A. Our Priority Deadlines now occur monthly, so send your purses any time.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. Can I Mail My Completed Purse In After October 1st?
Q. Can I Sell The Purses I Make?
A. Yes. Our hope would be that you’d donate the money you raise to support our project, but if you need it for other reasons – that’s okay too!
Q. Can I Donate A Purse I Make To A Local Girl In Need?
A. Yes – we’d love to have you use our pattern as a ministry tool in your community.
Q. Can You Pay For Shipping?
A. Learn more about our shipping and drop-off options here.
Q. Can We Make Purses As A Group?
A. Yes! If you have a women’s ministry program at your church, a Girl Scout Troop, or another type of club – we’d love to have you coordinate a group effort.
Q. I Live In Seattle – Can I Drop Off My Purses?
A. It’s simplest if you just mail your purses to the address listed. Unfortunately we cannot accept local deliveries. However, if you’re doing an event in Seattle, let us know! Maybe we can come and speak to your group. Use the contact form to get in touch.
Q. I Don’t Sew – How Else Can I Help?
A. If you don’t sew – you’ve got a great opportunity to become an advocate for the program. We have a Service Project Starter Kit we'd love to send to you. Request it here. It explains 10 ways you can help.
Q. What Happens After You Receive The Purses?
A. We coordinate shipping in partnership with a large non-profit organization. The purses go on a cargo container on an ocean liner, which can take several months. We strive to get the purses to Zambia as quickly as we can.
Q. I Can Sew, But Not Very Well. Is The Pattern Hard?
A. The pattern has an easy option for beginning sewers – it allows you to skip a lot of steps – that should help! There is also a video tutorial you can watch here.
Q. Can I Send You A Box Of My Leftover Supplies?
A. Unfortunately at this time we cannot accept donations of random items. If you’d like, you can sell them and send us the money.
Q. Can I Just Collect Random Purses And Send Them To You?
A. No, we are only interested in receiving the Liberty Jane Cross body Purse!
Q. Do I Have To Use A Specific Fabric For The Purses?
A. You can use any material you’d like as you make the purses. Denim and canvas are good choices, or any heavy-weight material you like. If you use quilting cotton, we recommend using interfacing to add stiffness. Regarding colors and prints, we’ve found that girls love colorful purses, vibrant florals, geometrics, and creative embellishments! Although we’ve never had a problem with culturally insensitive prints, hyenas, bats, owls, and cats have a negative connotation in some of the more rural areas of the Country. For this reason, our staff in Zambia, who understand the nuances of their regional culture, manage the distribution in a manner sensitive to those cultural differences.
Q. Can I Keep A Purse I Make?
A. Yes – we’d love to have you make a matching purse and keep one and send one to Africa.