What's your bag?

Everybody has a bag. On my trip into downtown Seattle this last weekend I paid attention to the bags that were all around me. There was the Seattle Symphony bag, the King County Library System bag, the bag that said LOVE, the cute tote that had different kinds of mustaches all over it, the bag with yoga silhouettes, and countless others. And my bag? Well, it was a Zimbag. ((A new kind that we haven't even introduced you to yet and I was 'testing' out, but more on that later.))

3 and a half years ago, Lauren and I decided to make putting an end to extreme poverty in Zimbabwe our bag. We hired women artists in Zimbabwe to create artwork for reusable bags and started sewing the artwork to the bags. It wasn't an easy start and we have been learning as we go (see: English major & History major take on the business world), but we have watched as 7"x7" inch sadza artwork from Zimbabwe gets sewn on to bags and stamped with the Zimbags Z or the phrase "bag poverty" and given a tag with the story of a woman artist we work with. And we have watched Zimbags go out into the world. Every time we sell a bag it is a new thrill, because we know that is more money to go back to purchasing artwork from the women in Zimbabwe, but also because we know that bag can tell a story. That bag has an important history. And right now, the story is a bit grim.

When we first started Zimbags we held an art auction on a snowy night in Seattle. We called it Gallery 33 because the life expectancy for women in Zimbabwe was 33. We held the auction to raise money and awareness for the crisis in Zimbabwe and in hope that the situation would get better. Sadly, it hasn't. The life expectancy for women in Zimbabwe has fallen to 30. 30. And the UN just ranked Zimbabwe the worst place to live.

We don't want to bury you in statistics and sad stories, but 30 as a life expectancy is unacceptable. There won't be a Gallery 30 this year, but please consider supporting Zimbabwean women this holiday season. Make changing the outlook for women in Zimbabwe your bag. Tell the story of these women artists by carrying one of their bags.

Always,

Meghan & Lauren
The Happy (sometimes sad, but always hopeful) Bag Elves

PS -- And don't forget to email us your entries for the November giveaway! (contact@zimbags.org)