Fwd: Chimwemwe Ladies

Chimwemwe Ladies

This letter was sent to folks who have helped with buying and selling the bags and necklaces that the Chimwemwe Ladies make.  If you are interested please let us know at villagesofhope@gmail.com.

Dear friends of the Chimwemwe Ladies!!

 

I pray that you are all doing well, and once again we thank you for your caring and support over the last couple of years.  One of the goals of the Chimwemwe Ladies Club for 2011 is to improve our quality. 

 

For our bags, this will mean trying to standardize the sizes of the bags.  We have worked on this in the past but we will do better on this.  It is still difficult to standardize the colors since it depends on what plastics we receive on containers and what we are able to buy in Lusaka. 

 

For our necklaces and jewelry, it will mean to learn how to make more varied beads and to improve the quality of the beads we make.  Last Friday we had 2 ladies come from Lusaka who make the beads and sell them at the Sunday Market at Arcades.  They spent about 3 hours teaching the ladies how they make and do their beads. 

 

So we are hoping that you will continue to help us in the selling of these things.  We have been praying for rain and after more than 3 weeks we have had a little bit today.  We are praying that it continues.  If the dry spell affects the maize crop, the ladies will need more than ever to earn money from what they can make just to feed and educate their children.

 

In January and February we had a few volunteers who took things back to the states for us.  They aren't able to sell everything in their churches that they carried back.  We sent back 130 necklaces alone. 

 

Would you be interested in selling bags or necklaces right now.  If so, please let me know and I will connect you with the person that has them.  If you have things that you aren't able to sell, please let me know.  Also, if you have any money that is still owed from things you have already sold, please send it to ACKLI at   24 N. Washington Street, Havre de Grace, MD 21078.  We need those funds to be able to pay the ladies and to buy more materials.

 

Thank you