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

anatomy of a No.41 signature bag

Hey there! It's my first ever guest poster! And you're in for a treat, because you get to meet alison! Alison is my other half at No.41 and all of the beautiful photos you see of the girls and their bags are hers! Today Alison is putting her talent to work and showing you how the girls make the No.41 signature bags, start to finish! Ready? Go!...

we are so thankful for our no.41 girls. they are incredible.. seriously. AMAZING at what they do. i thought this little post would be interesting for people wanting to know about the process that goes on to make the bags. for those of you who don't know, we struggled for a while trying to find burlap locally. we took a last minute trip to uganda recently and made a connection who found it, we wired him money (then crossed our fingers and said a few prayers)- and he had it on the bus that night. now the girls are constantly working their booties off.. not to mention, we can hardly get them out of the no.41 house.. they can choose when to come and go, but they want to be there. it's exciting to see. we are so proud of the work they are doing. here's a little "behind the scenes" look at all the hard work and love that goes into making each signature no.41 bag. literally every single step of hard work is 100% credited to the girls. have i told you we are proud?! :)

**most of these photos are of our fabulous art student, clarisse. she is a little go-getter, and always has a solution when something crafty needs to be done. she absolutely thrives on her artistry and takes so much pride in her work. since giving her a little extra responsibility, we've seen her confidence building and her work ethic is incredible. we have to tell her to go home because she always has her hands in something- which is why we call her boss:) clarisse is clearly an asset to our no.41 family.

as you probably know, each bag is screen printed on both side. we originally had a screen from the states, but after a month or two, it started tearing. after panicking and thinking it was all over, clarisse came in to save the day. here she is taking paint thinner to get rid of the old stencil on the screen.

 it all starts out with a print out of the logo.. 

then it must be lined up with the green stencil sheet

then, she very carefully traces around each letter so when she places the green part on the screen, the paint will go through.

 once the letters are all cut out, she removes it from the paper..

the mesh screen is then placed over the stencil

 paint thinner is swabbed on so the stencil will stick to the screen

 it's important to make sure your screen and the stencil stay in place so you don't have a wonky print when it comes out:)

  cleaning the screen and making sure it's perfect.

there's a clear film attached to the stencil that must be removed so the letters can be exposed to the paint that must be taken off very carefully in order not to be ripped.

  screen is completed and ready to print onto the burlap.

and here's where all the magic happens...

 before any fabric is cut, the girls use a pattern to make sure our size is consistent.

 valentine

jeanette and zawadi are cutting the fabric for the insides and straps of the bags

ange is pinning the fabric and burlap together for a strap

fanny is sewing her straps together

 sandrine

 patrice

valentine

our sewing teacher- medi, donatilla, rosine, valentine

clementine is putting the finishing touches on her bag
after finishing up a bag, the girls put their tags on them.

therese is holding the screen so clarisse can screen print without the print getting shifted

now all that's left is to let it dry!

viola! the bags are then hung up in our living room when they are finished.

whew! lots of hard work. hope you guys enjoyed seeing the behind the scenes look at what goes into making the bags. to visit our website and see what else the girls are up to, click here.

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!

it's the most wonderful time of the year

I wanted to tell y'all a little bit about our No.41 Christmas party. These little yo-yos are my favorite people on the whole planet.

But let me go back a bit. 

The reason we were having our party so early is because Alison is going home to Texas for Christmas this Thursday. Many of our university girls are in exams and we got the word the day before that the only day they would be free was last Thursday.

So, Alison and I scrambled around and wrapped 24 gifts that had all been donated by her sweet friends. We were going to teach the girls to play Dirty Santa. Tina donated 3 cakes for the occasion and we sent a couple of girls on a mission to track down 30 Fantas.

We made snowflakes and paper garland and put the finishing touches on this bad boy:

Leo, our sweet neighbor, built the tree, I made a fabric garland and yarn bombed the trunk, Alison made the yarn pompoms and Tina donated the lights. We kinda love it.

So, I guess we were all set.

The girls were giddy at the Dirty Santa concept. They loved getting to pick out the perfect gift.

It was no easy process, they picked them up, shook them, smelled them...so cute! And then they went back to their seats tore them and everyone cheered and clapped!

Not a single one stole a gift. 

I'm here to tell you, I would have snatched Louisa's scarf or Zawadi's bag in a heartbeat. I asked Fanny why no one was stealing and she said, we all knew everyone was so happy to have their gift and no one would want to take it from them.

They were all painting each others nails, passing around tubes of lipgloss, trading out headbands, dividing up bracelets. They are pretty perfect. And then...

The cake came out and the singing began. Alison orchestrated the sweet surprise and then the girls took it to the next level. (If I was smarter I could upload the video.) These little beauties sang Happy Birthday in four languages, twice. They danced and showered me with flowers. They gave me four hard-boiled eggs?

So, the coming year is looking pretty good.

How did I get to be so blessed?? 

My cup runneth over.

**all photos by the lovely and talented, Alison Holcomb.

a bit of backtracking

I wanted to do some backtracking a bit; tell you how far No.41 has come and then what's next for us. I'm realizing now, that I sometimes assume that everyone knows our story, so just in case you don't, I'm going to start from the beginning. Kinda.

This time last year, after living at the orphanage for six months, I had a pretty lengthy list of annoyances. Things that would never fly at home and areas that I felt maybe I could make some small difference. After a lot of prayer and seeking wise counsel, I decided that my heart was with the, often forgotten, oldest girls at the orphanage (ages 18-24). Most of these girls had finished secondary school, but didn't have the money for university, and had no real life or jobs skills to get them out of the orphanage, so they sat in their rooms all day. Every day. It was important to me not just to be able to teach these girls a culturally relevant trade, but to show them that their life has value, that they were created for a purpose. We all have God-given gifts and talents and with that, we are all called to give back. And that's how the feeding program was born.

In our village, we have 4 main public schools. The primary (elementary) students all go half-day, so most will either eat lunch before or after school. The secondary students (Jr. High and High school) go all day, 7a-3p, and most don't eat lunch. The schools can't afford to provide food, but they do offer a 20-minute break, so any students that live close enough can go home to eat. Most do not. The effects of not eating a healthy lunch are far-reaching, not just on the body, but on the developing mind. How different would the education system here be if these kids could focus on their studies and not their growling bellies?

Soooo, there you go. So much of what we do now has developed over time. Had I known all of this would be on, what feels like, my shoulders, I would have run the other way. Even the small amount I did know felt like too much, which is why the business is called No.41, meaning FOR ONE. We are doing this thing one at time. That's what I tell myself, anyway. But ONE has become 32 young women with sustainable jobs. ONE has become 17 girls enrolled in university. ONE has become 650 students eating a hot, healthy lunch starting in January.

When this business began, we had very little money, a small dream, and a whole lot of faith. Today, nine months later, we have very little money, a large and growing dream, and even more faith. We have seen God move mountains for the girls and these children, but there is still a long way to go. And we need your help. Here's where we are heading over the next few months: A $41,000 campaign to continue changing lives! (Yes, $41,000 was a happy accident.) The breakdown looks like this:

Living expenses $4000 (through July)

University fees and boarding (4 girls/one year)$6,000

Sewing school

Rent 2 houses (one year) $6,000

Machines and chairs (13) $1,700

Furniture (workspace/storage) $1500

Burlap $2000 (1month)

Screen-printing supplies $500

Hire sewing instructor (1month) $500

Shipping (bags from Rwanda to US) $2000

Marketing

Website $500

Tags for bags $900

Feed Program

12 Ovens $1000

Cooking staff (one year) $6000

Pots and pans/dishes (for 750) $1500

Cafeteria furniture $2000

I know many of your are preparing for the holidays and a campaign like this seems daunting, but every little bit helps. Every single dollar goes so far. Maybe you could get together with a few friends and buy a sewing machine ($116) or two, or maybe your lifegroup could team up to raise funds and pay university fees for one girl for one year ($1500). Maybe a group of your coworkers could contribute to the website. Maybe your family is crazy (in the very best way) and you would like to set up a monthly donation to pay the salaries of the entire cook staff ($6000) for a year. I don't know what it looks like, but I believe it's possible.

I am so inspired by these girls, every day. By their passion and their, new found, hope for the future. This thing has only just begun!! You guys have been my backbone through this whole thing, whether you knew it or not. Your prayers, your encouraging words, your support, mean so much. Please keep them coming. I love you and I am so thankful for you! To make a donation click on 'donate' at the top of this page.

and so it begins...

Are y'all ready for this?! 

Maybe you should sit down. 

THIS IS HUGE!!

We've been saying it for a while,

No.41 is growing. Big and fast.

We've been telling you there are a ton of ways you can get involved.

THERE ARE!

And not just you, 

your family, 

your church, 

your small group, 

your 5th grade class, 

your mom...

Well anyway, HERE IT IS!!

Do you wanna give life with your holiday funds this year?

Let me give you a quick rundown on where your money will go:

Living expenses

Somebody's gotta run this show

$4000 (through July)

University fees and boarding 

$6,000 (4 girls/one year)

Sewing school

Rent $6,000 (2 houses/one year)

Machines and chairs (13) $1,700

Furniture (workspace/storage) $1500

Burlap $2000 (1month)

Screen-printing supplies $500

Hire sewing instructor $500 (one month)

Shipping (to US) $2000

Marketing

Website $500

Tags for bags $900

Feed Program

12 Ovens $1000

Cooking staff (one year) $6000

Pots and pans/dishes (for 750) $1500

Cafeteria furniture $2000

Yes, a few of the needs listed have been met, but we have had to 'borrow' money that is set aside for feeding to keep up with the growth.

And, maybe now would be a good time to tell y'all that there was a little miscalculation when it came to how many children we would be feeding, starting in January.

We were originally told 250.
There are 650!! 

We are moving forward in faith. We know God has plans to bless so many!

We would love for y'all to partner with us.

We need your partnership.

You are providing:
food, jobs, education, homes, and most of all HOPE.

Jump in! Anywhere! 

There is no gift too large or too small!!

Click on that donate link at the top of this page.

And don't hesitate to share with your friends.

We looooove you!