Hope-Infused

Earlier this year, a truck smashed through our wall fence. Men destroyed our yard, leaving debris all over our property. They trapped us in the Chikondi Community Center for over 6 hours. 

And we all thanked them for it. We cheered, we danced, we shouted, we rejoiced. We even bought them some donuts and Cokes. 

Because that truck and those men drilled a deep clean water well in the middle of our property. A dream of ours from the very beginning has now become reality. 

I thought I knew just how valuable water was to the Ng’ombe community after being around for a few years now. I know that it takes women an immense amount of physical strength and valuable time to walk around to find an operating well, carrying upwards at 40 pounds of water in jugs back to their home.  I know that some children wake up before sunrise during dry season in hopes of finding a well with water, exposing themselves to the danger of being outside in the community in the dark. I know that water isn’t free. I know that the vast majority of houses don’t have running water, but instead jugs and barrels that are used for bathing, cooking, and cleaning. 

Water is valuable. Water is a challenge. Water is life. 

The Ng’ombe community, where our Chikondi Community Center is located, is home to over 125,000 people within just a few square miles. This compound is still in Lusaka, the capital city of Zambia, a more advanced part of the country. Yet it is estimated that 65% of this community does not have access to clean drinking water. 

Because when the good wells run dry, the shallow-dug wells are all that are available. Dirty surface water carrying diseases and parasites like Giardia, typhoid, and many others. 

This is the reality for the ladies in our program. This is their struggle. This is the life for their families. 

We simply had enough hearing stories of women drinking dirty water or sending their tiny children who skip school so that they can wait at the well all day to fetch water for the entire family. So when we found out that right that very moment carried the perfect conditions for drilling, we decided to go for it. No time to build a fancy crowdfunding campaign, but just enough time to drill this well. 

We (this amazingly efficient drilling company) were able to drill down 70 meters beneath all the mess to reach an unlimited supply of clear, fresh, healthy water. As the drill hit the water and it shot up high into the sky, women inside the center who were peering through the windows in amazement cheered. They danced. They yelled out in joy. Because to them this wasn’t just a cool thing to see, this was life changing. This was another way that hope was brought to their lives. 

Jessy asked if I would step aside to chat with her during all the chaos of the drilling day. She looked me straight in the eyes with depth, deep joy, and long-battled victory, and simply said, “Thank you for giving me water.”

What seems like another accessible resource to most of us in the West, even fancied up to have flavors and colors and health benefits, is a resource that many developing nations simply don’t have. A resource that our dear friends, students, and neighbors didn’t have until now. 

To our ladies at the Chikondi Community Center and the hundreds, perhaps thousands, of families who will now get to draw water from our clean well, this is a glorious gift. A gift of life, health, hope, and a little bit of relief from the many tough burdens of life. 

Yvonne dispenses water from our clean water well to this girl coming from school. Look how crystal clear that water is!

All with one giant truck, a huge mess in the yard, a water tank bigger than our car, and a bunch of women who are crazy amazing in how they love each other and care about their community having tasted this glorious hope of their own. 

Giving hope and clean water, one stitch at a time. 

We need your help to cover the cost of this life-giving well, benefitting thousands in a vulnerable community in Lusaka, Zambia. The entire cost of the project is $7,000. To fund this project, and allow our monthly funds to cover our life-skills training program, we need:

3 partners of HOPE to give $1,000 
4 world changers to give $500
10 difference makers to give $100
10 big hearts to give $50
10 compassionate souls to give $25
25 generous people to give $10

To donate and receive a Handwritten Thank You Note from a life you’ve impacted through providing this clean water well, simply click below:

Thank you for making this possible and for partnering with us as we continue to share HOPE with the Ng’ombe Community in Lusaka, Zambia. 

With Chikondi (Love),
Amy

When Life Gives You Lemons, You Make A Skirt

Back in 2012, our first graduating class was overjoyed to learn new skills, so much so that they had to share them. There was no other option. They believed that women all over Zambia needed to get some of what they were getting: hope, knowledge, community, purpose. On their own they sought out a remote village three hours outside Lusaka, in an area where ox-drawn carts are the primary mode of transportation and the closest government school is over an hour’s walk. This village is called Muchochoma Village, and ever since 2012, they have been part of our Clothed in Hope family. 

These twelve women in the Muchochoma Village training group have endured hardships many of us cannot even imagine. When we first started coming to the village, Muchochoma villagers were known to other villages as the “beggars.” They couldn’t even afford food or soap. Yet these women weren’t (and still aren’t) bound by their circumstances. They are capable, determined, and bright. 

When our once-every-two-month visits turned into twice-monthly visits due to the drive and passion of the village ladies, we needed a facility. A place to learn sewing, business management, health education and personal development skills. A place to gather together and build a community of encouragers and doers. Rather than ask for an elaborate structure, the twelve women came together to make bricks by hand. Mud bricks, hand crafted, did you catch that? They built a structure, and we provided the roofing and support poles. We traded the mango tree shade for this building, and everyone loved it. 

The original structure at Muchochoma Village, with HANDMADE bricks.

Until just a few months ago, during rainy season, when a terrible storm ripped through the village, tearing off our roofing sheets, damaging them, and destroying the handmade bricks. The building was leveled to the ground with materials scattered. Our home of HOPE in Muchochoma Village, destroyed. 

Everyone was devastated. But the sorrow didn’t last too long. The storm that destroyed the facility couldn’t destroy the passion and determination of the Muchochoma Village ladies and our training staff. When life gave them lemons, they made skirts. They made skirts sitting on maize sacks on the ground in the sunshine. The most beautiful skirts from the most inspiring determination. 

Iledi with her beautiful skirt. 

We’ve decided that it’s time to ramp up our partnership in Muchochoma Village. These ladies express such a hunger for learning, for change, for empowering others in surrounding villages, and we want to be a part of that. So we’re currently in the final weeks of building a permanent concrete structure where the old facility stood. 

A new Chikondi Community Center. A new home of HOPE for Muchochoma Village women and their families. And it’s not just a center for CiH programs. The Chikondi Community Center: Muchochoma Village will also serve as a primary school building for village children to learn, some attending school for the first time in their lives since they were previously unable to afford school fees or make the trek to the government school. This is truly a community center, a gathering place, a safe haven, a school, a beacon of hope to this community and countless others. 

The Muchochoma women are the artisans of our Village Twist Bracelets, and have utilized their business training to invest their bracelet income into purchasing farming fertilizer. For the first year in this village, they had a profitable harvest. From training to bracelets to a harvest and a sustainable income source for this village, we continue to be blown away by what is happening in Muchchoma Village. 

Nothing can stop these women from working hard for their families and their community. The once “beggar village” is now a generous village, handing out crops and goods to surrounding villages in need because of their empowerment, their opportunity, and their new business. The headman of Muchochoma Village (similar position to a Mayor for Americans) approached us recently to share, “this is exactly the type of project I want for my village.” Not a handout but an opportunity through empowerment and education. A truly lasting impact for the community. A dignifying path for women and their families. He invites us to continue, to keep on, and is as excited as we are for our permanent facility to be completed in the next few weeks. 

The oldest woman of the village, who the ladies refer to as "Sweet Sixteen," hard at work using the manual hand sewing machine.

All of this because our first class of students in 2012 wanted to pay it forward and give others the skills they have. Zambians bettering Zambia from the inside out. A true inspiration to all of us, and a joy to our always-expanding CiH family. 

Thank you for making this incredible empowerment and sustainability possible. We can’t wait to show you photos of the new Chikondi Community Center, where many more beautiful skirts will be made for years to come. 

With Chikondi (Love),
Amy 

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If you would like to donate towards the cost of this Chikondi Community Center in Muchochoma Village (around $6,000), click “Donate” below. All donations are 100% tax-deductible and greatly appreciated. 

Anastasia's Story (Video)

This is Anastasia's Story of HOPE. Because of your contributions and purchases that make it possible for her to complete our skills training program in Zambia, she is empowered and equipped to pave a new path for her family. Thank you for joining us in breaking the cycle of poverty, one stitch at a time.

Unlikely Students

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

When we signed a partnership with House of Moses Orphanage, we were overcome with the excitement and hope that we get to play an active role in orphan prevention and family perseveration through empowering mothers with a skill before they are forced or encouraged to give up their children for them to experience a better life. We always just assumed that these willing participants, so passionate about keeping their children in their home, would be mothers. And while that’s true of the majority of the class, it’s not the complete truth. 

Enter: Francis and Richard. Dads. Husbands. An incredible inspiration to all of us at the Chikondi Community Center, from students to staff, and now reaching across the ocean. These men aren’t like the others.

They don’t abuse their wives; they speak openly against it. Francis tells our ladies  that no man should ever lay a hand on them. 

They don’t run from their families when the going gets tough; they enter in. Francis and Richard have both stepped up to do everything they can to get their family out of this desperate situation and into financial independence for the sake of their children.

They don’t sit by apathetically; they work hard. With an 85% unemployment being the reality in this compound setting, these men break the mold by seeking out a skill that will turn into self-employment. They are taking their future into their own hands by becoming skilled entrepreneurs, and putting in the hard work to get there. 

They don’t leave family responsibilities to the mother; they share the load. Francis brings his 5-year-old son, Blessing, to class daily so he can play with the other kids and witness his dad working hard for his family. And while Richard’s wife has struggled to learn a skill, rather than shame her, he has stepped up and joined the class, helping her carry the weight of the current situation. 

So this Father’s Day, we celebrate the exceptions in Zambia, the dads who are courageously choosing to stand up in their society and defy the cultural norm to love their families deeply, sacrificially, and boldly. Our hearts burst at the sight of these two men, Francis and Richard, with measuring tapes in hand, eager and quick to learn the skill of tailoring so that their children don’t have to become orphans. For their sacrifice, and for the sacrifice of all of the incredible dads out there, we say thank you. Zikomo Kwambili. 

Francis, father to a 5-year-old son, showing off the skirt pattern he created. 

Richard, dad of twins, hard at work at the Chikondi Community Center. 

Happy Father’s Day!

With Chikondi (Love), 
Amy

Meet our Superwoman: Elina

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

Elina has always been a giver, a selflessly compassionate woman who wants the best, if not better, for others. And that sacrifice, that joy, that dedication to others is what inspired us way back in 2010 when CiH was only a dream. 

When you see Elina in action at our Chikondi Community Center connecting with women who seem distant, giving encouragement to those who have doubts, making a way for those who are struggling, it changes you. We’ve always known that this generosity and compassion stretches far past her job, as we’ve witnessed her bring orphans into her home and claim them as her own children, as she’s invited others for a meal in seasons when she’s been struggling herself. 

But we heard a story this past week that inspired us even more than we thought possible. 

Elina runs a business in her free time after work and on the weekends with the entrepreneurial skills and mentoring she received at our Chikondi Community Center. Specifically, she purchases goods at wholesale (blankets, fabric, dry goods, etc.) to re-sell to customers in her community and even in other neighboring countries. Talk about impressive, right? She’s making a good amount of money with a new understanding of profit and business management. 

What would one typically do with the extra earnings? Maybe buy some new clothes? Treat oneself to a new hairdo? Splurge on some specialty foods? Enjoy an evening out? Admittedly, that’s what I would probably do. 

But Elina’s different. Not because anyone is watching her, or because she wants the recognition of being generous and amazingly caring. But because she feels it’s her responsibility and her joy to be a part of others’ stories, to expand her family to include the vulnerable, the orphan, the widow, because she’s overcome many struggles in her life as a widow herself. 

Elina recently returned from a trip to Zimbabwe to take care of some family matters. She sold a good chunk of fabric to earn a really high profit from her goods. She didn’t use it on herself. She invested part in her business to buy more goods, but only after she invested in the community. She heard of the need of a primary school building in our partner village, Muchochoma Village, and rather than come to us for help or ask for money, she saw her ability and used it. Elina raised enough money to buy plastic chairs for kids and building bricks to build a primary school in a village. 

One woman. In a compound community of over 100,000. Who has overcome extraordinary pain and hardship. Giving up her own money to provide an educational facility for village children. 

Elina (right) leading games for the children of Muchochoma Village during a past trip

She told me this story in passing, as if it was no big deal. Not looking for a pat on the back or a fancy blog post about her. She was telling me as if to say, “I’m in this too. I’m doing what I can with what I have for the betterment of others.”

A house complex (kitchen, main house, kids house) for a family in Muchochoma Village

Because of Elina, hundreds of village children will have a shelter from heat and rain, a safe environment to gain an education- a privilege of very few in rural villages. All because one woman saw the need, saw her potential to make a difference, and gave generously. 

This mama now gets to provide her children with an education in a safe building, thanks to Elina. 

I know I can learn a lot from Elina, and rather than turn from this story with a short-lived good feeling, I want it to permeate my soul, to change the way I see my potential impact in the community that’s right in front of me and her community 6,000 miles away. Together we’re a force for good. Together we are breaking the cycle of poverty, one stitch at a time. And that’s a beautiful, beautiful thing, friends. 

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

Graduation Recap: Class of March 2015

Here's a little peek into what happens at a Clothed in Hope Graduation Ceremony (hint: it's FUN!). Enjoy the photos, and celebrate with us all that this day means for the 7 women who graduated from our skills-training program. Thank you to all of you who have donated and purchased products, because you are the ones who made it happen. You have given the life-changing gift of education to women in Zambia. You have given HOPE. And rather than this being the end of their journey, it's really just the beginning. They've completed 12 months of skills-training in sewing and entrepreneurship, and are now off to run their profitable businesses for the benefit of their families. Congrats, graduates! And thank YOU to all you HOPE-givers out there. 

Many ladies, especially CiH graduates, choose to show off their skills with their own dress designs by creating gorgeous custom dresses for themselves. Aren't they stunning?!

Forget boring vinyl banners. The CiH graduates take pride in and create ownership of their ceremony by creating a custom banner together. 

Empowering mamas (like Mirriam) through education leads to raising up confident and healthy babies (like Temwani), which leads to strengthening and keeping families together, preventing social orphans entirely. Doesn't get much better than that. 

The CiH women nominate a Director of Ceremonies to lead the graduation day. Ireen (a current student, here in green), did a fabulous job leading us in singing, dancing, skits, and making sure all events of the day ran smoothly. You're the best, Ireen!

Hugs all around! Plenty of singing, dancing, and even skits to celebrate the joy of the day. 

CiH Founder, Amy, gives a motivational talk to graduates and current students, affirming dignity, value, capability, and beauty in each woman.

When it comes time for the handing out of the diplomas women run (or dance, like Vene here) all the way to the front in celebration! Elina, CiH In-Country Director, shares "This is just the start. This is just a piece of paper. YOU have the skill!"

Each graduate gets a BIG hug, because this accomplishment is a BIG deal. A past graduate, Maureen, shared, "This opportunity of a diploma comes once in a lifetime, so we must not miss the chance to dance. It's time to dance." For most, this is the only graduation they'll attend, and we love being able to provide this day to brag on them for all of their hard work and determination. It's truly a day for dancing!

Left to right: Mrs. Mulenga (tailoring instructor), Charity (graduate), Amy (founder), Elina (Zambia Director) all pose together for a photo that will be cherished for many years to come. 

CiH Staff with the Class of March 2015 Graduates. Congratulations, ladies!!

Mirriam said during her speech to the group, "When people see what I'm wearing they say 'I want this dress!' I thank God for the gifts you've given me!"

As is customary, the CiH Staff ladies sit under the Presentation Tent together. 

Class of September 2014 graduate, Patriciar, comes back with 2 of her kids, as she's dressed to the nines in her custom design dress. Past graduates and current students all come out to support their peers, their community, their friends. 

Congratulations, Class of March 2015 Graduates!! We are so proud of each one of you!

Intern Feature

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Love,
Amy
Founder & Executive Director

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

Empowering Through Design

At Clothed in Hope, we’re all about that empowerment. Sustainability, independence, affirming dignity, reminding women of their worth. We aim to empower in every facet of what we do, from teaching a skill (sewing), to providing knowledge needed to raise their children in the healthiest way, and even in the design of our products.

We’ve found that this differentiates us from many similar cause-based, fair trade, sustainable “slow” fashion companies and nonprofits. Our design process isn’t directed by a highly-trained fashion designer. It’s a collaborative effort between the women in our program with the brilliant ideas they have that line up with product trends of the West.

Women in our program and vulnerable women in Zambia, are trained to just do, to fall in line with the rest, and to not hold an opinion. Creativity is way out of question. Fashion design? Even further from reality for the majority of vulnerable women.

But for us to give that creative space to a woman, to affirm her inner creative potential that no one has cared about before, that is empowering. For a woman to spend hours designing a beautiful product with her newfound skillset is to be vulnerable, giving the potential for rejection in her mind. But that’s not how the story goes.

A woman designs a product that is gorgeous, that is marketable to the Western market, that is well made, and from her very own creativity and heart. That product is purchased by YOU, the consumer who cares about how her product was made. And that sale speaks volumes to the CiH ladies.

It tells them, “You are capable.” “What you do matters.” “I see you.” “I support you.” “You are enough.” “You possess qualities that enrich this world.” “You are talented.”

All simple motivational phrases to many of us Westerners, but all phrases that are rarely, if ever, heard by the women in our program prior to joining our CiH family.

Your product really was designed by the women in our program. Your product really was produced by the person who wrote her name on your product. And your purchase really does empower women, breaking the cycle of poverty, one stitch at a time.

That power belongs to you- an incredible opportunity to better the life of a woman and affirm her dignity. What will you choose to do with it? 

Shop

Patriciar with a her clutch design for the Fall 2015 Collection

The Spring/Summer 2015 Collection Tresa Bow Clutch, designed & produced by Tresa

Martha sewing her personally-designed suit to wear for her Graduation Ceremony this upcoming weekend

The Beauty Cuff in Seafoam, available now in our Shop. Designed & produced by Yvonne. 

CiH + CACZ: The Brave Beginning

There are 2 days when I most wish I could teleport every single one of you over here to Zambia to experience for yourself: the first day of training class and graduation. Today was the first day of training class for our new partnership group from House of Moses/Christian Alliance for Children in Zambia, and it was quite possibly the most moving yet. 

I hear a little tap on our big black gate, and the door opens as each woman timidly steps through the gate door. Led by their contact from CACZ, they huddle behind her unsure of what they’ve just stepped into. These ladies are all different ages. Each woman carries a different story in her eyes and a different weight on her shoulders. 

But for all, the reality is that they are struggling to provide for their families. They have been identified as vulnerable people by CACZ, and are part of a temporary handout program to provide food for their children so they won’t have them taken away. Times are tough, tougher than I, or most likely any of you, could ever imagine. 

The ladies file in one by one and sit on the benches inside the Chikondi Community Center. Our lead instructor, Mrs. Mulenga, encourages them as she has every other student who has gone before them. She tells them that they can do it. And sitting amongst the women is a man. A man who we assumed to be a worker from CACZ, but is actually a new student. 

Our first male student, named Francis. Words can’t express the kindness and vulnerability written on his face. He’s an older gentleman with the softest soul. He’s come to learn a skill to provide for his family. In a group of 10 women, he’s made the choice to step out, perhaps the most risky choice of all. And right in the middle of Mrs. Mulenga’s encouragement talk, she speaks to Francis directly and says, “Look around this compound. Every other man is out there drinking beer and being destructive, and here you are. Because you care about your family. We are proud of you.”

Yes and yes a million times over. What started as a day of routine turned into a day of a brilliant surprise. A man who doesn’t want to beat his wife but wants her to feel led and provided for. A father who loves his kids so much that he travels over an hour each way to attend class at our Chikondi Community Center. A man so brave that he’s stepped onto a path that very few men dare walk on here- a path of dignity, integrity, selflessness, leadership, and self-respect. 

What an incredible symbol this man is and will be to this group of women, to all of us at the center, and to entire communities. A man who refuses to cave from all of life’s pressures, and a man who rises up alongside some pretty mighty women. 

Brave. These women and this man exude this word in every possible way. One woman has come all the way from a village outside of town, a commute 2 hours each way and a monetary sacrifice bigger than her weekly food budget. She comes because she is expectant. She comes because she is brave. 

CiH is bigger than just the Ng’ombe Compound now. We can’t stop the wildfire of HOPE spreading rapidly throughout this community, this city, and now this nation. I stand against the classroom wall during the orientation being led by our local staff, and I am just in awe. In pure amazement that the people of Zambia are empowering each other, are encouraging each other, are supporting each other, and have taken ownership of a program that is truly life changing. 

As we wrap up our first class, women from past and current classes take turns sharing their experiences in front of the group. 

Rodah shows off a dress she made and our top-secret new kids product, and stops mid-story to say quietly yet confidently, “I am so proud.”

My heart explodes. 

Mirriam rushes in screaming, “Praise God!” as she waves a pair of trousers high in the air, trousers that are her last part of her final exams for graduation next weekend. She tells of how her life has changed. Of how being brave has truly impacted her family. 

My heart explodes. 

Catherine walks in holding up a custom dress, and tells a heavier story, the story of when she almost quit. The story of how she stopped attending class for 2 months, but the CiH women cared about her so much that they didn’t let her quit. They made her come back, they encouraged her to press on no matter how hard, and now she will graduate with a diploma in tailoring. She cheers, she bursts with joy, she dances. 

My heart explodes. 

And lastly Elina shares about the beginning of CiH, how I came to Zambia to start this program. How I didn’t choose the wealthy or equipped, but I came to this very compound, to these very people. She gave me recognition that I don’t come close to deserving. Because if you ask me, these women and this man who I met today, they are the brave ones. 

They are the one putting everything on the line to rescue and preserve their families. They are stepping out in a society that says give up. They are choosing education in a cycle that says you’ll never succeed. They are choosing HOPE. 

They are the brave ones. So wherever you are today, whatever risk you feel is too big to take, just take it. Because you have over 60 sisters and a brother 6,000 miles away also choosing to be brave. We’re all going to do this thing together, one stitch at a time. 

With Chikondi (Love),
Amy

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[To join the HOPE Club, committing financially to join us in these efforts, to keep our program going for those brave ones out there, click here. We can’t do what we do without you.]

New Year, New Look

We recently celebrated 4 years since our founding, and that’s something we’re really grateful and excited about! We’ve been a part of over 50 women’s stories, providing valuable skills training in Lusaka, Zambia. And we won’t be stopping any time soon.

We’ve felt for a while that this is a new season for us, a season of growth, of streamlining our program, of opportunity to even more women in Zambia. So with joy and gratitude for the donors, artists, volunteers, etc. who have made this happen, we are pumped to unveil our “new look” with you all.

The new look brings new products of a higher quality and more innovative design elements. Luxe. Chic. Empowering. Creative. HOPE-giving.

Join us in turning this new page. We have a stunning new logo, will be offering fabulous new products (Men’s, Women’s, and Kids), and are operating off of a gorgeous new website. Take a minute to look around and get to know us on an even deeper level. And if you’re new to CiH, thanks for joining us! We look forward to sharing stories of HOPE and redemption with you as our program continues to grow.

Our numbers are increasing, we’ve hired more local staff who are running the program all by themselves, but our heart stays the same. We are dedicated to breaking the cycle of poverty, one stitch at a time. We aim to empower vulnerable women through valuable life-skills education. We are in it for the long haul to truly benefit vulnerable communities in Lusaka.

There is just so much goodness happening in and through our organization, and we are humbled to be a part of it all. Join us in writing more stories of HOPE, and we look forward to sharing them with you with our fresh new look.

With Chikondi (Love),

Amy Bardi
Founder & Executive Director

Celebrate Yourself

Valentine’s Day may have come and gone, but that doesn’t mean the celebration of love has. At our Chikondi Community Center Valentine’s Day Party, we switched it up a bit this year. Rather than celebrate the typical relationship love, or even the trendy “Galentine’s Day,” we celebrated a love that impacts all else. The love we have for ourselves. Not a prideful or selfish way, but a dignity-affirming, worth-giving, life-speaking way. In a culture that tells a woman she can only become one when having a child, and once she is one, her only value is found in how she keeps her house, cares for her children, or serves her husband, self-worth isn’t really a thing. Women are involved in emotionally abusive relationships, not realizing that isn’t the “norm,” that a person should never be spoken to with words of hate, no matter the excuse. Some women in our program are even in physically abusive marriages, where they are taught to quiet down, to suppress their opinions and emotions, and perform their “woman” duties at home. Now we recognize that we can’t change these toxic happenings when many facets of them are woven in and out of culture. It’s a complicated issue and a difficult topic.

But what is neither complicated nor difficult is to take a Friday off and just speak life into our own souls. To appreciate ourselves. To gain confidence. To refuel and rest to be more effective in our own homes.

So for the woman who is the gossip of her community, who is constantly told that she should be ashamed of her past for having a child out of wedlock, she is reminded that she is worth loving, that her past does not define her, that those words do not shape her.

For the woman who is abused by her own husband, who is silenced by his dominance and manipulation, she gets to realize that she is more than her circumstances, that her worth isn’t defined by him.

For the woman who had to drop out of school and can’t cling to her accomplishments for her identity, she gets to see through the lenses of dignity to see that who she is matters. She has valued qualities within her that can and are impacting the world. She is enough.

And when I spoke these words of life and freedom over the ladies on Friday, I felt like I was also speaking them over myself, and over each one of you. Ladies, let’s kick those insecurities aside and celebrate who we are. Let’s stop looking to the right or to the left for indicators of how and who we should be, and instead celebrate who we were created to be: unique, inspiring, valued, worthy, loved, affirmed, enough. From over 6,000 miles away, there are 50 women who are embracing the beauty within them, and cheering you on to do so also.

While these blog posts are usually reports of what happens here for you to enjoy there, let’s make this one a bit different. Let’s connect the dots, let’s close the gap and realize that though cultures and miles (and an ocean) may separate us, deep down we’re all the same. We all wrestle with feeling like we’re enough in a world that tries to define us, with hearts that sometimes (lots of times) lie to us. Let’s recognize that there are beautiful, unique, purposed attributes in each one of us that can be used to bless the mess out of our families, our friends, and this world- but we’ll only get to if we see them clearly enough to embrace them.

What do you love about yourself? For me, I love that I am passionate (read: a driven, independent leader-type, but passionate sounds cuter). A quality that sometimes seems counter-cultural to the woman I believe I should be, yet a quality that has been placed within me for this very purpose. I can’t wait to hear what you love about yourself. Fill in the blanks with us: I love that I am _______. And go!

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With love for each one of you uniquely beautiful ladies (and handsome gents), Amy + the ladies of CiH

Orphan Prevention: One Stitch at a Time

Back in 2010, I was a rising junior at the University of South Carolina, studying Fashion Merchandising. I went on this little 6-week trip to Zambia with 21 other college students to experience life in Zambia and invest in existing projects at universities and an orphanage in the Ng’ombe compound. To me, it was just another life experience- something to do before I graduated while I still “had the time” and while I was “still young.” Little did I know, that trip would open my eyes and create a stirring in my heart that has yet to cease. I met some amazing people who impacted my worldview and my faith.

On the weekends we went to an orphanage. The little kids we played games with were adorable. They were joyful, they were full of life, they were curious, just like any other little tot is. But their eyes told a deeper story- a story of pain, neglect, rejection that no child should have to endure.

These children were orphans. Some of them had to endure the death of their mothers and fathers. Some of them were removed from their homes due to abusive situations. But most of them and many of the orphans in Zambia became orphans simply because their mothers and fathers could not afford to feed them. Can you imagine the pain? I’m not even a parent, but the thought of what a mother must feel when she’s forced to give up her child, her baby who she carried and loves so deeply, because of poverty, injustices and systems greater than she can conquer, seems unbearable. The moms of these children long to rock their babies to sleep. These moms want to make their kids laugh, feel safe, be provided for, just like every other mom. But due to financial hardship, the evil and confusing thing called poverty, she has to give up her baby. She has to release her own child to someone else who is able to feed him, to clothe him, to care for him when he’s sick, to provide for him.

As a 20-year-old seeing these babes run around cared for, able to laugh and have fun, was a thrilling thing. But as I looked in the distance, other mamas were watching. Maybe the baby I was holding was hers. Maybe the child who was getting his boo-boo attended to by an orphanage director belonged to another woman watching from afar.

Can you imagine?

Mothers of orphans like these, social orphans, have the same intense desire to mother their child that every other mother possesses. She was not abusive to her child. Her home environment was stable. But she could not feed her child. She could not provide him with the medicine he needed to fight his TB, HIV, meningitis, malaria, etc. So she did the most courageous, selfless, excruciating, painful, loving thing- she gave her baby to someone who could care for him in a way that she was not able to due to poverty, and poverty alone.

Can you imagine?

My heart in 2010 was rocked by the orphan crisis in Zambia. It simply shouldn’t be. Loving, stable, caring mothers shouldn’t have to give up their babies to be raised in a home without them. But they do, because this world is broken and hurting, and poverty is much bigger than a handout or a band-aid.

That writhing pain deep down in my soul, the intense sympathy for women I had yet to meet, kept me up at night. It wrecked me. It wrecked my plans. And it created in me a responsibility in my soul that I couldn’t ignore. It was time for someone to stand up for the mamas who want to keep their families together, but financially can’t. It was time for someone to tell that mama that she is worth it. That she is enough. That she is loveable. That she is loved.

And with a lot of thinking, praying, a huge leap, and a big dose of crazy, Clothed in Hope was formed. Equipping and empowering mothers to care for their families, to keep families together, to approach the orphan crisis from a preventative measure.

For years since, I dreamed of a local partnership with an orphanage to make this impact even deeper, even wider-reaching. But how? When I’m just one person, how could this be possible?

And then I got a phone call on an average day in October. One that came about 5 years earlier than I ever expected. From the House of Moses orphanage run by the Christian Alliance for Children in Zambia (CACZ). This orphanage is incredible, y’all. They care for babies and toddlers who have been identified as vulnerable children by the social welfare offices in Zambia. But their mission isn’t just to take children and get them adopted. Their heart is to preserve families in Zambia. They have identified the biggest cause of the orphan crisis in Zambia: child abandonment due to poverty. The solution? Poverty reduction- Women’s empowerment.

CACZ is already taking steps to intervene before mothers have their babies taken away. They run the Milk and Medicine program, offering emergency assistance to provide food to babies whose mothers cannot afford to feed them. But they recognize that these handouts are neither sustainable nor beneficial in the long-term.

Enter: Clothed in Hope! CACZ recognizes that independence and empowerment are the keys to preventing social orphans in Zambia. And they chose to partner with us to train the mothers in this vulnerable place.

Without such assistance and educational programming, mothers would have to give up their babies. Staying in an incredibly impoverished home environment would mean that babies would suffer from malnutrition, stunting, and disease, even death.

We are getting to play a vital role partnering with House of Moses orphanage. We are combatting the orphan crisis from a preventative angle. We are empowering mothers with a profitable skill so that their families don’t have to be separated, so that the child they adore can stay at home, be fed, and receive quality schooling.

This is HUGE, friends. The 5-10-20 year plan was to get to be involved directly in orphan prevention in Zambia through a local partnership. And bam! We have been hit with a tidal wave of grace to be blessed with this partnership with an organization that we respect and admire.

Fifteen ladies from House of Moses’ Milk & Medicine program, identified as the most vulnerable women in their communities, at risk of having their babies taken away, are joining our program in two short weeks. We are so excited! We are so humbled. We are so honored. And we are beyond grateful to get to play a role in the worldwide orphan crisis through our women’s empowerment program.

Thank you for joining this journey with us! Rejoice with us, celebrate with us! Huge things are happening, all thanks to each one of you who are partnering with us financially. Y’all are truly breaking the cycle of poverty, one stitch at a time, for the benefit of mamas, their dearest little ones, and entire families.

With Love, Amy Founder & Executive Director

A Heartbreaking Loss

We always knew this day would come. But somehow that doesn’t make it any easier. We know that we can’t change entire systems with our program. We know we can’t fix the life expectancy of an entire nation that hovers just around 50 years. But we do know that we can enter into these hardships, these difficult realities, and make a difference despite the rest of it. It’s that realization to which we cling with the current reality we’re facing.

Over the weekend when many of us enjoyed just another ordinary couple of days, one of the ladies in our program faced an intensely difficult day. One of the very first ladies to join our program in 2012 and one of our greatest graduate leaders now, Jessy, lost her son to a battle with HIV/AIDS on Saturday. His name was Austine and he was only 25 years old.

In a country where I see posters of HIV prevention, hear it mentioned in passing at many different places, I don’t think the magnitude of the epidemic really hit me until I dug deeper. More than one in every seven adults is living with HIV, totaling over 1.1 million people infected in the country (avert.org). These statistics are staggering, with effects far beyond numbers.

But even more staggering is the effect on Jessy. A mom who had to bury her son today. A son who died entirely too soon at the very age I am right now. A void in the family that cannot be filled. An injustice in the world played out on a very personal level. Our hearts break and feel for Jessy. I’m not a parent, so I can’t even imagine the emotions she is going through this season. But I am so beyond thankful that there are 53 mamas who can sympathize, even empathize with her.

Because of the community of strangers turned friends at the Chikondi Community Center, Jessy is not alone. Today she stands held up by her Clothed in Hope family. We cry with her. We mourn with her. We endure with her. We anger with her over the injustices of this world that take her son entirely too soon. We break with her. We take care of her, feed her family, sit in silence with her, be with her. Because that’s what family does. And each one of us, staff and graduates and “students” alike, would agree with that. We were created for community and we have been blessed by an incredible one.

So to the rest of our CiH family, you all, please join us with your thoughts and prayers for Jessy, her husband, her children, and the rest of her family as they walk through this difficult, unfathomable season. Thank you for being our family, our community, our support.

With Heartbreak & Chikondi, Amy

Thankful + Sale Preview

This Thanksgiving holiday, we pause all else to reflect over all we have to be thankful for. Every day we are able to continue our programs in Zambia fills our hearts with joy and gratitude, but we know we don't always say it. The day-to-day passes, classes are completed, women graduate and start their own businesses, and lives are changed. And it's during this holiday that we get to stop to really say thank you. So to all of you who partner financially with us, who encourage us, who spread the word, who host trunk shows and fundraising events, and who support us along this journey of HOPE, thank you. Thank you for making this possible. Thank you for stepping out to make a difference in the lives of Zambian women through your generosity, sacrifice, and empathy. Thank you for joining us in writing stories greater than ourselves. Thank you for being the little lights all over the world that create a beacon of hope in difficult places. We couldn't do what we do without you, so this Thanksgiving and every day, we want you to know that we are immensely grateful for you. May you be blessed and filled with the hope you enable others to experience. And to celebrate how great y'all are and how grateful we are for you, we're sharing a little Sale Preview for our 4 one-day-only sales coming up this weekend. We hope y'all will enjoy a little "thank you" and choose to give purposefully this Christmas through the purchase of Zambian designed & produced items benefitting vulnerable families and giving hope to many. Without further adieu, here's a sneak peek at these holiday treats:

[use code: APRONSALE on Friday until midnight EST]

Enjoy this NEW bangle as a special collaboration between us & Shine Project. [Brass bangle $10 off Saturday until midnight EST with code: BANGLEBASH]

[use code: TOTESMONDAY on Monday until midnight EST]

EVERY donation over $20 will receive a free Signature "LOVE" T-shirt, valued at $15 Offer valid Tuesday only, until midnight EST, via www.clothedinhope.org/give

One Class Saved a Life

We’re constantly encouraged to hear that our program is truly making an impact in the lives of Zambian women and their families. And we continue to be surprised at just how far-reaching those impacts are. So we want to share one of these stories with you, a story of how one 2-hour class can save a life.

Patricia is a recent graduate of our program. She’s in her young 30s, has a growing family, and has carried her youngest son, Mwila (9 months old), on her back every single day that she has come to the Chikondi Community Center. Although she graduated in September, we still get to see this gorgeous duo 2-3 times a week as Patricia is a very talented designer/tailor working on projects for CiH customers and personal clients. Patricia has never missed a Monday. Mondays are our product workshop days when women bring in their personal designs, we purchase them to sell later, and all work together to dream up new designs and products.

But this Monday Patricia didn’t come. Not at 10am when we started, not at 11am, and not even by the afternoon when we wrapped it all up. Perhaps she had to attend a funeral last minute, a sad reality with life here. Or perhaps she just got caught up doing something else.

Then Tuesday arrives and Patricia is here. Though she looks sad, distraught, tired. Mwila is tied on her back, head tucked down and asleep. Patricia asks to see me alone in the office. She then explains that Mwila is very sick with malaria. He’s spiked a very high fever, and as I feel his soft skin, I run my fingers over the bite bumps on his legs and the sweat droplets along his hairline. His eyes are open but he doesn’t even flinch when I touch him.

Patricia tells me that she is going to the clinic tomorrow. And admittedly I become worried, afraid that Mwila doesn’t have until tomorrow according to the timeline she’s presenting to me, with Mwila symptomatic since Friday. My heart hurts for her as I see the fear in her eyes. Her young baby, suffering greatly from this disease that has taken lives of many, even of family members of some of my closest friends.

So together we must discuss a plan. Patricia knows I’m not a doctor (though many times I wish I was or had one nearby). Patricia is confiding in me, not as some savior of Mwila’s malaria, since we both know that I’m quite ill-equipped and of malaria’s unpredictability and threat to a 9-month-old, but she comes to me as a friend. Someone to feel with her. Someone to encourage her. Someone to know.

Patricia shares that the clinic is closed now. Mwila can’t be seen today. And after we fumble around words trying to communicate with each other, I remember a very important detail. The word for “tomorrow” is the same word in Nyanja as “yesterday.” In the confusion and emotion, Patricia accidentally said tomorrow, but really it was yesterday. That’s where she was. On her own, she took Mwila to the clinic within the crucial time window of treatment before a very high risk of death. On her own, she sat in front of the compound clinic doctor and demanded a malaria blood test- a procedure that surprisingly isn’t always done to arrive at a malaria diagnosis. On her own, she instructed the doctor to examine further and to prescribe all medicines to treat Mwila’s confirmed malaria case. On her own, she purchased every single medicine he needed, thanks to the CiH product sales she benefits from.

And she did all of this on her own, because she’s loaded with the knowledge. She knows the symptoms of malaria. She knows the appropriate treatment and time window to catch it. She knows that the drugs are dangerous without the actual disease. She knows that she has the ability to ask questions and to make requests in the clinic.

All because she sat for one class at our Chikondi Community Center when we taught about malaria. With Mwila on her back, crying to be fed, playing with her pen, distractions plenty, Patricia listened to the lesson, she learned, and she became empowered with that knowledge of malaria. Knowledge that this week has saved Mwila’s life.

I saw Patricia today. She strolled through the gate at our center with Mwila on her back, his head raised, eyes alert. His forehead and stomach were cool to the touch. His body re-strengthened. And Patricia wasn’t far off from being exactly the same. Her head was held high. Her face relaxed, and a smile even spread across it. Her soul re-strengthened.

So together we rejoiced in the gifts of knowledge and grace that have saved her baby boy. Patricia pulled me aside, looked me square in the eye, and said, “I was scared. Really scared.” Her son almost died. Malaria is real, and a killer of way too many. But today Mwila is alive, his mama is relieved and encouraged, and all of us are celebrating his precious life along with her.

The education we provide for women at the Chikondi Community Center may seem basic or like a simple Wikipedia find to some of us, but to the rest of us, it is life-giving, life-saving, and empowering.

Today Mwila is alive and we rejoice in that. We cannot wait for the day that Patricia gets to share this story with her son, as he will surely learn to value education and live in the light of grace, just as his mama did when she helped to save his little life.

Thank you for making this life-change possible. Thank you for impacting mamas to impact so many others, even the little ones that join them every single day at our center. Your contribution makes you a part of this, and we are all so very grateful.

With Chikondi, Amy

Her First Graduation

Graduation day. A day most of us remember to be joyful, significant, even life-changing. Graduation from college marks the beginning of a new career and adventure. Graduation from high school gives way to the excitement of the grown-up world out there. Graduation from Kindergarten probably just meant new crayons and shiny shoes, but to our parents it signified a new chapter of growing up and learning the hard way. Since I spent the first 22 years of my life in America, I can only speak knowing that context best, but I’m sure this occurrence happens many other places around the world. Graduations have become a common thing, for me, for my peers and neighbors. Sure, the school graduations are a big deal. We work hard for them and celebrate them hugely. But we also attend other “graduations” that seem to minimize the greatness of the word, like from puppy training class (not judging, I’ve totally been there), from VBS, from social clubs, from sports leagues. Even if it’s not a “graduation” we seem to group the phasing out, moving up event together with this notion.

So when I attended the first graduation ceremony of the ladies at the Chikondi Community Center, I went in with this belief- it was just another “graduation” ceremony. Yes, we should celebrate. Yes, we danced, we ate, we laughed, we made it a big deal. But only at our second graduation ceremony, the one just one month ago, did I realize that I was hugely underestimating the power of this party.

Graduation: the ceremony of a student receiving a diploma or degree upon completing a course of study. There’s a lot of goodness in there. The student has completed a course of study. She’s tested. She’s studied. She’s completed final exams. And she has passed. She has achieved the goal. She has earned the diploma.

And specifically for us at the Chikondi Community Center, she stuck with it, she endured oppression, she overcame obstacles, she persevered, she sewed with a baby on her back for 12 months, she tried new things, she worked diligently, she chose a more difficult path, and she accomplished her goal.

Graduation for our ladies is a BIG deal. We celebrate their accomplishments that pierce through the despair and oppression that many of them face on a daily basis. We recognize them for the brilliant, brave, creative women that they are. And for many of them, this is the first recognition of their entire lives.

Many of them have not been able to receive a secondary school diploma. Some of them did not even have the luxury of completing primary school. All of them are responsible for their families first and foremost, and have sacrificed greatly for those they love, even to the point of sacrificing their chance at an education. Food for their siblings after a parent dies is first in their mind. Their dreams take last place as they live each day for the sake of others.

But as life goes on and opportunities arise, women of the Ng’ombe compound decide to take a new step. A step toward achieving their dreams so that they can benefit their families in a greater, more significant way. No longer will children have to beg for money. No longer will mothers have to wonder where the rent money will come from. No longer will the voices that speak words of hatred, of insignificance, of degradation be heard. These graduates, these women, have risen above. They have recognized their worth, their value, their place, their ability, through a 12-month program, and this is the start of something new. This is the start of a confident, proud, independent, self-sustaining, hope-filled life.

And that is worth celebrating.

When we dance, we do so celebrating victory in spite of darkness. When we sing, we do so celebrating hope greater than fear. When we laugh, we do so celebrating a joy that cannot be silenced or shaken. And when we hand that paper to a graduate, we do so celebrating her bravery, her endurance, her steadfastness to accomplish something so great, so huge for herself, her children, and generations to come.

So celebrate with us, friends! Celebrate with the graduates of the Chikondi Community Center who have been recognized for the accomplishments, some for the very first time in their life. The photos we take and hand out to each graduate are photos that are cherished deeply and evidence of how HOPE can truly change lives, one stitch at a time. Thank you for helping to make all of this possible.

With Chikondi (Love),

Amy

Yvonne with the completed garments from her final examinations

Patricia and son, Mwila, in custom matching outfits made by Patricia

All 4 of our September 2014 graduates: Patricia, Yvonne, Anastasia, and Maureen (with Regina)

Chicken Run: CiH Chicken Farming Initiative

Well, our income-generation programming has officially evolved to the next level.  Bright and early (this) Friday morning, we drove to the chicken store and brought home 51 of our newest friends.  That’s right, 51, because if you buy 50 chicks, you get 1 free.  What a deal.  Seriously, though, they’re really fun and we’re excited to have them. The whole reason we decided to start a chicken project was for small-scale income generation for Clothed in Hope.  Basically, we’ll raise the infant chicks (who are 1 day old) and gradually sell off the extra chickens until we have 10 remaining… because we only have room for 10 full-grown egg-laying hens. We ended up with 51 because the smallest quantity available to buy is 50.  So if any of you readers know anyone in Lusaka, Zambia who’d like 40 baby hens, we’ve got them and we’ll sell them for cheap—we’ll even raise them until they have feathers.

Once the “layers” get older, the Chikondi women will sell the fresh Chikondi eggs to help fund the Clothed in Hope programs in Lusaka, and give them more experience with running a small business.   We’re excited (especially Farmer Wyatt) and we can’t wait to begin this new income-generating project.

Don’t worry, everyone, we did our research and took intensive training classes from Google University and from urban chicken-raising extraordinaires, Landon & Jordan Thompson of Columbia, SC, who recently came to volunteer with us in July. Our caretakers, Eddie and James, are also pretty excited to try their hand at chicken farming as a caretaker resume-booster.

Big thanks the group from Midtown Fellowship who visited us and gave us the seed money to launch this new initiative. We can’t wait to connect with even more people in the Ng’ombe community through our chick and egg sales, and look forward to the chicken-farming journey to come.

Warm Regards, Wyatt Zambia Operations Director

Yvonne, the Entrepreneur

Yesterday I arrived at the Chikondi Community Center a bit earlier than usual. The sewing room was empty, the morning air cool. I was headed to the office to sort a bit in preparation for the day’s product workshop ahead, but right as I turned away from the sewing room, I heard one of the ladies, Yvonne, call my name. “Amy!” she exclaimed with a huge smile on her face, toddler strapped to her back with her sewing materials in hand. She went on, “My business is doing very good!” I thought that tidbit was enough to warm my soul on a cool Monday, especially since I’ve come to realize that it takes quite a lot for women to open up to me about their daily lives- a cultural norm. Women are encouraged to just go with the flow and keep their opinions to themselves. But I lingered for another minute to see if Yvonne wanted to share more. And she did.

“It is because of the business plan! I now know how to make a profit!” She goes on to tell me how she’s growing her business because of her microloan and her business education classes. She used the capital to build a small shop outside her home. With an incredible joy across her face she tells me what she’s selling there- sugar, sweeties (candies), charcoal, even bubblegum! She built her stand with her own hands, put to practice what she learned, and is reaping the reward of a successful business.

So naturally I wondered, what is she doing with the profits? The true test to see if the 6-hour seminar I taught last week made a lasting difference (because admittedly, I returned home feeling like I failed to communicate much of anything).

And I was bursting at the seams with her response. She invested profits back into her business and purchased materials to start a popular popcorn business at her stand. She’s diversifying her product offerings based on what her target customer wants. How incredible!

Yvonne grew up in some difficult circumstances, which prevented her from completing a secondary education. But she didn’t let that be the end of her story. She taught herself English, and how to read and write. And she’s soared in our skills training class as a passionate and skilled designer, seamstress, and now entrepreneur. Yvonne is writing a new story for herself and her family through our program, and we are so inspired by her.

Zambia may be full of obstacles and setbacks, especially for vulnerable women and children, but that doesn’t have to be the end of the story. Opportunity is knocking. People are capable and eager. And education truly is a weapon that can be used to change the world, one stitch at a time.

Thanks for joining us. You are making a difference. With Chikondi, Amy

Microloan Program Launch

It is with great excitement that we announce the launch of our Microloan Program this month! Planning for this program began a year ago after a meeting with a microloan start-up based out of the US. They wanted to collaborate with us to issue microloans to dedicated applicants to further equip them with the tools needed to overcome poverty and oppression. After months of communicating, we received the exciting news that this organization, Oasis Microfinance, would be 100% funding a microloan program for Clothed in Hope. Overjoyed and overwhelmed, we did our research to ensure the success of this program, new to all of us.

We have created a Microloan Program that fits into the local culture and practices. A group of 10 women will be issued loans upon the acceptance of their application, presenting their business plan and profitability analysis to our Microloan Committee. These women will attend business and finance workshops to ensure that the capital gained from the loan is most effectively utilized to truly launch a new business or take an existing business to the next level of profitability. Women from our Loan Committee will also be making routine home visits to see the business in practice, to encourage loan recipients, and to address any needs that arise. Loans will be revolving, accessible to new applicants upon the repayment of previous loans, hoping to cycle through every 6 months.

Apart from the financial benefit of having access to greater capital to purchase assets, bulk materials, etc., we believe that our Microloan Program will further engrain self-sustainability, empowerment, self-confidence, security, societal and family status, purpose, and respect in the lives of the recipients as they are also walking through our Life-skills Training Program.

Coupled with education in sewing and entrepreneurship, this financial opportunity will benefit families in both the present and future, as children learn healthy business practices from their mothers to impact generations to come.

Here in Zambia, traditional lending companies have been known to charge upwards at 40% interest on microloans for impoverished and illiterate people, who lack assets, capital, steady employment and therefore, banking opportunities. We want to counteract that oppression that only keeps poverty recirculating in the lives of the vulnerable. Studies show that when a woman generates her own income, she is likely to re-invest 90% of it into her family and her community. We already know that the women in our skills training program are positively impacting their families and communities, but this Loan Program will just further assert that benefit.

Microloans are only one tool in the complicated solution to poverty. Money doesn’t fix poverty, and we get that. We are simply giving the vulnerable access to capital they wouldn’t otherwise be able to acquire due to their societal position. We are partnering this financial benefit with our other strategies of education in sewing, business, and health for increased impact and sustainable community benefit.

We are excited to see applications come to life as women dream and plan to open boutiques to sell handmade garments, bakeries, grocery stands, even community schools, all with the mindset of doing so to benefit their families and their communities. We feel this Microloan Program has the ability to apply the education we offer through our program in the greatest, most sustainable and effective way.

We look forward to sharing stories along the way as we dive into this world of microloans, and are glad to have you along for the ride.

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

Graduation Day

This past Saturday was International Women’s Day and what better way to celebrate than to have a graduation ceremony for our first group of women to take part in our skills training program? It was truly the best day.

We’ve known this group of ladies almost two years now, and are so grateful to witness their growth into confident, talented, hope-filled designers, seamstresses, mamas, friends, and community leaders. They all started out threading needles in one room of Elina’s home, and now are making dresses without patterns for personal clients in their communities. These women are empowered. They have bettered their families through the education they’ve taken to heart and the skills they’ve sharpened.

And we could not be prouder of each of the 9 women who received certificates at our skills training program.

Each of these women have pushed beyond hardship and oppression to hold onto hope, and are now being launched into their communities to share that hope with others. They are equipped for success and we cannot wait to see how the next chapter unfolds. They will still have a home at our Chikondi Community Center, able to use our facilities for their personal businesses and take part in our income-generating projects. But now these women are the leaders, the vision-casters, the teachers, the entrepreneurs.

We wanted to share a part of the speech which was given at our graduation ceremony, specifically to the first graduating class of Clothed in Hope, but also to the two other training classes and Muchochoma Village ladies who came to support their friends and mentors.

“Statistics show that when you empower a woman, you empower her village, her family, her community, her nation, and even future generations.

You hold the key to restoring the dignity and rights of women in this nation. You are a world changer. Your life matters greatly.

The question now- what will you choose to do with that key?

I believe in you. God believes in you. You are capable of great things with the knowledge and hope you now hold. We are so proud of each and every one of you. Instead of saying goodbye, this is just the beginning. And we cannot wait to see what is next for each of you.”

It was a beautiful day of reflecting back to all the hard work and sacrifice given by this first graduating class, celebrating its payoff and their great accomplishments.

Our legs are sore from dancing, our cheeks burning from smiles and laughter, and our hearts bursting with gratitude and joy.

Enjoy some photos from the big day:

(No, we didn't miss-count... Margret, the mama to newborn twins, also graduated but was unable to make it to the ceremony)

Thank you, donors, for impacting the lives of 9 women to gain the empowerment, confidence, and dignity that comes with learning a valuable skill in this culture. Thank you for giving HOPE. Thank you for helping us to write new stories.

We NEED you to join us to enable us to continue our training classes throughout 2014 and for years to come. Our dream is to graduate dozens, hundreds more from our program, launching them to be a force of hope in their communities. But we can’t do it without you. Without the commitments of monthly donations, we don’t know how many more training classes we can provide. So give today. Don’t let the joy end here. We wouldn’t be asking if we didn’t urgently need you to be a part of what we’re doing here in Zambia. Give here and be blessed: www.clothedinhope.org/give and select a monthly giving amount at the bottom to join us in giving hope.

With Chikondi and Joy, Amy