.

We all are too familiar with loneliness, loss, isolation, insecurity, and rejection. None of us are immune from the hardships of life. 

Some of us have walked through oppression and discrimination. Some of us have grieved the loss of a loved one, whether through divorce or death. Some of us have said goodbye to children before we were able to say hello. Some of us live in fear of what’s to come. Some of us have experienced abuse. Some of us have been stolen from and betrayed.

All of us know what it means to hurt. And none of us should want that for one another.

And here’s your chance to play a part. Since 2012, you’ve heard stories of HOPE from our ladies in Zambia. You’ve heard some of the hard stuff they’ve trudged through to get to the other side. Life is still hard – as we can all attest to – but life is now full of HOPE for them, the game changer. Many of you have been encouraged and inspired by the stories of the women in our program.

Right now there are a lot of women in our program who are facing some really challenging things: abuse, betrayal, loss, rejection, oppression, chronic illness, loneliness, just to name a few. While we’re filling these women up with the practical skills to rise above poverty, we also want to be helping them heal from life’s hurts.

Now’s our chance to be the encouragers. Would you be willing to pass along words that have helped you in your struggles in the past (or present)? Would you be willing to write a letter to a Zambian woman to let her know that she is seen, known, and loved?

You have no idea how much this would mean to our ladies.

If you want in, it’s gotta be quick. We need all letters by March 21 (Thursday). You can email them directly to me amy@clothedinhope.org. All letters will stay confidential and won’t be shared with anyone except the women in our Zambia program. You can sign your name or you can remain anonymous. You can include a photo of yourself or your family if you wish.

Thank you for being our CiH family. We can play a powerful role in each other’s stories, both here and there. Let’s show up for our ladies, fam.  

With Chikondi (Love),
Amy

Celebrating 8 Years of HOPE

Today is our 8th birthday! This time each year brings about a period of reflection, of where we’ve been, what we’ve gone through, what we’ve accomplished.
 
But this year when I think back over the years I’m not thinking about the “where” or the “what” but rather the “who.”
 
I’m thinking of Betty* who smiled for the first time in years when she joined our program. After years of oppression and abuse from the stigma surrounding her HIV+ status, she was only familiar with hurt and tears and hopelessness. Her children only knew a life of struggle, watching their mother be outcast from her community. They watched on as neighbors said she was worth less than the dogs on the streets. They already lost their father to HIV/AIDS, and they were losing their mother to life as a widow. Her body was failing her as she grew weaker and weaker. Her heart shattered day after day from the verbal abuse she endured from everyone around her. One day, months into her training, I was at the Chikondi Community Center and turned around to see Betty’s oldest daughter standing there waiting for me. She said, “Thank you. My mother was crying but now she is smiling. She is happy for the first time in many years.” Betty was happy not just because she had a skill to provide for her family, but because she was part of a community who loved her for her regardless of her HIV status. With us, she was safe, loved, affirmed, and celebrated.
 
I’m thinking of twin girls and their mama who we almost lost. A corrupt medical system pushed a due date back and denied a bed because of the mama’s financial position. Hours away from losing the babies ans her due to a medical complication from carrying twins past 40 weeks, we were able to take her to a private hospital who would perform an emergency c-section. The twins are now thriving almost-4-year-olds and mama is due with another healthy baby any day now.
 
I’m thinking of a retired woman here in NC who came across our organization in the craziest of ways and generously chose to use her gift of journalism and writing to get us much-needed exposure in a local magazine. She went a step further to invite the women of her community to an event that she created to allow us to share our story with them and connect with new supporters. She could’ve stayed comfy in her comfy home enjoying her retirement, but she chose to use her talents right where she was to change the lives of women across the world. She did what she could with what she had, and it was incredible.
 
I’m thinking of our very first interns, fellow college students and sorority sisters at the University of South Carolina, who heard this crazy idea and wanted to put their education into action. They carried buckets around music venues to collect donations. They put on fundraisers. They got others to get excited about a dream that would soon become reality. They could’ve carried on with their full schedules, but they chose to be part of something bigger than themselves.
 
I’m thinking of Sally* who joined the program to learn how to sew so that she could teach local prostitutes how to sew. She knew they would struggle to join a formal program like ours, so she resolved to take the program to them. She looked beyond her own (many) needs to see how she could be part of the change in her community. She knew that these women also longed for acceptance, love, empowerment, and education. Rather than look down on them like the rest of society, she chose to link arm in arm with them to provide them a way out.
 
I’m thinking of our HOPE Club family. 100+ of you who choose to give monthly, some for many years now. From $10/month to $150/month, these folks are our foundation. They are the ones who keep this program going, who keep advocating for HOPE for vulnerable women in Zambia. They send encouraging emails, they host their own fundraisers, they invite their friends, they gift our products. They carry Clothed in Hope as their own, as it absolutely is. They are partners in HOPE, choosing to invest in the lives of women and children across the world.
 
I have met so many incredible people over the last 8 years. From professors to deans who chose to support a crazy dream, to musicians and graphic designers who volunteered their talent to fundraise for us, to single mothers in the US who want Zambian single mothers to be encouraged and equipped, to moms, dads, grandparents, students, millennials, retirees who all choose to be part of something bigger. These seemingly ordinary people are choosing to be part of something extraordinary – proclaiming freedom for the oppressed, giving HOPE to the hopeless, and bringing forth beauty from ashes.
 
It is YOU who we are thankful for. It is YOU who is making life-change possible for over 250 women in Zambia. It is YOU who is playing an active role in the orphan crisis by keeping families together, providing children with happy, healthy homes through empowering their mothers. It is YOU who is choosing to do more with this precious life we’ve been given.
 
Here’s to you! Enjoy a cupcake and light a candle to celebrate with us. Because without you, we wouldn’t be us. Let’s keep writing stories of HOPE together, friends!
 
With Chikondi (Love),
Amy


*Names changed for privacy purposes

Big Plans to Get Small

Typically a New Year’s Resolution includes a new goal, a bigger, better self. Ours is a little different this year. We have experienced much success and faced many challenges over the last 8 years (how has it been 8 years already?!). As a Board, we took time to step back and look at the big picture to see how we could be doing this better.

And the answer was in getting smaller.

You heard that right.

Some changes have been beyond our control, like a Development position that didn’t pan out as hoped, and saying goodbye to our beloved Meredith as she transitions into full-time mom of 2. We didn’t anticipate a drop in funding last year. But rather than react emotionally, we are choosing to respond wisely.

Our mission all along has been to empower women through sewing and business as a means of orphan prevention – keeping families together and out of poverty.

This year, we’re making 3 big changes to get smaller:

1.     PRODUCTS: Somewhere along the way, products became less about opportunity and more of a burden on our ladies competing for time with their own small businesses that we all work so hard to get going for them. Starting on January 28, we’re permanently slashing prices in our online shop for a mega Closeout Sale. Women have already been paid full price for these products, so all of the profits from these sales will be invested into our skills-training program, our heart. We’re excited for our ladies to benefit most in the long-run through investing all time and energy in growing their small businesses through our microloan program and mentorship.

 2.     LOCATION: Looking at the budget, it would be too tight to keep running all 4 locations. Our Kaunda Square location is the only facility where we’ve had to pay rent, a water bill, and have extra security because of the area. Bottom line: it’s our most expensive facility. So once this current Kaunda Square class graduates in March, we will pause our Kaunda Square program until HOPE Club grows enough to sustain the monthly cost of operating this most-expensive location. Our focus will be even more concentrated at our Ng’ombe Chikondi Community Center, our House of Moses partnership, and our Muchochoma Village Chikondi Community Center.

3.     STAFFING: Life for me has changed drastically and excitingly over the last 2 years with the arrival of our 2 sons. Two kids under 1.5 years old is enough of a challenge, and running an organization simultaneously is an enormous undertaking. I hate to break it to y’all, but I’m not wonder woman. I have my limits and as much as I want to say “more!” this is a season for a bit less so everyone can have my best. Including CiH. Our US staff is back to where we were in 2015: Kathy, running admin (and 100 more things), and me, running big picture ops, communication, etc. All with the support of our amazing Board of Directors and incredible advocates like you.

Our heart is orphan prevention and women’s empowerment. To see lives changed through HOPE. To break the cycle of poverty, one stitch at a time through sewing and entrepreneurship. And we feel confident that these changes to “get small” will have big impacts in the lives of the ladies we serve in Zambia. We’re excited for this year of re-focusing, aligning us for success for years to come.

 As always, if you have any questions please reach out! I’m an open book and always love hearing from y’all.

 Thank you so very much for your support over these past EIGHT years, friends! Women are being empowered, businesses are growing, families are staying together, and lives are being changed. All because you chose to join us. Thanks for making it happen.

 With Chikondi (Love),

Amy
Founder & Executive Director

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To Join the HOPE Club to fund our Zambia Operations + get fun perks, click the button below:

The Letter I Never Wanted To Write

Dear CiH Family,

I write this letter to you with my heart racing, stomach in knots, and tears welled up in my eyes. A letter I never wanted to write.

Last Tuesday I spoke to a Girl Scout Troop in Durham, NC. A girl, around 7 years old, looked up at me while seated on the front row, hand raised boldly and excitedly. She asked, “Do you ever have moments when you want to give up?” likely expecting a superwoman answer.

Before I could filter my response to match her excitement, the truth leaked out: “I want to give up right now, this month.”

Her eyes switched from anticipation to disappointment. Much like my weary heart has over these last few months.

I use this phrase a lot, and while it’s less than professional, I’ll use it here. It’s time for “real talk.”

This year has made me want to give up. It has been so.hard.

I’m no stranger to struggle since starting Clothed in Hope. We’ve faced plenty of challenges over the last 7 years since all of this began. We walked through fire when someone tried to murder one of our staff members in the early years. I was stolen from when I lived in Zambia – multiple times. I’ve been told horrific stories of real-time abuse and oppression. We’ve looked corruption in the face time and time again. But nothing has brought me as low as I am now.

It seems as if every time we attempt the next step towards growth, we’ve been hit with an obstacle this year. You all gave money to start the Literacy Project, but then an entire shipment of product was ruined. You all sponsored over a dozen sewing machines, but then a few major contributions never arrived that we were counting on. We’ve endured staffing changes, inflation consequences, folks who have discontinued their HOPE Club involvement, cancelled Galas for Hope, and the list goes on (and on and on).

We have 14 Zambian staff relying on us. There are over 200 women who desperately need this program in order to keep their kids in their homes and pull themselves out of poverty. There are over 1000 children who need their mamas to gain a skill so they can have money to go to school and eat 3 meals a day. Need, need, need.

So here’s the bottom line: We need a lot. We need $50,000.

And here’s the honest truth: I’m scared. Scared of letting people down and having to make hard decisions about our future. I’m scared to hurt and to fail. I’m not perfect, and I can’t do it all. Though I’ve certainly tried over these years.

While I love everything about what we’re doing in Zambia, the reality of our current situation terrifies me. And yes, dear Girl Scout, it makes me want to give up. So here’s my raw, weary, honest heart. Here’s my plea. I don’t have a solution or a strategy right now. No flashy postcard or catchy social media campaign. Just this real talk.

This burden to save this organization isn’t just on me. The decision belongs to all of us. We can choose to pause programs when funding dries up. OR we can buckle down, dig deep, sacrifice much, and keep this program going. I vote the latter… you?

I’ve heard the phrase, “it takes a village” often especially since having my second son in less than 1.5 years. But I believe this phrase isn’t just for raising my own kids, but also in keeping this organization alive. You’re our village. This won’t happen, can’t happen, without you.

The flame hasn’t been extinguished just yet. There’s still time, there’s still a chance. A flicker, a glimmer, the very one I’ve seen in the eyes of oppressed women in Zambia: the glimmer of HOPE. All is not lost. Let’s keep HOPE alive, friends.

We need $50k by Thanksgiving Day to be able to continue.

Dear Village, will you give $100? $1,000? $10,000? You can give online HERE or via check mailed to 314 Bonniewood Dr. Cary, NC 27518.

With your help, we can keep breaking the cycle of poverty, one stitch at a time.

With so much Chikondi (Love),

Amy Bardi
Founder & Executive Director

Guess What?! She's Coming Back!

Elina is coming back to America this October!

Elina will be based in the Raleigh area from October 7th through November 9th.
She's excited to share her story with YOU - our CiH family! 

We're filling up her calendar now for speaking engagements and events. Do you have a Supper Club, Small Group, Civic Group, Church, etc. who would like to hear her powerful story of HOPE? Send me (Amy) an email HERE by August 14 and we'd love to get something scheduled! She's happy to travel around NC/SC/VA for your event, and can be available for Skype interviews also.

Here are a few fun facts about this amazing lady in the middle:

• She's our Zambia Director and manages 11 Zambian Staff #girlboss
• She graduated from our program in Spring 2014
• The entire CiH program began in HER living room in 2012 when I launched the program in-country, before we had our Chikondi Community Center
• She has 6 children and 4 grandchildren and has housed many orphans over the years
• Her favorite food when she came to America last year was Chick-fil-A (especially the CFA sauce!)

Let's show this dear friend a very warm welcome to the U.S. and make her month here one to remember!

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

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

Our FOURTH Location!

Yes, you read that correctly! We are launching our FOURTH location on August 2nd!!

As you may know, we launched a partnership with Alliance for Children Everywhere (ACE)/Christian Alliance for Children in Zambia (CACZ) as part of their Empower & Earn component of their Family Preservation programs. I first learned about their House of Moses infant home when I moved to Zambia in 2012. I loved their facility, enjoyed their friendly and attentive staff, and could only ever dream of partnering with them. One of our deep-rooted motivations at CiH is orphan prevention. So when I received the call from a staff member at House of Moses wanting to explore a partnership together in the name of family empowerment and orphan prevention, I was thrilled!

Fast forward a few years later. We will be graduating our 2nd class of students from ACE/CACZ this September! We've learned that families in these vulnerable situations are highly motivated and highly capable of providing for their families to keep their children in the home and out of the orphanage. We never thought we'd get to play such a direct role in orphan prevention, but we're here. And friends, IT IS THE BEST!! Graduation Day is always exciting getting to recognize the determination, courage, and skills of the women in our program, overcoming immense cultural obstacles and oppression to do so. But when you throw in these students who also get to celebrate keeping their children in their home because they can financially provide for them, it is a PARTY!!

This partnership is really just beginning, and we can't imagine better people to work alongside. The folks at ACE/CACZ have invited us to open a FOURTH location at the House of Moses in their Skills-Training Room. We will provide the training, curriculum, and materials needed to run this 2x weekly, 12-month program operating in the same format as Ng'ombe and Kaunda Square (but differently than our Village Program in Muchochoma Village). 

And the even more amazing news, an INCREDIBLY GENEROUS businessman stepped up and pledged to sponsor this class for the NEXT 5 YEARS!!! He is moved by the need in Zambia and wants to see women empowered for the sake of their entire families. With 12 students averaging around 100 children impacted per class, that's around 500 children who will be benefitted through this incredible commitment. Children get to stay in families. Children get to eat. Children get to go to school. Children get to grow up walking a different road than their parents, all because their mothers (and some fathers!) took these brave, bold steps to make a change and break the cycle.

Francis graduated from the first class of the House of Moses/ACE/CACZ students. He now runs his own successful tailoring shop AND is the mastermind behind the Francis Shopper Totes.

Rejoice with us, friends! There is so much beauty in this partnership and we are so grateful for it and the opportunity to play a role in orphan prevention and family preservation in Zambia! We are excited to share photos and videos of this class in the coming weeks and months as they settle into their new home in Chelstone, Lusaka, Zambia.

Welcome to the fam, Chelstone location! And the biggest THANK YOU to the company who made it happen!

(And if you know a business or run a business that would like to invest in changing lives in Zambia through class sponsorship, we have 2 other locations of folks who are ready and desperate to begin their training. All we're waiting on is the funding to make it happen! Contact me HERE to get the ball rolling with this high-impact opportunity with long-lasting benefits)

Our first HoM/ACE/CACZ Graduation with some of their amazing staff who attended

Introducing: Limited Release!

We are so excited to announce that starting with our first Limited Release on June 12, our handmade products will be sold in small batches.

 So, what does this mean?

• Each release includes a limited quantity of a brand new product
• Made with fabrics hand-selected in our local Zambian markets
• We will announce a date and time of release so that you can be ready to purchase
• Limited Release products will only be available ONCE (until the small batch is sold out)

Get Ready!
• • • 
The first Limited Release is happening
Monday, June 12 at 9am EST

To shop this fun product, join us on Facebook, Instagram, or find it on our homepage at launch time!

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