A Timbali Purse for My Birthday

Last month I celebrated yet another birthday.  My husband usually showers me with lots of gifts...you know, all the things you wouldn't necessarily buy for yourself and then some.  I never know what to expect.  May is a biggie for me because it's Mother's Day, my Birthday and also mine and Todd's anniversary.  So I pretty much get the royal treatment over a period of a couple of weeks!

Recently we were at a big craft show with lots of vendors and what a wonderful surprise to find out that Timbali had a booth there!  We were busy selling our Chloe's Closet stuff but unknown to me, my daughter Hannah snuck over there and bought me this beautiful purse!  She knew how much I loved all of the purses from Timbali crafts....we have been on their website many times dreaming of which purses we would buy if we had the extra money and we also spent time reading about the many women in Swaziland that are being helped by this program.

My purse was made by a woman named Jabulile

"Jabulile Gamedze is 46 years old, the mother of 11 children, and was widowed in 1998. Jabulile cares for all 5 of her grandchildren, one who is an orphan and the others who have been abandoned by their parents. Jabulile has one son that is employed and lives in her home". 

"Jabulile has volunteered at her neighborhood care point since 2002, and says she wants to help stop poverty, and offer education to the children at the care point who can’t go to school. In 2008 she lost most of her possesions in a house fire. Jabulile Nkambule is 42 years old. She is married, but her husband has left her to take another wife. She has no children and lives by herself. Jabulile has volunteered at her neighborhood care point for orphans and vulnerable children since 2002. Jabulile takes care of a nephew who has been very sick and is HIV positive. She started volunteering because she loves children and has never had any of her own". 


Here is a video that will show you a bit about the program:

"In a country where 2/3 of the population lives on less an a dollar a day, many of the Timbali women earn between $70 and $100 a month. Money earned by the Timbali women goes to help with the basic needs of their families such as school fees, medical care, food, and housing. The women are also assisted in saving throughout the year, in preparation for school fees due each January".


"The women themselves face many hardships: most are either widowed or abandoned, many are single mothers, or grandmothers raising their orphaned grandchildren. Timbali Crafts was started in 2006 to help reach out to the physical and spiritual needs of these hard-working women and their families who would otherwise have little or none".


I absolutely LOVE my Timbali purse!  Check out their website....you can see all of the different kinds of bags and purses these ladies make and you can read about each of them and see how Timbali has helped them to provide for their family and to have a better life!  I would much rather buy a purse from one of these women than buy one off the shelf at a local store....they make great gifts too!


May you be blessed by these ladies and by the Timbali organization.....isn't about time you got a new purse?!  =)


Have a great day.....
Wendy