What’s in a purse? Wallets, keys, glasses, medicine, a favorite book? It’s different for every person.
See those purses in the picture ? These purses birthed from a dream, last year, at Kwathu Children’s Home in Livingstone, Zambia. A challenge to learn how to make products as a fundraiser to support their families and the efforts of Kwathu Children’s Home, one of Grace Klein Community’s global partners. One year of learning how to sew, through lessons taught via Zoom, with the students and teachers 8,000 miles apart. Hours of trial and error, bent over sewing machines each week, stepping out in faith. Learning even with other jobs, home duties, tending children, living life.
Meet Annie, Given, Julianna, and Alice. These ladies have made 350+ purses over the last year while being encouraged by our own Director of Development, Natalie Spronk. Natalie saw a gift in these ladies, spoke life into them, and even left her computer behind last year to empower them to start a tailoring project. (They first thought she was joking about starting a tailoring program.) She arranged for our We Sew Love team to meet with them online once a week to teach them how to sew. Now they have produced quality items which will be available for you to purchase in the USA!
The incredible part of the story is more them chasing a dream, or learning to sew, but how the sale of these products will literally change the trajectory of these ladies lives. The sale of every bag will support the ministry of Kwathu Children’s Home, who provides the space and equipment for the ladies as well as investing in the seamstresses of the future, but even more, every bag will allow these women to provide for their families.
With their first payment installment, they all plan to establish bank accounts. One dreams of raising enough money to be able to care for her eight year old child (the child currently lives with a grandparent as she cannot afford to care for the child), another hopes to buy a mattress and no longer need to sleep on the ground, one looks forward to saving for a house, and another hopes for a blanket and a pot for cooking.
Do you see the beauty? How God is at work? It’s more than a purse. These ladies are finding purpose in how God created them. The favor of God on this initiative will allow sustainability for the children’s home and allow these four women to support their families with the work of their hands. Every purse is a tool to teach the next generation about God’s provision and goodness.
All of these ladies thanked God for Natalie (for which they could not find enough words for believing in them), our We Sew Love volunteers, Kwathu Children’s Home, and Grace Klein Community. We can not imagine all God can do when we encourage one another to walk in our complete God given potential. Let’s keep believing in one another and doing hard things!!
Swing by the Grace Klein Community office, between 9am and 5pm, Monday – Friday to purchase a purse/s!