The past 19 days of the 2025 Sew Powerful September Sewathon have been so affirming, thanks to the generosity of my friends and neighbors and acquaintances. And apparently one of my superpowers is underestimation. I thought maybe I could raise $500. But I have had to up my goal a couple of times. Currently my total is almost $4500. My Weight Watcher group is responsible for $500 of this! I normally do 12 purses a month. So I thought I’d do 24. As of today my purse total is 36.
The giraffe purse is courtesy of a scarf my sister bought when we were in Kenya. Several of the purses below have scrappy flaps. And I have been buying webbing for straps rather than making my own.
The busyness of purse making and fund raising almost overshadows why we are doing this and why we are so committed. This organization has been working with Zambia for over 10 years. In addition to working with the young girls and keeping them in school, there are adults who have meaningful employment through sewing, farming, and community development. Originally all work was done in the capital city of Lusaka. But now the programs are spreading to a Livingston, the city that is at the base of Victoria Falls. And the administrative costs of Sew Powerfulfor all the work they are doing is about 4% - remarkable.
