Purse with a Purpose 

                Have you ever bought a purse with a purpose? An opportunity to do that happens this Friday evening, October 8 from 5:30 to 8:30 PM at The Homestead in Remington. Hosted by Sarah Schambach, this project is close to her heart. Schambach said, "The bags are all made by women in Swaziland, Africa on hand-crank sewing machines and all proceeds go to give these women income and help with other physical and spiritual needs. The women are volunteer cooks at feeding stations for 2600 orphans. I have 90 bags and hope to be able to sell all of them. The bags are not expensive and would make wonderful Christmas gifts as well."   If you aren't able to attend, contact Schambach and she can arrange for you to view the bags following the sale.

Schambach said, "I heard about this project through a friend's blog. She and some friends are selling these bags at a farmer's market in Iowa. I had her send me a couple bags to give as gifts and decided it would be a neat opportunity to host a sale and help these women and orphans even more." She continues, "One bag sold provides a daily wage for one lady and helps cover other physical and spiritual needs." The website states, "Timbali Crafts was started out of a weekly Bible study with some of the women, and pointing them to Jesus continues to be the central goal. The Timbali women take part in regular Bible studies and also attend a yearly camp, where they can rest, laugh, and be encouraged."

                The bags are Timbali bags, and "Timbali" means "flowers" in the Sawzi language (Siswatti). According to the website, "It is also used to translate "lilies" in Matthew 6, when Jesus talked about his loving care and provision for His children. Our hope is that God will use Timbali Crafts to help meet the needs of these hardworking women and that it will be a tangible demonstration of His love." The website lists, "In this tiny nation with the world's highest HIV/AIDS rate and lowest life expectancy, the needs are immense. The women themselves face many hardships: most are either widowed or abandoned, many are single mothers, or grandmothers raising their orphaned grandchildren.   Timbali Crafts was started in 2006 to help reach out to the physical and spiritual needs of these hard-working women and their families who would otherwise have little or none."  

There are several styles available, some purses and others tote bags. She has sling style, shoulder bags, zippered coin purses, and re-usable shopping bags. You can check the website: www.timbalicrafts.org to view the styles and learn about the project. The bags are in various styles and colors and range in price from $10-25. Ninety women make the bags in a unique combination of African prints.

Schambach continued, "The Homestead is hosting a family-style dinner the night of the sale at 6:00pm.  If you would like to make reservations for that, just give them a call at 261-2138.  You do not have to attend the dinner to come to the bag sale. You are welcome to just come anytime throughout the evening and enjoy some time with friends."