Karama!

As I've started back up here with my new role, I wanted to share some of the excitement and vision for this coming year.  As most of you know, I am back in Tanzania working full-time on staff with the (incredible!) organization Karama.  Over the course of the past year here teaching (which was wonderful in so many ways and definitely the role God called me to here last year), God led me to Karama and to a more long-term role with them. He is graciously using the gifts, visions, and desires He has placed within me to help assist the lives of many here.... the beautiful yet marginalized individuals on this continent.... and I couldn't be more honored for this privilege and the position He has given me.

Karama was started about 4-5 years ago to support marginalized individuals in Africa by giving them sustainable work, with fair wages, which in turn gives them lasting DIGNITY.  We do this by purchasing *beautiful* hand-crafted products from them {jewelry/scarves/bags/home goods} and selling them in the States.  Many of the artisans we support are disabled or HIV+, and the others are otherwise marginalized in society and would likely be reduced to a life of poverty and begging if it weren't for the provision provided by the employment we help give them.  We partner with many other established organizations (other non-profits who work with local marginalized people to give them sustainable work)- by purchasing & selling products from them (and in turn increasing the impact they are making in the lives of these artisans)- as well as supporting other disadvantaged artisans we have developed relationships with (by selling their beautiful items and training them in their skills in the process so that they are set up for more long-term success and sustainable employment).  There is MUCH that we do- too much to contain in one small blog post- so please check out our website for more on what we do and more on the artisans that we support (and to see some of the beautiful products that we carry) :-)  www.karamagifts.com  Proceeds from our sales also go to Young Life Africa's ministries to send kids in Africa to camp (where they have the best week of their lives!), to grow Young Life's ministry here and the eternal impact that they are making on this continent.

I am actually the first person to be on staff with Karama (and still cannot believe the honor & privilege God has entrusted me with through this role!), as it has been all volunteer-led up until this point.  Dyan Larmey (the founder) started Karama as a small vision and dream ("on the side" of her many other roles & callings here) to support disadvantaged Africans, and over the past few years it has grown to the point where it is now, where we need actual *staff* to keep running and growing things! (cue in *me*)

My year will consist of a lot of designing, relationship-building, encouraging, exhorting, loving, planning, organizing, ordering, working long days & long nights, traveling, dreaming, and following. (Following the Holy Spirit as He leads us where He intends for us to go).  I will be helping to design new products which will be marketable in the States, helping to then market those products in the states, helping to organize and run our systems so that we can function efficiently and then have much room to GROW, helping to develop our relationships further with the artisans we support, and acting as a voice to people in the West to "defend the cause of the poor and needy" (Jer. 22:16.... a verse God just keeps bringing me back to....).  There is SO much opportunity and potential ahead of me and all of us associated with Karama.... to GROW and GROW....  and to thus grow the impact we are making in the lives of the disadvantaged here.  I deeply covet your prayers as I move forward and go where God is calling me to go (and all of us at Karama).  I truly could not do this work without the prayers of others!  (please never underestimate the *huge* and *eternal* impact prayer makes!!)

Some of the beautiful women we support.... These women make our paper bead necklaces in Uganda (beads which are each hand-made by individually rolling recycled scraps of paper.... turning otherwise discarded pieces into something of value & beauty.... one of our favorite purposes at Karama :-))

 

The Karama Mamas :)

(on a trip here to Tanzania from the States last year)

Dyan Larmey (Founder) is on the right and Jill Morley (soon to be Executive Director) is in the pink.

Each of the other ladies (Heather, Jane, Susan, Kim) is hugely important to Karama and helps make it what it is (by investing *huge* hours on a volunteer basis!)

SO thankful for these incredible women and SO humbled to be part of what God is doing through Karama!

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Stay tuned for more stories about Karama and the beautiful people we support.

And check out our Karama Blog in the meantime! http://www.karamagifts.com/blog/