Behind the Bag- Tash

Today's Behind the Bag is brought to you by Tash McCarroll. It's difficult to put into words what Tash means to our little family. Tash heard about us through a local friend in Rwanda. She originally contacted us about photography, but we asked if she could do a video. She jumped in with both feet. Tash joined our crazy crew right in the midst of a huge transition, she loved us, tolerated us, encouraged us, and told our story more beautifully than I ever thought possible. Thank you so much, Tash! We love you!!

See-You-Soon Party: Wet eyes and running noses filled the room. Ange had never expected to go to school and had never truly laughed - she laughs daily now! Angel lost her parents "No one can replace parents but you have been parents to us, given us a chance, believed in us and made us happy again". Apologies were made for past mistakes. With strength and sincerity Tara spoke : talking about the No.41 family "we all make mistakes, family forgives, there is no need to apologize". Alison thanked everyone for their kind words but echoed they had received so much more than they had given.

For me, leaving the No.41 house after time in and out over the past month has been tough. It was like being back in a home with a family. I couldn't start to comprehend what Tara and Alison were going through and about to face. The faces and voices in the room were mixed - from the night guard Fidel to the girls favorite moto driver Jerome! Everyone had something to say about the impact made on their lives - yet the girls remained humble. There was mention of opportunity, hope, confidence, belief, happiness and so much more than bags and money but focus on the change and the bright future ahead.

I had come to see what No.41 was all about - to try and capture in a 3 minute clip and do justice to the journey, the story behind 'one bag'! To give outsiders a view/ insight into the faces and many people being positively impacted from the purchase of 'one bag'! There was a uniqueness that I experienced with No.41 - the girls live together in the same house, there is no separation, everyone is equal and share in each others lives. They also set themselves apart from so many other groups in their impact and reach into the local community. Not only are the girls employed, empowered, educated and given opportunity they are also learning about making a difference in their own community by giving back. The sale of bags feed 870 students at a local school lunches every day. The impact in the local school has been huge with students increased attendance, attention spans and grades.

I have spent a lot if time with non-profits, social entrepreneurs, change makers and, as in the past, I have been moved, inspired and filled with hope! The difference this time? I was immersed in the daily grind, behind the scenes... the tears, the joy, the frustrations, the cultural barriers, the deep connections... The hard work and determination... as outsiders we often just see the bright shinning product and not the long journey that goes into getting there!

I have never met two people who are so humble about all they have achieved, the reach and impact they have made on so many. Maybe because Rwanda has seeped into their hearts, the family they have made, they have been impacted, changed but they truly are the people 'behind the bag'!

It all starts with one!

One girl, one dream, one bag!

To visit the website click here.

To check out what Tash is up to, click here.

Behind the Bag- Amanda

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Oh, hey there! Behind the Bag is returning with a bang! 

A firecracker, if you will. We are so excited to introduce you to Miss Amanda Herdina. Amanda was on the very first Visiting Orphans team we hosted at No.41. They were the first team to meet the girls and we could not asked for a more amazing group of people to pour into our little sweeties. And the best news is, Amanda is now living just up the road from us in Rwanda. 

Amanda, we just adore you and we are so thankful for the story you are living.

I was giving it time. I sat and waited until that ‘perfect moment’ to write about my Behind the Bag experience. A year came and went and here I am... just now writing my story.

It was May of 2012 when I had the privilege of traveling with the first ever Visiting Orphans Music Team to Rwanda. A team my partner in crime, Frank, and I helped orchestrate to a country I had never been. My blood was pumping, my pulse was racing... “I was going to make a difference.”

And then we walked into the No.41 house one afternoon. Guitar in hand, dance playlist on Bieber, and about 8 girls and a team of 12... the dance party started. It was like no other. Language barrier? What language barrier? These girls wanted to praise. They wanted to worship. They wanted more and more and they laughed and smiled, giggled, and sang some more.

As we sat down to listen to Tara’s testimony, I couldn’t believe it when I heard that these girls weren’t always this way. That they were shy, some raised as orphans in a world of hurt, anguish and despair.

And that was the beginning of when my world began to shake.

Tara moved to Rwanda--pretty much on a whim, if you ask me. She has, what I like to call, the Crazy Bone. She moved to Rwanda without an iota of what was next and was confident that when she said, “Yes” that her life, as she knew it, would change. What she didn’t realize at the time was how she was going to forever change these girls’ lives.

We sat and heard story after story of how each girl would spend hour after hour, day after day, working sun up until sun down on perfecting these bags of art. When we walked into the shop, it was nothing short of obvious the hours they spent making sure each shoulder strap was positioned, each print was screened, each stitch sewn with the utmost perfection. The bags were (are) beautiful.

But it was so much more to me than that. These bags were a symbol of something so much bigger, so much more. These bags were a gift that gave these girls a skill that then gave them hope and encouragement for a brighter future. The girls sit in community each day having people invest not only their money, but their time, into their lives, building such a confidence that it just radiates throughout the room.

So you can imagine my surprise when Tara said the girls weren’t always this way.

And you can imagine how it burdened my heart to want to be a part of something so beautiful.

I instantly bought a bag and when I brought it home, it was a constant reminder of the change Tara had started within these girls. I knew after that trip that I was going to be making a decision, inspired by No.41, in my very near future....

...Fast forward to today. June 2013. Exactly one year later, I sit in the girls’ living room at No.41, surrounded by hundreds and hundreds of not ONLY bags, but aprons, shoulder bags, handbags, backpacks, headbands, cuffs, oven mitts... I could keep going. And then it hit me.

What better ‘perfect moment’ than this?? There isn’t one! This business has skyrocketed and the supply is endless! It’s the perfect moment to share my Behind the Bag story. So here I am.

You see, as I sat there in the living room that day a year ago, every word Tara spoke penetrated deeper and deeper burning a hole in my heart telling me I was going to hear it (whatever ‘it’ was) and eventually say “Yes”, too. I just didn’t realize at the time what that was going to look like...

Today? I’ve packed not only my No.41 bags, but all my bags and belongings, and have made the commitment to live here, in Rwanda, for the next year. Much to my surprise, I wasn’t on that trip last year to make a difference. No.41 was--in these girls‘ lives and in my own. I sit here in this living room again seeing these girls a year later and they’re still changing. They are continuing to grow into stronger, more confident, and (as if it were possible) more beautiful women. The change these bags have made on their lives is so evident as I listen to them share their hopes and dreams of the future...

These bags. These bags are forever making a difference every time someone purchases one. And the effect has rippled into more than giving the girls a salary, a home, and a sales commission... it has also provided lunch for 870 children at school each day!!

These bags. There is so much more Behind the Bag than what the eye can see. These bags that surround me are a constant reminder of the effect they have had on these girls, the difference they have made in the world.

And the difference they have made in me.

To get your very own No.41 bag, click here.

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Behind the Bag- Sarah

 I love these Behind the Bag posts so much. And I particularly love these girls here. Today's post is beautifully written by Sarah, one of our recent interns at No.41. For the month of March, (from left to right) Winona, Tee, Brittany, and Sarah came out to stay with us. Brittany and Tee interned at Noel and Winona and Sarah worked with Alison and I at No.41, and with Elise at His Imbaraga. These girls did some work and we are so thankful! One day maybe we can get up a post about that. :) For now, enjoy Sarah's experience...

Hello from Gisenyi, Rwanda! We have all been placed in our practicum sites scattered across the country, working with 5 different organizations and institutions. This is a time we have all anxiously anticipated; it’s a transformational part of the GoED program— an amazing opportunity to develop relationships, experience home stays, and be involved with the efforts of the locals. Any time spent in Gisenyi guarantees a refreshing break from the busyness and chaotic way of life— surrounded by beautiful hills, mountains, schools, small businesses, and people who are in no hurry to get anywhere.

The night we returned to Kigali from Kampala was spent unpacking and repacking to ready for our journeys to our practicum sites the next morning. After a short night’s sleep, Brittany, Tee, Winona, and I crowded in a matatu with our bags and Kat and Mitch and took a three hour drive through stunning scenery on roads which twisted us around and in and out of the thousand hills of Rwanda; after passing through several small, rural towns we arrived in Gisenyi in front of a cute brick house painted pink, purple, gold, and all the colors in between; this was the home for several women, the workplace for many, and the foundations of hope for even more.

Tara, Alison, and Elise warmly greeted us as we made our way inside. These three American women are the founders and visionaries for two organizations —No.41 and His Imbaraga. Our time would be spent with these young Americans who dared to dream BIG, leaving the comfort of everything familiar, to pursue the purposes God had set out for them in Rwanda.

The vision for No.41: an opportunity for young women to break from the all-too-familiar confines of the orphanage and integrate into society with a chance to provide for themselves. In March 2012, No.41 was launched. Alison soon joined Tara in Rwanda and together they have been faithfully running this program for a little over a year. Today, 32 women are employed at No.41 sewing burlap handbags and other products, including a new line of aprons and oven mitts. While No.41 has provided work for these amazing young women, and an opportunity to attend the University, the benefits have rippled outside the No.41 house. There is so much more to it. When one bag is purchased, one child at Kanama Catholic School is fed for an entire year! Talk about changing the world for a lot more than one!

Before the feeding program, the children did not eat lunch during their school day. Now, 870 children eat for 140 RWF (Rwandan francs) every day; that’s 25 cents in American money. That means an average $10 meal in the States would feed 40 children for ONE day! Crazy to think what a small sacrifice, the cost of one meal, could do to change the world for one, or rather hundreds of children! It blew my mind to see how just a little goes such a long way. At first these were simply numbers which pleaded to be enough for advocacy; it wasn’t until Winona and I visited Kanama Catholic School that these figures became faces of individual school children who were thankful for something as simple as a hot lunch.

We were able to spend the day with John d’Amour, the manager of the feeding program, at Kanama. John’s dedication and belief in this program overshadows his inexperience in management. During our visit, we discussed possible solutions for budgeting and different management techniques to ensure a successful future for the program. At one point in our conversation he leaned back in his chair and plainly asked, “What are some important things that someone needs to know to be a manager?” Winona and I exchanged a look of surprise. His humility to ask for different ideas from us, a Journalism and Math major, revealed his desire and willingness to learn from anyone, regardless of experience or expertise. It was so neat to talk through simple methods and tactics of management that John could implement into the feeding program, despite our lack of textbook knowledge on the matter.

The feeding program has only been running for a little over a month, and although the needs for materials were voiced, John did not complain once about what he did not have; he is choosing to run this program with the resources he has been given, ensuring that ultimately 870 children, 36 teachers, 3 cooks, and 1 guard are able to eat every day. We were able to see the laborious task and process the cooks undergo to feed 910 each day. Kaunga, (maize meal), beans, and vegetables are commonly cooked in HUGE metal pots over the coals in a small kitchen right behind the classrooms. Shovels are used to serve the food into smaller dishes. When lunchtime rolled around, three representatives from each classroom file into the kitchen and grab a basin of food to share with their class. Our time at the school was one of my favorite days here in Gisenyi. Visiting the school and seeing all the work that is put into this feeding program made the efforts of No.41 so tangible and real. Once you’ve been given eyes to see a specific need, and meet those who are involved and affected, statistics and figures turn into faces— faces of school children who greet you with handshakes and high fives; the reality of the need quickly becomes apparent in the eyes of individuals rather than statistics jotted down on paper. To see how the same vision which began with the intention of changing the world for ONE has now multiplied to benefit 900 school children is truly a testament of God’s ability to do far more than we ask or imagine!

Over the course of the last 3 weeks I’ve had the opportunity to spread the word about No.41 and His Imbaraga through various social media outlets, help develop a campus rep program, edit content for websites and social media sites, and create flyers and brochures to spread awareness about these two organizations. More than gaining experience for my Journalism degree, joining Tara, Alison, and Elise’s efforts has encouraged me to be a part of something greater than myself and “do for one what you wish you could do for everyone.” (Andy Stanley)

Upon arriving in Gisenyi and meeting these girls I immediately saw their passion and enthusiasm for what they do in Rwanda. Hung amidst the array of burlap bags in the living room hangs a small canvas with the dreamer’s mantra painted in the silhouette of Africa, “If your dreams don’t scare you, they aren’t big enough.” Age, doubts, and fears are not limitations to accomplishing dreams- they are agents to drive you ahead and remind you that realistic expectations are to be traversed through acknowledging your weaknesses and trusting in God’s power. Faith is a lifestyle allowing His power to shine through our inability. I can’t tell you how encouraging it has been to be able to spend this last month with Tara, Alison, and Elise, who just like me, dream to make a difference; they have challenged me not let to let my dreams die in the making; to live by faith so you’re able to fully experience and clearly see God at work in the midst of your own fear, weakness, and inexperience. They recognize that what they’re doing here has nothing to do with them, but everything to do with being willing to say “Yes” to what God has called them to be a part of. Throughout my time in Rwanda thus far I have been reminded time and time again, that my inexperience and inability are insignificant when I’m willing to say “Yes” to the plans God has set out before me.

To buy a bag, click here.
To check out His Imbaraga, click here.

“I am only one, but I am one. I cannot do everything, but I can do something. And I will not let what I cannot do interfere with what I can do.” -Edward Everett Hale

Behind the Bag- Amelia

Hey there! Sorry, we missed last week. I'm going to go ahead and assume that no one lost any sleep over it, but we are happy to be back! :) This week you get to meet Amelia. Amelia is self-described as 'sometimes stubborn, but mostly silly'. We can appreciate that. We had the pleasure of meeting Amelia when she visited No.41 last summer and now we have the honor of partnering with her as one of our Campus Reps. We are so thankful for Amelia and her precious heart. We can't wait for you to read her story....

On August 22, 2012 I sat in a World Literature class at the University of Southern Mississippi and thought to myself, “Why am I here?” I had been home from Africa for nearly a month and still suffered from a severe case of “reverse culture shock.” I did not want to be back in a silly college classroom listening to the “insignificant” problems of my peers. I missed Rwanda. I missed a place that I thought I was called to be. I was ready to drop out of school, sell all of my belongings, and move for good.

But He always has a different plan...

God quietly whispered that I was not meant to physically be in Rwanda, but rather to bring Rwanda to Mississippi. To my family, my friends, and even my peers in that World Literature class, and oh what joy it has brought me!

When I first met Tara and the girls at No.41 it felt like a family. They were a family that I knew I wanted to be a part of. So since I can’t be there, I make sure they are with me everywhere I go- and they can most certainly be with you too.

It’s simple. Almost too simple. By simply carrying my No.41 bag everyday, it opens the door to so many conversations. “Oh my goodness, how cute! Where did you get that?” leads into “Wow. I had no idea. Can I buy one?”

On Sundays I lead a bible study for my sorority and this semester we have added the No.41 girls to our family. We pray over the girls by name, thanking the Lord for them, Tara, and the lives that are being changed by No.41- the lives in Rwanda and the lives in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. You see, through learning the stories of our friends in Rwanda, hearts are being softened. Eyes are being opened. Hearts are becoming on fire for the Lord and missions. Can I get an amen?! In fact, on 4-1 feed day, I had girls who were so eager to give. They were literally dumping their purses out on the floor trying to find more quarters. The sight made me cry tears of joy. The heart of Tara is changing lives of girls in Rwanda and the girls in Rwanda are changing the lives of girls here in small town Mississippi.

If you are like me, you want to be in Rwanda. At the same time, if you are like me, you are in a season where God has called you to stay. He has a reason for that! Talk the heads off people about No.41. You will be surprised by the conversations that will result. Whether we are at the grocery store, sitting in a classroom, or living in Rwanda- we are all called to go be love. So go out with your No.41 bag and change the life for one.

If you would like to purchase your very own No.41 bag, click here.

Behind the Bag- Amy

We are so excited to introduce y'all to today's Behind the Bag poster, Amy Willis. Amy is the newest team member at No.41! The whole story is a big mess of prayers wrapped up in God goodness.  The short version is, we had been praying hard for God's direction for No.41 in the coming year, when we got an email from Amy, out of the blue, asking to come and visit. Not really us, but the orphanage. We loved her immediately and did our best to reel her in. It worked. Amy visited us over Christmas day and she will be moving back here for a year, starting at the end of June. You will be hearing so much more from/about Amy in the coming months, but for now, her Behind the Bag:

Small.

That’s how I feel when I see God moving and working.

Overwhelmed. When you know you are seeing something bigger and better than you had imagined in your head.

That’s how I felt when I came to visit Rwanda and No.41 this past December.

Yes, I had asked to come and check out No. 41 and see if God any plans for me here. Yes, I had read every blog post Tara had ever written so I thought I knew what was going on. I knew the purpose and mission of No.41 and I could even give a couple of facts about it but I didn’t truly know what it would be like to know faces of the girls behind the bags. To see the dedication to skill and joy found in knowing you are doing something well. To know that you are part of a family and you are needed. To giggle about goose bumps and share sweet smiles because that’s how you share who you are. To see pride in knowing you are doing something important. To know that you have value and are loved and that you can pass that love and value on to others. This is the part of No.41 I saw this past December. Seeing God put all this together and put every part right where it needed to be is when I’m reminded of my smallness and His infinite size, power, and love.

God is doing BIG things through Tara, Alison, and these beautiful women at No.41 and I’m excited to be one small person in this wonderful family!

To check out the bags, click here.
If you have a story that you would like to tell, please email tara@no41.org.

Behind the Bag- Billy

Billy Pope: AKA Beelee or BPope: Winker. Foot Model. World-traveling photographer extraordinaire. He goes fishin' evrrrday. 

I met Billy on my first trip to Rwanda. In fact, he and Frank were the first people I met on that trip. We flew in the night before everyone else and got the chance to go to dinner, chat, and get to know each other. Billy and I also had seats next to each other on the very long flight over. (Ahem, Frank was seated elsewhere.) Anyway, for me, it was instant friendship. I admired Billy. (He is going to tell you that I am nuts, but I really just tried to say whatever I could to get him to laugh. He made it so easy.) That admiration has only grown as I have gotten to know Billy and his 3 sweet girls. I am honored to have him telling his Behind the Bag story today.....

Nuts and Fruit

I never dreamed a photo like this would sum up what I consider to be an act of faith only a few have ever had the privilege to witness. Many of you will see this and say “Oh My! They’re nuts!” I see it and say, “Praise the Lord! NOW THAT’S SOME FRUIT!”

On my first trip to Africa, I had the pleasure of meeting and traveling with this redheaded chick that had a great laugh, the biggest bag of trail mix and the oldest iPod ever. Tara Clapper was the first team member I met and from the start I thought she was a nut… in that not so crazy kind of way. I’ve been on mission trips before and met many people from many different walks of life and journeys in their faith. I wasn’t sure how this trip was going to impact me or much less the other nuts I was traveling with. I did know that God had BIG plans. Little did I know that those plans involved Tara Clapper.

While our team traveled from orphanage to orphanage in both Ethiopia and Rwanda, we would come along sights, sounds and smells that would put anyone out of their comfort zone. Then, there was Noel. It was overwhelming to say the least. But in overwhelming moments like these is when God shows up and allows you to see what really breaks His heart. All of us could see clearly what James 1:27 really meant and what it felt like. For Tara, it meant even more and it was obvious by her absence at dinner every evening. The birth of something big was happening right in front of us and it was heart wrenching to watch. We witnessed a transformation that not only impacted one girl from Oklahoma, but also now has impacted us all in some way.

This past November I was able to return to Rwanda with Visiting Orphans and witness the fruit. The fruit of hope, love and impact. After my first trip, Tara and I kept in touch and we talked a couple of times about her plans to return to Rwanda and live at Noel. All I could think was… to do what? How will this make a difference? Does she know what she is doing? Almost two years after my first visit I was able to witness the difference. I found hope in the eyes of the girls from Noel. Hope that only comes from knowing that someone loves them and that they are worth something. I can only imagine what the girls of No.41 felt when they realized the impact the feeding program had on their community this past February. Knowing that all the work they had done was now providing hope and worth to someone else. Isn’t that why we go? Is this why Tara and Alison went? Don’t we want to make an impact on those we go to visit or better yet, go to live with them when we are called? I can answer all of the questions above… YES!

To Tara and Alison:  Thank you for stepping out in faith because it speaks to me personally. Your story is one of courage and willingness to GO in the most uncertain circumstances–one that I am proud to share with my daughters and others. You’ve allowed God to multiply through you.

Behind the Bag- Hannah

Today, we are doing a bit of double duty with our Behind the Bag post. You are going to meet Hannah Jarrett. Hannah's No.41 story is just beginning, as one of our newest No.41 Campus Reps. We haven't really gotten around to talking much about our campus rep program, as it's new and it kinda fell in our laps, but we are so excited about it! Hannah's sister, Julie, was here visiting us recently and brought up the idea, then she so graciously put some ideas on paper about the responsibilities and perks of being a No.41 campus rep, and we just ran with it. We can't wait to see what this turns into!

Meet Hannah!

 

Let’s just get this out of the way: Blog introductions are awkward. You don’t know me, and we may never meet. But, I’m not what this is about. My name is Hannah Jarrett and I represent No.41, which is something I really care about. So yes, there’s me, but really this is about the people we get to serve in Africa. And that’s why I’m here.

I am in my second semester of sophomore year at the University of Arkansas. I am a Communication Major who’s learning Chinese and I have a deep passion for travel. As simple as it sounds, I love people because I think everyone has a story.

I am thrilled to be working as a campus representative for No.41. It is my desire to be involved with what God is doing over seas and it is clear that He is using No.41. I’m excited to watch as this project is connected to Arkansas.

My friend Madison Haverty and I will be working to spread the word about No.41 in the community of Fayetteville, Arkansas.

We currently have 3 campus reps, Hannah and Madison at the University of Arkansas and Amelia at the University of Southern Mississippi. You will get to know more about the girls, their hearts, and their stories as they share with us a couple times a month. If you are interested (or know anyone who might be) in joining our team, we would love you have you!! 

Email tara@no.41.org.

To catch up on more Behind the Bag stories, click here.

Behind the Bag- What's in a Name

Oh, hey! In honor of 4/1 Day coming up (and our ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY yesterday), I thought I would share with y'all a little story of how No.41 got it's name.

Back when I was still living in the orphanage and praying over this burden I felt for the girls and for our community, I felt like God gave me a glimpse of all this could be. It was big, and I immediately backed down.  He followed up that glimpse with, For one, Tara. Do it for one.  One was something I could get my mind around and No.41 was born.  For one child. For one meal. For one year.

One has taken on a much greater meaning these days.

One became 32 beautiful girls.

One is 870 meals everyday. For 870 students.

 

One is our Xavera and her sweet family.

One is sweet Louisa

One is Valentine realizing a talent she never knew she had.

 Lucky, XO, and Maureen are the ones.

 One is Vestine in university.

 One is Fanny providing for her little one.

I guess God knew what he was doing. I suppose He always does. We are changing the world for one.

All of them.

**all photos by the ever talented alisonholcomb

For more Behind the Bag stories, click here.

To tell your Behind the Bag story, email tarajill5@yahoo.com

Behind the Bag- Kassie

Well, y'all just settle in, because today your are hearing from Kassie Miller, a sweet and sassy country music singer from Nashville, TN. (I hope y'all read that, and the rest of this post, with a very thick country accent. Because that's exactly how Miss Kassie speaks.) We love Kassie (and Ben) as much as Kassie loves ketchup. That's alot. Enjoy, darlin'!

My name is Kassie and I had always dreamed of going to Africa . My dream came true last May, and I will be on my third trip back this coming May. You can kinda say I like it. I fell in love with Rwanda and my heart now belongs to a little girl named Kevine, who we now sponsor and pray that one day she will be with us forever. She is what keeps me coming back every chance I get. After my first trip, I really felt like it wasn’t long enough. So, the second time I went (this past November), my husband, Ben, and I decided to stay an extra week. That way we could spend more one-on-one time with Kevine. We were able to stay with Tara and Alison at their home for our extra week (we were also the visitors who got evacuated with Tara due to the Congo war!). That extra week made the trip complete.

We really got to know Tara and Alison and spend quality time with Ange and Fanny (Girls that work at No.41 but also live with Tara and Alison). We spent our days at Noel with Kevine and the kids. By the time we’d get home we were so exhausted from playing with the kids all day at Noel that we would turn in early. We would wake bright and early in the morning, shower, and then head to the kitchen for some breakfast. Everyday there would already be some of the No.41 girls working away (this is at 7:00 in the morning). I’d go in to say good morning and the girls would be smiling, sewing and listening to music (Justin Beiber a lot of times). They were always so happy and eager to work. I felt like we were behind the scene of a movie because we got to see with our own eyes how this company operates on a daily basis.

The girls have such an amazing work ethic, sadly unlike most Americans; they would come to work early and stay late. They worked as long as possible because they knew the more bags they made the more they’d have a chance to sell. I love how this business is a full circle partnership…the girls make the bags…which in turn makes them money, and gives them skills for success and confidence…profit from the bags provide lunch for public school children who can’t afford to bring it or can not walk home to eat (because it is too far of a walk)…the bags make American women happy because we love to shop and it’s a GREAT cause.

I love this. Everyone benefits from this. I also love that Tara has some of her girls train and learn to be in “management”. So if for some reason Tara and Alison were go back to America the business can carry on. That’s what’s up. I love carrying my bags and sharing the story behind it. You should get one too!

If you're cool, like Kassie, and would like to purchase a bag, click here.

For more Behind the Bag stories, click here.

OR, if you have a No.41 story you'd like to share, send it to tarajill@yahoo.com

Behind the Bag- Jenn

You know those friends you never knew you were missing until they came along? That is Jenn for me. Our friendship was quick, like most things here-- everything is intensified, and she has been a sounding board for so many of lives twists and turns. Times when you're so excited all you can do is scream, times when the sadness is so thick no words can be found, and all those crazy times in between. Jenn has spoken life directly to my heart. She is a dreamer AND a doer and she inspires me more than she'll ever know. I am so honored to share her story.....

Hi my name is Jennifer. This is my little family.

My No. 41 story begins long before there was a No. 41...When Tara had been in Rwanda for less than a year, still wondering what exactly God had planned for her. When my husband, Chris, and I were walking on Rwandan soil for the first time. Our story, Tara’s story and the story of a beautiful Rwandan boy all collided that day. We had traveled to Rwanda with a Visiting Orphans team. On our last evening in Rwanda, Tara came to dinner. I was a total mess after leaving the children who lived at Noel Orphanage. My heart was broken. I don’t know if I have ever told Tara this, but I wanted so badly to talk to her, I wanted to know what it was like to live in Rwanda. Scoping out the dinner seating, I made sure that we were sitting at her table. Fearing that I wouldn’t be able to contain myself, I didn’t say much that evening, but God had planted a seed and only He knew how it would grow.

After returning home, Chris and I could not stop talking about one sweet boy that we met at Noel. We wanted to help him, to stay connected with him, to bring him home to live with us, but how? Chris and I came up with the idea of getting a student visa for Alain. The only person I knew was Tara, so I quickly looked her up. Praying that she wouldn’t think I was a total crazy person, I sent the first of hundreds of messages. Tara became our lifeline. I don’t think any of us knew at the time how difficult getting a visa can be. She didn’t think we were crazy. She was our eyes and ears and feet.

Right away, she began loving on our boy and helping in every way possible. She believed the impossible with us. God knit together our story with her story. If Tara wasn’t exactly where she was exactly when she was, our lives and the life of one amazing Rwandan boy would be very different. All along our journey to Alain, she was a constant encouragement and a true friend. Tara will forever be a part of our family’s story. The Vermes love you, Tara!!

When Tara told me about No.41, we believed with her. We had many conversations about Rwanda, our boys, and dreaming great big, God-sized dreams. Tara’s big dreams, are making the No.41 girls’ dreams come true and we are so blessed to be a part of it. It has been so beautiful to watch No. 41 grow, to see God send Alison to Rwanda at the perfect time to join the girls and use her gifts. His plans are perfect.

Through No. 41, we have also gained a daughter. We sponsor, Passy (whose brother is one of Alain’s friends). We are so ridiculously proud of her. At the beginning of the year, she moved to Kigali to go to university.

Recently, we were able to visit No.41, to see where all of these beautiful girls learn and work and live together. They have a great thing going. The girls are full of life and never-ending smiles. Passy was so excited to show us the house she was living in and her room, all made possible by her job at No. 41. To even be a small part of what No. 41 is doing is a privilege for our family.

Stylish, colorful bags made with love and bringing hope. Is there anything better? You should hop over the the shop right now and buy a bag!!

If you'd like to purchase a bag, click here.
If you have a story you'd like to tell email tarajill5@yahoo.com

Behind the Bag- Frank

Oh, Frank Pass. Frank was my Visiting Orphans team leader when I came to Rwanda (and Ethiopia) for the very first time. I think Frank thought I was crazy. I think he still does. 

But I think we get each other now. :)

One of the last days on trip (2 years ago!), Frank said that I reminded him of one of his daughters. Shortly after I moved to Rwanda, I got email from Frank saying that I felt like one of his daughters. And that is how he has treated me ever since. Frank is encouraging and protective and such a huge supporter of No.41. 

He and his wife Robin sponsor one of our girls, Amelie, and are the poster family for what sponsorship should look like. When Amelie was asking for a "hot, white man" to be her sponsor, Frank swooped right in and claimed his spot. What Amelie was really asking for (in her own hilarious way) was a dad and what she got was an entire family! Dad, mom, 3 sisters, and a baby brother. And we have ALL been so blessed to see God's plan come together.

Frank, I could throw in so many inside jokes here, but I'll just let you tell your story....

Hope. That’s what comes to mind when I think of No. 41. It is a place that brings hope.

I have the opportunity to visit many orphanages and organizations that minister to orphans and there is one thing that most of them have in common. A lack of hope. There is a hopelessness to being an orphan. An orphan rarely says, “everything will work out”, because it seldom has. An orphan rarely looks to the future with hope because there is little in their past to cause them to do so.

I remember the first time I visited Noel orphanage. It is easy to become overwhelmed. Over 500 kids, all of them orphans, and so many needs. The babies tug at your heart strings but it’s the older ones that devastate you. You look in their eyes and you see it, or rather you don’t. It’s a lack of hope.

That’s what makes No. 41 so special. It’s a place that brings hope to the hopeless. I have had the privilege of visiting Tara, Alison, and the No. 41 girls several times and their eyes are filled with hope. Their eyes have joy. Their eyes look to the future with expectancy. These are not the same girls I saw at Noel just a year before. These girls are full of life. These girls have hope.

Catching Amelie up on family photos...

We all know how cool the bags are. They are stylish and they’re great conversation starters. We all know how one bag feeds one child for one year and we all know how these bags provide an income to the girls who make them, but it’s so much more than that. These bags bring hope. And hope matters.

I wish that everyone could see the excitement in the faces of the girls when a group of visitors arrives. I wish you could see the pride in their eyes when they realize that we are here to buy something that they made. And that’s the key. These girls are not taking handouts. They’ve created something and it’s something that people want and because they’ve done it once, they now know they can do it again. Many of these girls are now enrolled in university and they know that they will succeed because they already have. They believe their future can be bright because they can now look in their past and see light. 

Hope is contagious. When you buy a bag you help to spread it.

If you have a story to tell we'd love to hear/share it. Send me an email: tarajill5@yahoo.com.

Behind the Bag- Jamie

Next up in the Behind the Bag series is, Jamie. It's tough to put into words what an asset Jamie has been to the No.41 team. When I ran into Jamie at church in Kigali last spring, I had not idea how the Lord would bless us with her passion, skills, and projector screen. :) Alison and I 'vacation' most weekends in Kigali at Jamie's house. We eat good food, catch up on the latest episodes of The Voice, and we laugh. Alot. But more importantly, Jamie has loved these girls something fierce since the first time she came out to visit us for a business training she had arranged. She has continually given of her time, energy, and resources to see the girls succeed. And we could not be more thankful. Somehow, Jamie, we love you!

Behind my bag is a face, a sweet face with a smile and kind eyes. Deep in her eyes sits a life that I will never understand, those kind eyes have seen more than most. I own a few No. 41 bags, which represent several sweet faces resting on burlap and ikitenge (African fabric). I have sat in the room with the No. 41 faces and looked into their kind eyes, wondering who they were and what they were interested in.

A few No. 41 girls have been in my car, showing them around town, giving them an opportunity to see the potential careers they have only heard about on the radio. It is a joy to watch their kind eyes light up as a businesswoman takes time to share a piece of her life and business with them. 

I thought No. 41 was a great cause helping some girls from a village, started by a girl from my hometown. I loved sharing the No. 41 story with my friends, but it was a story, someone else’s story.

Tara told me there would be three No. 41 girls who would be moving to Kigali to start university soon and asked would I be interested in hosting them while they get settled. At first, I think I said yes and then said no and then after they got here I looked into those kind eyes and told them to pack their bags they were moving to my house. 

left to right: Diane, Julie, Passy, Jamie, Amelie

I wasn’t sure what I was thinking at first, I just knew that behind my bag was a face with a smile and kind eyes.

I think we were all a little nervous at first. We didn’t know each other and were suddenly thrown together by a bigger plan from a bigger God than I could ever fathom. We didn’t even have beds for them the first night; they were on couches and cushions pushed together.

The face behind my bag got a name, 3 names actually. Now, I introduce them to people as “my girls”. We share our likes and dislikes, eat pizza and drink Fantas. We watch movies, dance, jump rope and laugh. My goodness, we laugh. I have never had little sisters, but I try to do all the things for them that my big sister did for me.

One of my girls loves kids and loves on the hurting. She sees everyone as needing to be loved on and it’s her job to do the loving. Another one seeks Jesus with such passion and depth. She prays from a place deep within her like God specifically cut a hole in her for Him to rest. And then there is the other one, who I call sassy pants. She educates me on American pop culture and always has a witty quip ready to pass on. She loves to read and recently requested some notebooks to “write her thoughts down”.

No. 41 is now part of my story. I don’t know what amazing things God has in store for the amazing girls of No. 41, but I know that you can be apart of it by making a donation, buying a bag and saying a prayer. All three, please, there are a bunch of girls out there changing our lives and we need your help to return the favor to them.

If you have a story to tell we'd love to hear/share it. Send me an email: tarajill5@yahoo.com.

Behind the Bag- Wynne

Woohoo! I've been waiting for Wednesday and it's finally here. Today you are getting the lovely, Wynne. I couldn't think of a better person to kick off the Behind the Bag series. Miss Wynne has quite the story, herself. She is a photographer, with a huge heart for all things Africa and two sweet Ethiopian babes. Wynne is a natural encourager and she has been a cheerleader for No.41 since the very beginning. Well, I'll just let her tell you the story....

where oh where do I start.

so if you know me, you know I absolutely love to purchase with purpose. 

this idea that you can wear something fabulous that also helps people in the developing world is my fave.

it's the bees knees.

so of course I love my No. 41 bag(s).

photo by: alison holcomb

but my love affair with No. 41 bags goes back, and I just have to tell you the story.it's pretty much a god thing.you see this girl?  the one that has more joy + life in her face than I've ever seen?

yep, that's my girl Alison.  funny story about that.  last year the day after Christmas we hopped a plane to visit for the very first time, Rwanda.  We were on a 12 day mission trip with Visiting Orphans and this was both our first time in the land of a thousand hills.  

to say this girl fell in love would be an understatement considering 4 months after returning from said trip she packed her bags & MOVED there. 

she moved there because God told her to.

and because this girl (yep, I'm talking about you Tara) asked her to room with her. total god thing I tell ya.

ya see, Tara is a dreamer.  

and she was dreaming up something big.

and Alison is a dreamer. 

and they are both DOERS.

so when you put two dreamer/crafty/exceptionally relational and passionate southern girls heads together...

you get No 41.

this picture is just proof that I too was on the trip.  :)

and I too fell in love with the beauty of Rwandas hills + most importantly the people.

and I grew passionate about being a part of something that was giving these older girls who had placed out of the orphanage a HOPE, a FUTURE, a TRADE, a DREAM and a BETTER LIFE. 

so, of course I jumped at the opportunity to be a part.

to help get the word out, to help buy sewing machines, to pray for and encourage my two wild eyed missionary friends who set out to do something pretty incredible.

you see what they are doing.  what god is doing through them, is changing lives.

they aren't only teaching these girls how to sew, but they are teaching them about life.

they are pointing them to jesus.

they are giving them DAILY BREAD.

and when I get to the end of my life I hope I can say the same about what I did with the days I was given on this earth.

{this is my plug for you to GO BUY A BAG!!!}

tara + alison -- I love you both dearly and am in love with the huge task that God has graciously given you.  you have been faithful with little so He has given you much.  press on.  know that the work you are doing, the stories you are telling, they matter!  it's a big world out there - but your corner of it seems pretty cozy. 

Thank you so much, Wynne! We love you right back.

If you have a No.41 story that you would like to tell, we would love to hear it.

Send me an email at tarajill5@yahoo.com

Behind the Bag.

There's a lot of talk going around this year about stories.
Telling your story. Living your story.

Joyce Meyer says, "Let your life be your witness." I love that.

We're pretty pumped about the story God is writing for our lovebugs at  No.41.

Stories of redemption, hope and His unfailing love.

You can read the stories of each girl proudly displayed on the tag for each bag they have sewn.

But, we're equally pumped that all of you have become a part of our story.
Changing the world is no joke. And you have changed our whole world.

We'd love to hear and share your stories!

Do you have a story about No.41 that you'd like to share?

Have you visited us?

Bought a bag? Been gifted a bag?

Sponsor one of the girls or students?

We would love to hear about it.

We'd like to start a weekly series around here.

Behind the Bag. Your life-giving story. Your purchase with a purpose.

To tell your story, shoot me an email- tara@no41.org

Can't wait to see where we end up!