She Doesn't Want Pity

This little shack could be an image from the latest child hunger advertisement. The dust, the raggedy tarps, the garbage strewn about, the destroyed structure in the background. And the “normal” reaction may be, “I feel so sorry for whoever’s this is” or “we need to do something about this.” 

It was my reaction when I’d see images like this at the beginning of this CiH journey. 

Let’s call it what it is- Pity: the feeling of sorrow and compassion caused by the suffering and misfortunes of others (definition from Google). 

There are plenty of instances of suffering and misfortunes in the Ng’ombe Compound in which we work, but friends, this isn’t one of them. 

Here’s the real story behind this photo:

This is Patricia’s grocery stand. Patricia is a mother of 3, a graduate of our Skills Training Program, and the designer/producer of many of our top-selling bags. She’s sharp, she’s shy, she’s kind, and she has the best chuckle around. 

Patricia worked her butt off (for lack of a better term) for this grocery stand, for this little shack that might evoke feelings of pity if we’re not careful. 

She applied for a microloan after she completed our skills training program. She received a good chunk of cash after she passed a very challenging business class and exam. She then had to manage that cash, only investing in her business (like building THIS stand from scratch), keeping up-to-date business records audited by our staff every 2 months with a home visit at her house. She had to and successfully did repay the microloan within 6 months of receiving it. 

In a society where much of life is day-to-day survival, this accomplishment is pretty miraculous, and one that doesn’t come easy. 

This little shack is actually Patricia’s Beautiful Grocery Stand. This is her trophy of hard work, dedication, and relentlessness. This is her symbol of hope, of redemption, of self-sustainability. This stand means food on the table, rent paid, kids in school, and a happy, healthy family. 

Friends, let’s reframe our thinking when it comes to the vulnerable- the poor, the oppressed, the marginalized. What may not be our Western standard of success could actually be the greatest success in an impoverished society- one of self-sustainability and entrepreneurship in the form of a roadside grocery stand. 

Patricia doesn’t want your pity. She wants your pat on the back. She wants your celebration.  Let’s give it to her.

Graduation Note from Amy

When I first landed in Zambia to launch Clothed in Hope in July 2012, I was just 2 months into the real world having graduated that May. At first I was hit with a wave of all that I didn’t know that I didn’t know, like how not to be ripped off by an auto mechanic, or how to drive on the left side of the road in Zambia, or how to run an organization comprised of women who are almost the same age as my mother. I quickly learned how young I was and how little I knew. 

But diving into the role of running an international nonprofit organization, I was also surprised with how much I did know. And I attribute the majority of that to my undergraduate education at the University of South Carolina. During days of figuring out exchange rates with our budgets and pricing of products to sell overseas, I was thankful for my accounting classes. And when it came time to sell those products, with dozens of women counting on me to get our product line up and running, I was thankful for marketing and retail promotion classes. And when discovering the ins and outs of running a business and a nonprofit, I was strangely thankful for Business and Media Law, by far the hardest classes I took in my undergraduate career with the “I Survived Dr. Jay Bender’s Law Class” mug to show for it. 

I wouldn’t be who I am or where I am without the University of South Carolina.  It was there I discovered who I am, what I am capable of, and what my dreams are. It was there during my junior year that Clothed in Hope was born. And it was also there that we received a $10,000 gift from a class to get us off the ground. 

I received an email a few weeks back that granted me the opportunity to give back from all that’s been given to me. I was invited to speak at the College of Hospitality, Retail, and Sport Management Hooding and Cording Ceremony as the Guest Speaker. Such an honor- a humbling and exciting one. 

After practicing my speech and trying to psych myself up, I walked onto the stage I would be speaking from at the Koger Center. I looked out and saw hundreds of empty seats, and a tinge of excitement flowed through my veins. I remember sitting there four years ago, so unaware of what my future would hold, but so proud of what that ceremony represented from years of hard work and dedication. I remember the nervousness as my peers and I prepared to step into the unknown. And I also giggled at the naivety of that 21-year-old self. 

I soon learned that the group I was expecting to be around 150 was actually 500 attendees who would be staring at me as I spoke about Clothed in Hope and my story from Carolina. I entertained feelings of nervousness for a few minutes which soon turned to excitement and gratitude the second I walked on stage next to the Deans of my college. 

Image by Rick Smoak Photography

After opening remarks from Dean Oh, I took my place at the podium front and center on the Koger Center stage. A few echoes of inadequacy bounced around in my mind, but they were quickly shut out by the excitement of the opportunity to speak with those who would walk in my shoes as a new graduate. 

I shared my story of CiH, of the surprises life brings, both hard and good, and that how we react to them will shape how we live. I shared about the opportunity each and every one of us have to impact our world for the better, whether we work in Zambia with vulnerable women, or work in a cubicle next to a person struggling with the hardships of life. Each one of us, where we are, has the ability to change the world. We just have to make that choice, to choose to use our skills and talents to better this world we live in.  

Image by Rick Smoak Photography

I shared the story that I learned over the last 4 years that I wish I heard before leaving the bubble of college. That life is indeed hard, with its fair share of challenges, but its also full of immense opportunity. That dreaming isn’t foolish, and it’s actually what gets you through the trenches of post-grad life. I felt like I was handing the torch to these brothers and sisters of mine, hoping that as I passed that torch, it would light a fire within each graduate to recognize their full potential to rock the world for good. 

Image by Rick Smoak Photography

A few weeks have passed since I spoke to that group of students. They may have forgotten the words I spoke, as they were overwhelmed with the excitement of graduation weekend. But I haven’t forgotten what it did for my soul, reigniting my own flame, taking me back to my roots, and overwhelming my heart with gratitude for the place that got me started. 

To the University of South Carolina: thank you. I may travel far and wide from my Carolina home in Columbia, SC, but my heart is forever with this incredible institution. And to those of you who are just getting your start, or getting a new start, in this big world: you can do it. I know you can. 

With Chikondi and Forever to Thee, 
Amy

A Day at Chikondi Community Center

So many people we meet ask us, “what does your typical day look like?” Although it’s hard to have a “typical” day with so many variables constantly changing (new classes coming, others graduating, women leaving to give birth to sweet babies, our guard dog giving birth to 10 puppies- that happened this week!, etc.), we do have a pretty standard format that we like to stick to in the midst of the change. 

Here’s a little photo journey of a “typical” day at the Chikondi Community Center in the heart of the Ng’ombe Compound in Lusaka, Zambia. This facility is our original training site, our home base for all programs in Zambia. 

Our first class of students arrive at 10am. 

They can bathe with our clean water (from that big green tank) if they're out of water at home.

These two cuties (Harvest and Martha) - or an array of others - are ready to greet everyone at the front door. 

Our beginner level class spends most of their 2-hour class at the Cutting Table with our Tailoring Instructor, Mrs. Mulenga, as she teaches practical lessons for ease of learning for illiterate and non-English speaking students. 

Students can then work on our Center sewing machines on assignments that they are given from class. 

Starting around 11:30, Sylvia and Margret prepare lunch for staff, kids, and any women still working at the facility during the 1pm lunch hour. 

And even when power outages force Margret to cook on the charcoal stove, she still finds so much joy in cooking her famous dishes. 

1pm and lunch is served! This is typically the biggest meal of the day. The top right is Nshima- a corn meal mixture thicker than grits. It is balled up in the right hand and used to eat the "relish" or stew (bottom is stewed pumpkin leaves called Chibwabwa), and the meat with sauce (chicken here). 

Many aspects of life are the same no matter where you live- like afternoon nap time. Anywhere from 1 to 6 babies can be found in our Showroom on the foam mattress for nap time while mamas work on assignments. 

At 2pm (or 14 hours as we say), the next group of students arrive for their 2-hour class. Students take notes from Instructor Tresa. Those who can't read or write learn from oral instruction accompanying this lesson.

Lead Instructor Mrs. Mulenga helps out as students bring in their own patterns and garments for design and sewing questions.

And as the power comes back on around 4pm, current students and graduates pour back into the Center to work on their own projects, orders for customers, and class assignments. Stella is known as the baby fanatic, joyfully babysitting for mamas to get some much-needed alone time while sewing. Here is Margret's baby, Rabon.

During afternoon downtime while mamas take advantage of the electricity, kids come over after school to play with their friends in our secure yard. 

Once all of the ladies and kiddos have headed home for the day, we release our big, bad guard dog (she's actually the sweetest dog ever- don't tell). Eddie (right) and Abraham, our full-time Facility Caretakers, take it from there to keep our CCC safe and secure.

And the next day it starts all over again! Our program is now a well-oiled machine is thanks to our 10 local staff who keep everything moving smoothly and forward as we continue growing and expanding.

When you are a member of the HOPE Club, you make this daily beauty possible by providing life-changing skills training classes to dozens of women in Lusaka, Zambia. If you haven't joined us yet, we would love to have you on board!

Graduation Day April '16

Yesterday, April 2nd, we had the pure joy of celebrating the accomplishments of 27 women and 2 men in our Clothed in Hope Skills Training Program. These students completed our curriculum in sewing and business training, preparing them to be entrepreneurs for the betterment of their families. 

Our graduation day was unique in that we graduated 3 special classes: our first group from Muchochoma Village, our partner group with House of Moses Orphanage/Christian Alliance for Orphans in Zambia working with vulnerable families at risk of losing their children, and our partner group from International Justice Mission who began their program as the Zambia office closed. 

Each of our students, these in particular, carry heavy stories, traumatic experiences, years of oppression. As one graduate, Ngoza, shared,

"I was born in poverty. People told me I would never escape poverty, but here I am with a skill. A skill that no one can take away from me. A skill that is able to feed my family and provide for us."

Thank you for changing the lives of 27 women and 2 men as they received certificates and diplomas at our April 2016 Graduation Ceremony. It was a celebration of joy in the midst of pain, of freedom in the face of oppression. 

If you're not already on board, we invite you to join us in this life-changing work by joining our HOPE Club. Your commitment of $25/month means education, empowerment, and opportunity for more vulnerable women in Zambia. You get to be a world changer, right where you are. 

Ngoza, graduate from IJM partnership class

Francis, graduate from House of Moses Orphanage partnership class

Elizabeth, graduate from Muchochoma Village class

In-Country Director Elina, Muchochoma Village Graduate Iledi, and Founder Amy

Grace, House of Moses graduate, so excited to receive her diploma

House of Moses Orphanage/CACZ graduates with HOM + CiH Staff

Muchochoma Village graduates gifting Amy with a Village chicken- a generous and honoring act!

Beautiful CiH Alum returning to support the current graduates

It was such a joyous day! To view more photos, head here. 

And to join the HOPE Club to be a part of this goodness, click here.

With Chikondi (Love),
Amy

Drumroll, Please! Exciting News...

Drumroll, please! We have some very exciting news to share!

After months of planning and fundraising and preparing, we are launching our new training site at Kaunda Square Compound!!!

We are still have a bit to go to have this program fully funded, but we’re launching in faith that it’ll come in, because the women in Kaunda Square are so very ready to begin their life-changing journey. 

Last week I had the opportunity to meet with the new group of women in their new training space. I hyped up the announcement and shouted out, “SURPRISE!!” I had different expectations of how the women would react. Instead of crazy shouts and screams and impromptu dancing (per usual), there were just hesitant smiles and a few quiet cheers. 

What on earth?! Wasn’t this supposed to be the best news ever for this group of women who has been meeting weekly for over 6 months at the possibility of them starting soon?

Then I surveyed the room. On the outer edges of the room, surrounding the group of women in the middle, was our staff and current students. Those were the women with the hugest smiles written across their faces, cheering to each other, busting out some moves in their chairs. 

Because they know. They know the life-change that these women in Kaunda Square are about to experience. They know that this program is real and is powerful, and is so very effective in vulnerable communities. They know their own success stories, stories of empowerment and rising above oppression to take steps on a journey of HOPE. 

That’s worth getting excited about. The hope-filled potential in 16 women’s lives. The journey ahead of them is worth cheering for. They may not know all that lies before them, but friends, we sure do. You do, you’ve seen it too. 

As we begin this program for the 16 women below, we want to invite 16 of you to join the HOPE Club in a symbolic and necessary step to get this program going. When you join the HOPE Club from the button below, you’ll receive a thank you note from one of the 16 women. You can know that you are directly involved with this launch, and that we couldn’t do this without you. 

Introducing, our new 16 in Kaunda Square Compound:
Gladys Kamanga
Unice Witi
Angelina Phiri
Clementina Mwamba
Clara Zyongwe
Mwengu Maninga
Monica Tembo
Florence Zulu
Jacklyn Mwakatobe
Doreen Nyimbiri
Gloria Banda
Christine Liswaniso
Grace Mudenda
Jocelyn Zyongwe
Precious Mukanda
Bwlya Lesa

When I asked these women if they wanted to share their stories, almost half of them rose out of their chairs and followed me outside, so eager to be heard. Here’s one of these powerful stories:

Mwengu is almost 26 years old. Her dad died before she finished grade 12, and when he passed, so did the income for her to continue her education. She has 6 siblings, and still lives at home as the second born child with much responsibility in the family. All of Mwengu’s friends are prostitutes in Kaunda Square. They go to the bars as early as 7am to begin working. They have children from different fathers, and the children can’t attend school because their mothers are essentially absent from their lives due to their lifestyles. Mwengu is passionate about helping her friends. It’s so hard for her to watch her friends choose such difficult lives. Her ultimate dream after finishing our course is to start a specialized training course specifically for women involved in prostitution, reaching out to such a hurting and needy people group in the compound. 

Mwengu's Enrollment Photo

We invite 16 of you to step up and join our 16 women in Kaunda Square, taking brave and bold steps to give HOPE to a new community. Join us.

 With Chikondi and HOPE, 
Amy

She Will Fly

Emeli sits with a huge smile as we begin our staff meeting. I have just returned to Zambia after a few months away, and am eager to catch up with our Zambia staff women. Emeli doesn’t know much English. She always has someone else write and read for her. She’s a mom of 4 grown children and a grandmother. For years, decades even, Emeli has survived by making fritters, fried dough enjoyed for breakfast in the compound. She’s famous for those fritters, and they sure are good. 

But Emeli doesn’t have a college degree. She doesn’t have nonprofit management experience, or any management experience beyond the home (though that experience is pretty mighty!). Some might have said along the way that Emeli will always only be known for her fritters. 

As we open our meeting, I fearfully ask for feedback. I know it is good and healthy and all that jazz, but I also know how these meetings go. With a myriad of cultural differences and misunderstandings between us and between continents when I’m away, it’s almost expected that something big surfaces when I come back. Not beyond repair by any means, but something worthy of much attention. 

Upon asking this question, Emeli’s face shifts. I can tell she has an answer to contribute, and she begins speaking in Nyanja soon after. She says many words I ashamedly still don’t understand after 5+ years of this, but she is also communicating in a way that I can. She’s smiling the largest smile, her eyes squinted at the corners and full of sparkle. 

Elina translates what Emeli says, and simply states, “She says that she loves her job. Very much.”

I sit there, and let that sink in. 

Emeli, a woman in her fifties, is helping to run an international nonprofit. Emeli doesn’t have a college degree, or even speak English. Emeli has only ever made fritters. 

But given the wings, Emeli will fly. Not could or might or should be able to.  

Culture and injustice may have kept Emeli from gaining the education or experience, or even the language. But ain’t nothing stopping Emeli from soaring when she’s got her wings on, when she is able to live out her full capacity on a team that believes in her, pushes her, encourages her, and wants to see her do her best. 

And it goes beyond our 4 walls. Emeli casually shares that one-day she decided to build a grocery stand outside her house, and now it is very successful. A woman with no prior business training, no understanding of profit or entrepreneurship, is crushing it in every way imaginable. 

As I walk through the compound for the long trek home, dirt roads lined with women sitting idly waiting for the day to pass, unable to earn an income or do much else, I see Emelis everywhere. 

I see shoulders ready for their wings. I see brilliant minds not yet exercised because of the hardships of life they’ve had to endure along the way. I see so much potential in this compound of poverty and abuse and injustice and hunger and lots of terrible things. I see women who are ready to fly, ready to soar above it all and show the world what they’ve been capable of all along. 

Will you believe this with us? Will you help us continue to encourage, foster, and showcase the potential of vulnerable women in Zambia? The capability is absolutely there. 

Who Run the World? Girls #IWD2016

To kick off this celebratory post, I’d love to quote one of my favorite songs, “Who run the world? Girls.” 

Today is International Women’s Day, “celebrating the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women,” as stated on the official website. 

And while it may be obvious, I’ll just go ahead and say it- we’re big fans of achievements made by women. Every 6 months, and truly every day, we celebrate the courage, determination, and brilliance of vulnerable women in Zambia as they overcome countless cultural obstacles to learn skills and launch their own small businesses for the betterment of their families. 

This day just feels right. Unifying. On our side of the world in Zambia, we’ll cheer, shout, sing, and of course, dance, as we think of all the women who have gone before us and all those who will come after us to empower others around the world.

I could go into statistic after statistic that proves when you empower a woman, you make the most change within a community. But in the spirit of celebration I’ll spare you all the numbers and reports I geek out on, and I’ll leave you with these 5 great quotes with the faces of 5 incredible women in Zambia. 

And if you want to share them, please do! Use the fun hashtags #IWD2016 and #clothedinhope to connect your images with others around the world. 

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Happy International Women’s Day!

With Chikondi, 
Amy

Campus Style

Our Fall '15 interns at the University of South Carolina put together a fun photoshoot to feature their favorite Clothed in Hope products styled for students. Enjoy!

SHOP these looks and more at clothedinhope.org/shop

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Special thanks to these amazing USC women who made it happen:

Models:
Robyn Spreen
Lexie Liston
Stephanie Espinal
Cecilia Rosopa
Tyson Blanton

Photographer/Stylist:
Jami Tennell

Photoshoot Director:
Roxanna Rojas

Assistant Photoshoot Director:
Mylea Hardy

Editor:
Anna Marie Shull

Mirriam's Kids Need Shoes

Mirriam is the mom of 2 boys, Twinza in primary school and Temwani on his way to preschool (or baby class as it’s called in Zambia). In order for Mirriam’s boys to attend school, they each need a pair of black school shoes, a uniform, a backpack, and various school supplies, on top of the trimester tuition Mirriam will pay for them to attend community schools. 

This can be quite a burden for Mirriam’s family, and will continue to be 16+ years from now when both boys are done with their schooling. In a community where rent money is hard to come by, this expense alone can cause much stress and cripple a family’s income. 

Twinza and Temwani need shoes, but we won’t be providing them. We won’t be providing uniforms or backpacks or school supplies or anything like that. 

Because we can provide a longer lasting solution, a dignifying solution to this ongoing need. Because we can change our ideas of charity through sustainable community development.

What we can do is give Mirriam the opportunity to earn an income through the production of our bow ties (since Mirriam is our bow tie queen). We can give Mirriam the business training and microloan to launch and successfully run her own business, not dependent on our bow tie sales. We can give her support, skills, resources, and a boost of confidence. 

Because Mirriam is able. And she is the best person to give school shoes to her kids. Her boys will see their mom and dad confidently providing for them, furthering the unity of a healthy home. And Mirriam and her husband will have the joy and pride of meeting the needs of their family independently as capable and skilled parents. 

Mirriam and Temwani (her youngest child)

A long-term win that keeps families together and forges a path of dignity. Did you know one bow tie led to so much goodness? 

With Chikondi,
Amy
CiH Founder & Executive Director


P.S. Mirriam is the sole producer of our Eddington Bow Ties. If you buy one, you better believe she's the one who made it, and her kids are the ones who benefit. You can find her work here (and on sale!).

Welcome, Meredith!

We hope you will extend a warm and friendly welcome to the newest member of our CiH family, Meredith Walker! Meredith has joined us as US-based Creative Director. She's the mastermind behind our One Stitch at A Time T-shirts, the 2015 Year-End Mailer, and loads of other projects and content. So we're thrilled to have her on our team!

CiH's Creative Director, Meredith

You'll enjoy getting to know Meredith, and maybe you'll find you have some things in common with our newest staff member:

1. What is your favorite CiH product? I absolutely love the twist bracelets! They are such a great staple that can be worn with just about anything.

2. What do you love about CiH? I am so encouraged by the bravery in all of the people involved with CiH. From Amy's obedience to follow the Lord's calling, to the women who set aside a year of their busy lives to learn new skills and build up their families and communities— it truly is an amazing organization. 

3. How did you first hear about CiH? I first learned about Clothed in Hope when I was in school at University of South Carolina. A friend who was involved with the organization at the time told me they were in need of a poster design calling for interns. So I made the poster, and simultaneously applied for an internship in 2011. 

4. If you could be any animal, what would it be and why? This is a SUPER tough question, but I'll go with a french bulldog. I love people, I'm sometimes athletic, but I'm mostly interested in food and naps.

5. What is your favorite TV show? The Office. Hands down. My husband thinks I'm crazy because I've watched every season, probably, about 6 times. 

6. What is your favorite dessert? All of it. If I have to choose one, it would be ice cream. No, oreos. No, ice cream WITH oreos. 

7. What is your dream destination? Italy!

Meredith with her adorable pup, Rocco

“Ever since I made that first poster for CiH I have been so encouraged to see this organization grow and continue to impact the lives of real people! When this opportunity came up, it truly felt like an answer to an unspoken prayer. I am so excited to work with a group of such smart, hardworking, dedicated women!”

— Meredith

We feel like the luckiest to have Meredith on our team. She's brilliant, she's creative, she's innovative, and she's so very kind. When you see all of the great content we have planned for 2016, you'll know it too. Welcome to Clothed in Hope, Meredith!

Esther is Back!

Happy New Year!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

With Chikondi,
Amy

Update on Esther

Friends, this post is hard to type and will be hard to read. But please join us in the valleys as you’ve joined us on the mountaintops. 

You may have read our first post about the tragedy that Esther has faced. Since then many new details have come to light regarding this situation. The facts are as follows: Esther’s husband drove her and their 3 children to a village a couple hours away from Lusaka to visit with his family, specifically an ill grandmother. On the way back to Lusaka, a large hog ran across the dirt road in front of the car. Esther’s husband swerved in an attempt to avoid hitting the hog, but the car crashed in the process. The baby and oldest child were killed on impact, as seatbelts and car seats aren’t the norm in Zambia. As Esther and her middle child tried to arrange transportation for them to return to Lusaka to receive adequate medical care for their injuries, Esther’s husband fled the scene. Fear, panic, guilt- we’re not sure why he fled, just that he did.

Over the past days and weeks, Esther and her middle child have recovered from their injuries. But we have just learned that Esther’s husband was found dead outside a village near his family’s village. Details are unknown regarding the cause of death, but it isn’t good. 

As you may imagine, Esther is really struggling. Her grief is unbearable. Her sorrow is intense. Her cries leave her paralyzed. No one would’ve thought that a trip to see an ill grandmother would result in the loss of 3 family members, instantaneously. Not only has she lost her husband, but she lost her friend, her partner, her provider, and her primary income source. This leaves Esther in a very vulnerable state, emotionally, physically, financially, mentally. 

Our CiH family aches over this most recent news, in a situation we didn’t think could get much worse. We hate that our sister has to suffer so intensely. 

As I’ve been conversing with Elina, our In-Country Director, I’ve been broken-hearted over this loss in an already difficult time in Esther’s life. But I’ve also been challenged, encouraged even. 

Elina just informed me that all of the classes came together and decided it’s best for every single person of CiH- current students, past students, graduates, staff- to meet at Esther’s house tomorrow. She lives in a compound further away from our Chikondi Community Center, as she is part of our House of Moses Orphanage partnership. All 50+ people will use their own money to catch a bus to go to Esther’s house. Meeting there at 7am (after a 1+ hour trip to her house by bus). And returning back in time for their classes to resume as normal. 

They have chosen to come around Esther in a profound way, offering prayers over her and her child, giving words of encouragement in this dark place, cleaning her house, and taking care of chores that Esther is unable to tackle in her current state. 

They have also chosen to give donations. To give their own money, no matter how small, to Esther so that her family can survive. Let’s pause right there. Many of the current students in our class live on less than $1/day. And yet they have chosen to give generously, sacrificially, because they know the power of community, they feel the weight of their sister’s struggle. And they will help. 

I didn’t prompt this. I couldn’t even dream a story so beautiful in the midst of such awful tragedy. The warm sunlight breaking through the darkest valley through 50+ people of our CiH family. Giving, not out of their excess, but out of their pockets, out of their already-strained finances. 

This is what Clothed in Hope is all about. Take away the classes, take away the products. Stripped down, we are about community. We are about exposing others to a life-changing HOPE that can’t help but be shared in a profound and moving way. We are about visiting our sister in her distress, in leaning down with others in their struggle to sit with them but also to rise with them. Sure we are about breaking the cycle of poverty, but we’re also about thriving in the midst of poverty and anguish and loss. Because HOPE is greater than fear. Love greater than pain. Community stronger than crippling isolation. 

While the visit to Esther’s house will be when many of us are sleeping (Midnight-3am EST), I invite you to carve out your own 7-10am or any other time during the day tomorrow to offer your own thoughts and prayers for Esther. This community is strong, and you are just as much a part of it as those 50 traveling the distance to meet with their dear sister and her son tomorrow morning. 

We are here for her emotionally, spiritually, physically, and practically as we work closely with her neighbors, friends, and classmates to work toward a long-term solution for Esther and her child. And we are grateful for a family so supportive, so sacrificially generous, serving as a light in this dark world. 

With Chikondi (Love),
Amy

Some of you have expressed interest in wanting to give to help Esther with her immediate expenses like rent payments, food, school fees for her middle child. We are so encouraged by your kind and generous hearts. If you would like to donate for this specific need, click on the button below: 

Also, if you would like to share an encouraging quote, word, verse, or prayer, you may leave it in the comments section and it will be translated for Esther and/or our CiH ladies to hear. Thank you for your outpouring of love. 

Tragic Loss for Our Family

Yesterday tragedy struck our Clothed in Hope family. One of the women in our program, Esther, lost 2 children in a road accident. Esther is 28 years old, and a member of the House of Moses partnership Class of March 2016. Esther was traveling back to Lusaka after visiting family over the weekend, and before her and her 2 youngest children (one was only 9 months old) reached home, the bus crashed. Esther survived and will be okay, but her babies didn't. Esther’s family has gone from 5 members to just 3 within one day, and we cannot begin to imagine the pain she is experiencing from this traumatic loss. 

We cry with Esther. We grieve with her. We sit in her pain. We have hearts full of love, belonging, and empathy toward Esther. Sadly, she’s not the only woman to have lost a child this year, and that hurts all of us. We hurt having to attend the funerals of each other’s children, but still there is comfort in not doing so alone. Esther will have over 50 women attending the burial of her children, women who have experienced similar loss, who understand the pain, who will cry with her, sit with her, and rise with her. 

Esther, a few months back during her training at our Chikondi Community Center

We invite you to join us in lifting up Esther. First, bending down in sorrow and sadness with her. Join us in sending up your thoughts and prayers for Esther and her family. Our Clothed in Hope family will provide support to her in person, but your thoughts and prayers are also powerful to Esther. You can make a difference in her heart right where you are. Let’s all join together and surround her as a CiH family, stretching across oceans, holding each other up, and uniting as a people who are familiar with pain but also full of hope. 

Thank you for being our family, whether you’re a HOPE Club member walking closely with us, a customer providing valuable support, a one-time donor helping us continue our work, or a volunteer/supporter/advocate growing our family. In times like this, we cling to one another, and are so thankful for each one of you. We hold onto hope. We stand firm in love. 

With Chikondi, 
Amy

Hope is Flowing

You did it!!

Our Clean Water Well at the Chikondi Community Center in Lusaka, Zambia is now fully funded and fully operational!

Because of your generosity, clean water pumps from 230 feet below the surface directly into the buckets and barrels of thousands of people in the Ng’ombe Compound. 

Every morning starting at 5 a.m., dozens of women, school children, and families line up outside our gate to fill up with clean, healthy, life-giving water. No more water-borne illness. No more dehydration. No more fear during drought. No more water shortages. 

These water jugs mean life for households without running water. We love watching individuals walk away with full buckets, knowing the difference that water will make for entire families. 

Our well is an unlimited supply of water, making far-reaching impacts throughout our entire community. 

Because you chose to give. To give water, life, HOPE. To give generously. 

Thank you from all of us at Clothed in Hope, and from the thousands benefitted from our clean water well. 

Our tank rises high above the surrounding area, a beacon of hope to many. We love that Clothed in Hope is known for loving our neighbors, just as the Chikondi Community Center was named after. Chikondi means love, and we feel the love stretching from so many states in the US (and even from a home in Australia!) all the way to a vulnerable community in urban Zambia. 

We are so grateful for each one of you, and hope you realize just how much of an impact you’re making in the lives of real people in a community with a real need. 

(Water flows from the clean source to the giant tank through this blue hose into the hundreds of buckets that line up outside our gate every single day)

With Chikondi and many thanks, 
Amy

Through Rose's Eyes

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

Rose has lived in a house just a stone’s throw from our center. She woke up each day seeing the walls of our center painted with our logo and describing our program for women, hearing the clickety-clacks of sewing machines and cheers of women. But Rose just sat idle at her house, defeated from over 40 years of struggle. She had no business to run, no skills to utilize, seemingly no purpose to fulfill. 

In what was surely a gradual decision and after much convincing, on one ordinary day, Rose stepped through our gate door thanks to the persistence of another student, Justina, and our local directors. Here at CiH, we don’t let each other suffer alone. That’s just not how life is meant to be lived. So on that day 12 months ago, Rose became part of a beautiful family, our CiH community of over 60 women who learn together, grieve together, celebrate together, and overcome together. 

Rose's CiH Registration Photo from September 2014

Rose, still skeptical and burdened, started her learning slowly, but when the switch flipped in her mind that she was capable of learning big things, and able to achieve great things, she quickly excelled. Rose, like the plant we all know, was only noticing the thorns until we began to see her bloom into the most beautiful creation. She hasn’t stopped blooming since. 

On Saturday, we celebrated her and 7 of her closest friends and classmates, who ranged in ages from 29 to 46, all mamas to precious little ones. The day was special for all, but the second Rose walked through that gate door as she did for the first time 12 months ago, we knew it was especially special for her. 

Rose strolled in with a bold confidence, a loud joy, and a powerful beauty, with her hair in curls, and the most stylish chitenge outfit that she designed herself. Adorned with a bright patterned fabric, Rose was rocking a peplum top and pencil skirt with unique detailing throughout the outfit. I can’t come up with any word to describe her that day other than “EMPOWERED.” 

Rose (far right) stylin' and dancin' in her own custom design outfit. 

As songs played and the ceremony progressed, Rose kept her huge smile, the type that makes your eyes squint at the corners because it occupies your entire face. That type of real joy, of real victory, of real accomplishment. On Saturday, Rose danced to celebrate not only that she passed our program, but that she now carries a newfound respect, purpose, and dignity for herself, qualities that reach far beyond sewing machines and business. Qualities that have truly changed her life and her family. 

The time came (after delicious snacks, of course) for the graduates to receive their diplomas. Rose sat nervously in her seat, in great anticipation of this moment that she never imagined possible for her life. She was to be recognized by many. She was to be celebrated for completing a difficult course that would equip her with a valuable skill. 

Then Rose’s name was called. The eye-squinting smile was replaced with tears. Overflowing tears. Raw emotion like we have never witnessed in the 3+ years of our program. All of us held our breath as we witnessed this brilliant moment together. Rose ran up to the front, dancing her way there, proclaiming, “Tears of JOY!”

I could tell that these were tears of joy. But also tears of overcoming immense struggle. Of victory over the darkest places that have held her back for so many years. Of being known and seen and accepted. Of belonging. Tears of the greatest worth, coming from the deepest place inside her soul. 

We all cheered her on, celebrated her vulnerability, her joy, her victory, her story. We screamed, we danced, we hugged, and we, too, shed a few of our own joyful tears. Because what one of us feels, we all feel, and we weren’t going to let that moment slip through our fingers. We savored her celebration together. 

Rose was met by her daughter, one of the few family members to attend our graduation ceremony, and their embrace was witnessed by us all in what seemed to be suspended time. Nothing else mattered in that moment except for the HOPE, the joy, the victory that Rose got to express and share with all of us there. It was one of the most beautiful moments of my entire life. 

As I sat there, watching it all happen in slow motion and savoring every single bit of the emotion, the celebration, I just couldn’t get over the thought that “I feel so lucky.” To be sitting in the middle of the dusty Ng’ombe compound with noises blaring, babies screaming, despair easily noticed all around, yet surrounded in that moment by the most glorious hope and victory, I felt so lucky. 

Life is hard and is especially hard for the women in our program and our community. Many bury their children, many suffer disease, many are abused daily, many face hunger and oppression. Yet in the thick of the hard and seemingly insurmountable pain exists this little thing called HOPE. Hope that changes lives, hope that empowers, hope that lifts up, hope that believes in one another, hope that introduces us to true, powerful, real love. And to inhale that hope in the midst of the hard is one glorious gift. 

I am so lucky to get to be a part of Rose’s story of overcoming, of redemption, of new life. And you, HOPE Club Members, donors, customers, are also so lucky. Your contribution has made this possible. Not in some far-fetched way, but in a tangible way. Evidenced by the tears, by the cheers, by the dancing, by the life-change in 8 amazing women on Saturday. You made this possible. You gave opportunity where many women could only see defeat. You believe in these women by supporting them monthly through our program, and they know who you are and are encouraged by that generous gesture. 

Maybe it feels like you’re thousands of miles away and thus distanced from the change, but let me just tell you today that your involvement with CiH matters. It has changed Rose’s life, and is changing dozens of others today and next month and next year. You are also the lucky ones to get to be a part of something so huge, so empowering, so far-reaching in its impact. Thank you for making this possible. We couldn’t do it without you. And if you’re on the fence about joining our HOPE Club family to provide this opportunity for others who are waiting, join us today. I promise you won’t regret getting to invest in the life-change of others. It’s so worth it. 

With Chikondi (Love) and HOPE, 
Amy

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To join the HOPE Club, providing monthly support for our current and future students, click here:

Our Half-Full Glass (of Clean Water)

Hi friends!

We are getting so close to meeting our goal for our Clean Water Well at our Chikondi Community Center, and could use your help in reaching it.

Look how crystal clear that water is! No more water-borne diseases for our community.

So far, 27 of you have given a total of $3,360, which is incredible! Thank you to those of you who have helped us drill this well, providing clean drinking water to thousands. 

Right now we are at 48% of our goal, almost halfway there, still needing $3,640 to be fully funded and allow all other monthly funds to continue going to our skills training operations. 

Here’s the breakdown of the opportunities still available to be a part of such a life-changing project:

We still need 3 Partners of Hope to give $1,000, 2 Difference Makers to give $100, 2 Big Hearts to give $50, 4 Compassionate Souls to give $25, and 24 Generous People to give $10. Though any amount will help us get one step closer to keeping that clean water flowing for our entire community. 

Will you share about this opportunity with your friends and family, and challenge them to be a part of providing clean water for entire families in Lusaka, Zambia? We are the only deep-drilled clean water well in our area, serving thousands of families nearby when all other wells will soon dry up. 

(As if you needed another reason to be a part of this project, you should know that this well also provides an income for Yvonne who is now employed as our Well Attendant. Just keeps getting better, friends!)

We are excited to soon reach our goal with your help!

To give now, click the button below:

Hope-Infused Update

Here’s the thing. It’s only been one week since this post and you all have been so generous to help fund our clean water well at our Chikondi Community Center! It’s time for a little update to catch you up. 

I just arrived in Zambia a couple days ago to connect with our ladies and hear of the amazing things they’re accomplishing. And today I laid eyes on this mega tank myself. Standing high above the other houses in the area, our big green tank symbolizes life. Water in the drought. Water flowing even when day-long power cuts keep all other water from flowing at other wells. 

As I reconnected with the ladies and made my rounds at CCC, I watched as person after person dropped off their buckets and jugs at our gate to be filled by our staff. Each person who walks away with a bucket of clean water is joining our Clothed in Hope family by becoming part of our story. This story is reaching far beyond our training students and their families. This story is flowing throughout an entire vulnerable community. And I just love that. 

Here is a list of our initial goal for this life-giving project:
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

And here’s what we still need to fully fund our clean water well:
3 partners of HOPE to give $1,000
3 difference makers to give $100
5 big hearts to give $50
6 compassionate souls to give $25
25 generous people to give $10

Thank you so much to everyone who has already donated to partner with us in giving clean water to the Ng’ombe community! We’re almost halfway to our goal and would love to share a fun video with you once we reach it. And just like before, every tax-deductible contribution also gets a handwritten thank you note from a CiH lady. We are so grateful for each one of you. 

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

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.