Monday, May 16, 2011

the bag.

I had a very busy (and very fun) weekend here, and have SO much to blog about! First, I want to update you on what I am most excited about: the A Campaign! Here's a sneak preview of an email going out tomorrow to supporters who have already purchased a bracelet:

First you bought the bracelet. Now you can buy the bag.

The A Campaign is excited to share with you an update about Alberta, as well as introduce you to newest way to wear your support.

With your generous support, the A Campaign’s mission of helping Alberta was accomplished. Alberta and her grandmother journeyed safely to Sierra Leone, and Alberta is currently on the Mercy Ship and scheduled for surgery this Wednesday.

On behalf of Alberta and her family, we at the A Campaign would like to thank you for your financial support. Now let's talk about what happens next.

Instead of calling it quits after helping one child, the campaign continues. We would like to introduce you to Ma Dewelie, tell you her story, and how you can help.

During Liberia’s civil war, countless innocent children lost their lives to senseless violence. But for as many innocent children that died, just as many lived, only now, however, they live as orphans.

During the war, a woman named Ma Dewelie found herself in a group of people fleeing from rebel fighters in Bong County, Liberia. When the group of people came to a bridge, they pushed and shoved to all cross at once. In a mess of panic, Ma was asked by a stranger to watch her three children while she crossed back over the bridge to find the rest of her family. Ma agreed, but as the woman ran back across, the bridge collapsed.

Years later, a friend of Ma’s fell ill and was hospitalized. Ma offered to take care of her friend’s daughter, Mary, until she was back on her feet. As time went by, Mary’s mother never recovered, and she passed away in the hospital.

In the decade that passed since the day on the bridge, Ma Dewelie has taken in sixteen orphaned children as her own. While Ma’s biological children are fully grown, her new family consists of children age three to sixteen. Four years ago, Ma was offered some property to accommodate her ever-growing family, and in 2007, the Ma Dewelie Orphanage was opened.

While some of Ma’s children are true orphans, many have parents that simply cannot afford to take care of them. At Ma’s, however, they are fed and clothed, respected and loved, and sent to school every day to receive an education.

In order to support her sixteen children, Ma sells handmade skirts, and her husband Otis sells handmade drums. As you can imagine, they are struggling to get by, especially with surprises like a leaky roof during rainy season last spring, and the need for measles medication for four kids last summer.

Your contribution to the A Campaign goes directly to the Ma Dewelie Orphanage, helping cover costs of bare necessities like rice for tiny bellies and clothing for growing children.

Support the Ma Dewelie Orphanage and buy the bag THIS WEEK ONLY.



Handmade from authentic African cloth, the messenger-type bag is coming to you all the way from Liberia, home of the Ma Dewelie Orphanage.

If the bag is not your style, donate your voice instead. Tell those who have much how they can help those who have little, and the two different ways they can wear their support.

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