The 400 Dresses Project

noreply@blogger.com (Melissa Loves Color) — Sun, 14 Nov 2010 02:41:00 +0000

I just walked into the kitchen to get a drink of water. I put ice in my cup and went for the water cooler. When I realized it was empty, I groaned. Now I have to go out into the garage to bring a new bottle of water in. After I groaned I immediately thought, "Did I just groan about having to walk a few yards out to the garage to bring in my filtered sparkling water a few yard into the house? Wow.

Today at 11:00 we met a group of 33 wonderful people with empty water jugs in hand to walk 3.5 miles to Sonic Burger to fill up our jugs and walk back. We did this to simulate the walk the people of the Bugiri village take once or twice a day to get diseased dirty water for their village. It was great to walk and talk and get just a tiny feel for what it must be like. Well, not really. I mean we chose to do this walk ONE day. And, we had drinking water with us. And, we did it on a beautiful sunny day with a high of 70 degrees.

I know I am still not even close to understanding the life of our Bugiri brothers and sisters, but I do know that I have a greater sense of urgency after today's walk.

Doug had a great idea! He said I should post on my FB asking for just $1 for the well from anyone willing to give. I love this idea because almost everyone will give a dollar! He also had the idea to live in a raised crane until the money is raised. Hmmm....hopefully the "Dollar for a well" idea will work before he moves into a crane.

Click here to give to our 400 Dresses Well Project!

Getting it done!

noreply@blogger.com (Melissa Loves Color) — Tue, 02 Nov 2010 11:53:00 +0000

So, I got a bit sidetracked. Anyone who knows me will not be surprised by that. I am a GREAT, I mean AWESOME starter. Finishing something is not so easy for me. I can come up with an idea, get it going, enthusiastically get people on board and even do a bunch of the work myself. I just am not good at directing other people to help, even when they keep asking me what they can do. In short, I can't do this alone. Fortunately, I have people in my life who ARE good at finishing.

This means, we are back in action thanks to my awesome friend Nancy Chadwick, my husband and The Crossroads. 400 Dresses is now partnering with The Crossroads and their Bugiri Water Well Project. Both projects will direct funds to help the people of Bugiri 1 Uganda. Two projects but one objective: Get Bugiri 1 Uganda fresh water as quickly as possible. I am excited cause this partnership will speed the water well completion!

On November 13, we will be doing the Bugiri 1 Water Walk. We will be simulating the walk that the people of Bugiri travel every day to get DIRTY water to bring back to their village. With empty water jugs in hand, we will walk 3.5 miles from Koina Cafe to Sonic in Anthem, fill up the jugs with water and walk back.

We have other plans to get the money raised for the well. We will still be selling the dresses, but the focus has now shifted from the dresses to the well. In doing this, I believe we will actually be able to send MORE dresses to the girls of Bugiri 1. People can buy a dress, sponsor a dress for a girl in Uganda or just donate money to the well project. I will be having a sewing day where a bunch of us crafty ones can make a bunch of dresses. Anyone want to organize that? :)

For a downloadable INFOGRAPHIC on the project, Infographic ... Bugiri 1 Uganda.

On Fulfillment

noreply@blogger.com (Melissa Loves Color) — Tue, 08 Jun 2010 16:02:00 +0000

I remember once hearing Dr. Laura say that the best treatment for depression is to focus on helping someone else and get the focus off of yourself. For whatever reason, that stuck with me. Maybe because there have been times in my life when I struggled with depression. I haven't been depressed in years, but I thought about that yesterday. So, what brought that to my mind yesterday? I was thinking about how full of joy I've felt working on the 400 Dresses Project.

I've done a lot of fulfilling things in my life. Just to mention a couple, I'm mothering and homeschooling three amazing kids, I've trained for and completed a 26.2 mile marathon. But, those are things that directly benefit me in tangible ways. I have been extremely busy working on this project. I talk about it whenever I get the chance. Sometimes at 4:30 am, the thought of girls walking for murky water and dresses waiting to be sewn wake me up. I get up and get to work. And, it's not the kind of work that is drudgery. I should be tired (and physically I am), but mentally, emotionally and spiritually I'm....well, wide awake.

I didn't start this project because I was depressed. I started this project because I wanted to put action behind my faith. And, what a surprise! I've benefited more from this project than I could have imagined!

Cousins in Matching Dresses!

noreply@blogger.com (Melissa Loves Color) — Sun, 06 Jun 2010 22:01:00 +0000

Well, the dresses aren't identical but aren't they cute? As more girls get the dresses, I'm going to post pictures. It's so fun to see all of the different girls in the dresses!

Project Update

noreply@blogger.com (Melissa Loves Color) — Sat, 05 Jun 2010 21:56:00 +0000

I finally have internet back at home, so I have time to update you on our SUPER EXCITING project!

In early January, our family decided that we wanted to help drill a water well in Africa. God sent an amazing friend into our lives about two weeks later. It just so happens that Julie works for Hope 4 Kids International and it also just so happens that H4KI drills water wells in Africa! I asked Julie how much it would cost and she told me it would cost $10,150. GULP! The funny thing is that the number I had in my mind that we could manage to do somehow was $4,000. Well, I guess God needed us to have a goal that we really didn't feel we could achieve on our own and $10,150 was an amount we didn't think we could raise.

A division of H4KI is called Hope 4 Women and they have a program called Dress A Girl Around the World. After looking at the dress program, I had an idea! We could make boutique quality pillowcase dresses in pairs, send one to Uganda and one to the purchaser. That would be how we'd raise the money for the well!

I had no idea it would take me until JUNE to finally have everything in place to really start sewing and selling the dresses in earnest. It took all of that time to raise the money to purchase the fabric for the dresses. I really wanted the dresses to be made with great quality designer fabric because even girls in extreme poverty deserve to feel like a princess. Kristin at Sew, Mama, Sew! allowed us to buy all of our fabric (27 bolts!) at her cost!

The orders are rolling in and we are about 1/10th of our way to our goal!

AND just today, we received a very large check in the mail from an out of state friend. I had NO idea she and her husband were planning to donate to our well!

We met with the President of Hope 4 Kids today and I am just so inspired. I asked him if the villagers know we are raising money for a well for them and he said they do! And, as soon as they get their new well, 80% of the diseases that kill their children will be gone immediately! Lives will be saved right away! I am just beyond excited about that.

If you know anyone who you think might like a dress, would you pass on our website and our 400 Dresses Etsy shop? And, if you feel led to, please pray for our village.

Here is info on our village...Bugiri 1, Uganda:

"A well will mean saving a village of more than 15,000 from common preventable and treatable diseases, like the Dysentery, the #3 killer in East Africa. Here is your village profile information where we will be drilling your well.

Village: Burgiri 1
Parish: Bugiri
Sub County: Kasasira
County: Kibuku
District: Pallisa
Population: Adults 5,000 Children 10,300
Water Source: River Water
Distance: 6 kilometres

The name of this village is Bugiri 1 located in Eastern Uganda. Bugiri 1 is a densely populated village up in the Pallisa District which is at a high elevation and has a very dry and desolate climate. There are 5000 adults and 10,300 children in Bugiri. In the areas surrounding Bugiri 1, there is a primary school, a Trading Centre, and a Health Centre. All of the people who use these would find great benefit in having a well in Bugiri 1.

The current water source for Bugiri 1 is a river 6 kilometers (3.6 miles) away. The river is a source shared with animals and also is used as a swimming pool. The animals contaminate the water, posing serious health hazards.

Many times, the children of the home are responsible for collecting the water, mostly the girls. This forces them to stay home and not attend school. The river is also a place for fishing. Tragically, many of the fishermen corrupt under-aged children as they come to collect water. Not only is this something no child should face, they are often exposed to HIV as well.

A well in Bugiri 1 will make a huge difference for the people in and around the village. Disease will go down, the children will be able to attend school, the girls will be safe from the fishermen."