The Lives Behind the Numbers

The average teacher, government worker, or civil servant in Zimbabwe makes about $200 a month. Recently the state statistics agency in Zimbabwe put the poverty line for a family of five in Zimbabwe at $467.

Just to eat the bare minimum amount of calories to stay healthy, a family must spend $150. Teachers, government workers, and civil servants can’t afford to house, clothe, and feed their families, let alone pay for schooling or healthcare.

And when you look at the country as a whole, they are the lucky ones. Most Zimbabweans are unemployed and living on less than $1 a day.

Of course, these numbers are heartbreaking and shocking, but behind the numbers are the actual people living their lives and working hard.

There are 5 women artists we know in Zimbabwe that are working hard to provide for their families. They create art using the sadza technique. They cook cornmeal (sadza), create traditional Zimbabwean designs and art with the sadza on cotton fabric, wait for the sadza to dry in the sun, paint over the design, seal the paint with heat, and then remove the sadza from the fabric.

This process is time and skill intensive. The artwork produced is vibrant and beautiful, like the Zimbabwean spirit. We purchase this artwork at fair prices and sell it in our webstore where you can make the beautiful artwork your own while empowering women in Zimbabwe.

Like the woman in this beautiful sadza painting, the women artists we work with gracefully balance their burdens and carry their families as they walk toward their future.

Thanks for supporting Zimbags and helping these women lighten their heavy burdens.

Always,

The Happy Bag Elves

Product We Heart: Falling Whistle

Falling Whistle is a campaign for peace in Congo. They sell whistles that are usually used with child soldiers in Congo to spread the word and "blow the whistle" on the war taking place there.

From the Falling Whistle website:

Falling Whistles gives a small window into our world’s largest war. Originally just a journal written about boys sent to the frontlines of war armed with only a whistle, readers forwarded it with the same kind of urgency in which it was written and demanded to know –

What can we do?

The Falling Whistles campaign launched with a simple response – make their weapon your voice and be a whistleblower for peace in Congo. Read the story and buy the whistle. Proceeds go to rehabilitate and advocate for war-affected children. Share their story and speak up for them.

Together, we’ll become the voice of a growing coalition for peace in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

100% of the proceeds go directly to rehabilitate war-affected children and to advocate for their freedom.

On top of all of the great things Falling Whistle is doing, they have made the whistles beautiful. Each shiny whistle is on a necklace. There are four different styles of whistle. Our favorites are the Original ($34) and the Brushed ($44).

We love products that tell a story and do great things for people. And we love them even more when they are pretty! These whistles would make great presents because they give twice.

Happy Friday!

The Happy Bag Elves

2011!

Happy New Year to you! A lot of us are busy making New Year's Resolutions for the year. With a new calendar comes a fresh start to be better versions of ourselves. We want to give you a few ways Zimbags can help with your resolutions.

Here are 11 ways Zimbags can help in the New Year....

1. Get in shape. Use a ZIMtote or ZIMblack tote to carry your workout clothes, yoga mat, running shoes, and water bottle to the gym.

2. Keep working out! Wear your ZIMshirt out on your run or walk.... get a good workout and show off your rocking style and body. Or take your ZIMchalk bag to the climbing gym to show people how you can hang from a rock by one finger.... and in style while helping women half-way around the world.

3. Do what matters, spend time with family. Spend more time with your baby cuddled up in his or her cute ZIMonsie! Or make dinner with your honey and serve it on a ZIMtablecloth. Or cuddle up on the couch and admire your beautiful, new ZIMwall hanging. Or pack lunches with the little ones the night before school in their ZIMlunch mini (napkin notes with lots of hearts are especially fun!).

4. Spend time with friends. Bring dinner and wine from the market to your friends in the spacious ZIMshopper. Send a faraway friend a note on a ZIMbag card to let them know you are thinking of them.

5. Eat better. Pack your ZIMmarket mini full of yummy veggies and fruits. And then carry them all home in your ZIMfolding shopper.

6. Learn something new. Pull your glasses out of your ZIMpouch mini and read the news (and Zimblog). There is always something new to learn. And each Zimbags product comes with the story of one of the women artists...it's always great to read someone else's story, especially if you are helping them.

7. Get organized. Write your lists in a ZIMjournal, keep a ZIMfolding shopper in your purse so you don't forget your reusable bags, and keep your coupons tidy in a ZIMpouch mini.

8. Save money. Use any of your reusable Zimbags to get discounts a discount at the grocery store, Target, IKEA, or many other stores. Choose to reuse and not use plastic and you are bringing down prices in the long run. If we get rid of the need for plastic bags, stores won't have to buy them.

9. Do something good for the planet. We work hard to bring you products that not only help you reduce the need for plastic and trash, but we work hard to keep our process environmentally friendly. All of our bags are made from recycled fibers or plastics or are organic. The paper we print our tags, invoices, and information on is made from recycled paper bags and can be recycled when you are done with it. Each bag gives you the opportunity to say no to plastic bags. And if you give gifts in Zimbags, you reduce the amount of trash being produced. We believe every small step is important. So we try to focus on not only the big things, but the small things we can do to help. Find out more here.

10. Give great gifts. This year, make sure to give great gifts to those you love. Zimbags not only make wonderful gifts, they make meaningful gifts. And not just for the person you are giving them to, but to the women artists who make the beautiful artwork. Share Zimbags this year. And if you are shopping for one of your hard-to-shop-for friends, give a Zimbags gift certificate! There is something for everyone in our webstore.

11. Do something good for others. Share the Zimbags story with your friends and families. Each bag features the artwork of women artists in Zimbabwe and all of the proceeds go directly back to them. The women in Zimbabwe face extreme poverty, low life expectancies, and hardships that most of us can barely even imagine .... every purchase you make is a help in the lives of these women and their families. And we are always looking for volunteers and donations to help. If your resolution is to help others, you're in the right place!

Here's a beautiful song for you today:

Happy New Years!

-The Happy Bag Elves

What's Up: Zimbabwe

Photo via Reuters

Thanks to The Economist, Zimbabwe has been making it into the news recently.

These two articles have proposed some ways to deal with the political situation and explain the current climate of the once thriving country:

Call Robert Mugabe's Bluff

Can Robert Mugabe Ever Be Persuaded to Give Up?


I truly believe that there is a solution to the problems facing Zimbabwe at the moment. And I think that it starts with the people. Of course, the government and police and economy need to be fixed. But while they are running in circles and dodging responsibility, we can help the people of Zimbabwe by supporting organizations doing work on the ground in Zimbabwe, buy products from artisans and craftsman in Zimbabwe, support students in Zimbabwe so that the next generation is educated and ready to lead their nation, and come up with new, creative, and sustainable solutions to the extreme poverty facing most Zimbabweans.

We can be a real part of the solution. Here are some great organizations that are doing work in Zimbabwe and how you can get involved:

Tariro
Sponsor a girl student, make a donation towards school book and medical care, or simply sign up for their newsletter to stay informed and spread the word.

Zimbabwe Artists Project (ZAP)
Purchase artwork by artists in Weya, Zimbabwe, volunteer, have a house party, or spread the word about their work.

EcoAfrica
Check out their cool handmade paper and products!

Ten Thousand Villages
This great fair trade store offers products from all over the world. Check out these beautiful dolls made in Zimbabwe.


There are solutions! Sometimes it is as simple as making more intentional purchases when shopping.

Have a great day,
The Happy Bag Elves