The Mighty River Project Giveaway + #YOLOmondays Link-Up!

still being molly maternity style: Mighty River Project magazine bead necklace, jean jacket, kelly green blouse, mint jeans still being molly maternity style: Mighty River Project magazine bead necklace, jean jacket, kelly green blouse, mint jeans still being molly maternity style: Mighty River Project magazine bead necklace, jean jacket, kelly green blouse, mint jeans still being molly maternity style: Mighty River Project magazine bead necklace, jean jacket, kelly green blouse, mint jeans still being molly maternity style: Mighty River Project magazine bead necklace, jean jacket, kelly green blouse, mint jeans

Yeah, I decided to bring my little Audrey girl with me to take pictures. Isn’t she the prettiest? still being molly maternity style: Mighty River Project magazine bead necklace, jean jacket, kelly green blouse, mint jeans still being molly maternity style: Mighty River Project magazine bead necklace, jean jacket, kelly green blouse, mint jeans

Audrey is a natural model.still being molly maternity style: Mighty River Project magazine bead necklace, jean jacket, kelly green blouse, mint jeans{{Blouse: Fab’rik Chapel Hill (similar)
{{Jacket: LOFT
{{Jeans: Target
{{Shoes: Target
{{Necklace: The Mighty River Project c/o (last seen worn here)
{{Clutch: The Pleated Poppy c/o
Photos taken by Brooke 🙂

So often I feel excited when I introduce you guys to a company or a business or a brand I love. But today it’s a little different.

handsI am, literally, HONORED to introduce you to The Mighty River Project (TMRP). I’ve been following TMRP for a while and I am absolutely in awe of what founders Erin and Scott Littleton have done. Y’all know I have a heart for Africa as I’ve done mission work there. Well, Erin and Scott took their love of Africa, specifically their love of the country of Uganda, and took it a step further.

I wanted y’all to hear about TMRP from Erin herself:

My husband, Scott, and I founded TMRP almost 2 years ago.  We had taken several trips to Uganda, one for an extended period of time to help out at a babies’ home, and also ended up adopting a 3 and a 5 year old from that babies’ home.  After a time of settling into our new family (and having a belly baby!) we felt strongly that God wanted our family back in Uganda, serving the people that we had come to love so dearly.

We knew that we were meant to care for orphans (a la James 1:27), and spent several months praying and seeking counsel about what, practically, we were supposed to do once our plane landed on that gorgeous orange clay soil.  One issue that kept coming to the forefront of our attention was that so many of the Ugandan orphans that we had cared for and fallen in love with lived in care facilities for entirely preventable reasons.  In fact, many of the children that we knew had living parents, who were simply unable to care for them.

So we started TMRP (named for Amos 5:24 — “Let justice roll on like a river”, and also because Uganda is home to the source of the Nile) with the aim of coming alongside vulnerable families, with children on the brink of orphanhood due to illness, poverty, disability, etc, to give them the social, emotional, spiritual, and practical tools to be able to stay in tact.

juliet pic
This is Juliet

Like a river changes the surrounding landscape bit by bit, inch by inch, by simply flowing, we hope to create small, sustainable changes that eventually change the landscape of Uganda. There are two main parts to our program:  What we are doing now, and what we hope to do long-term.

Currently, we employ four artisans: Juliet and Dorothy make baskets, Teo makes magazine bead necklaces, and Rita makes aprons and bags.  We pay them a fair price in the local economy for their products, then find market for them in the US.

TMRP’s partnership with these mothers allows them a consistent monthly income that helps them provide for their families.  The proceeds from these crafts not only support these women and their families, but also allow TMRP to help with emergency needs that arise in the communities where we work as well as with livestock microlending and other initiatives that give families the ability to have that leg up that will keep them together.  We aim to do this in a very sustainable way that in no way creates dependency on handouts.

As a mama to three, I am passionate about TMRP because, for one, I can’t fathom being so alone and in so desperate a situation that I had no other choice but to place my children in an orphanage.  Even if we can help a few families avoid this fate, we will count that as success.  In addition, as we tangibly come alongside these women, we are excited about showing them a God who loves them with abandon.  

The most recent woman to become part of The Mighty River Project family is Juliet.  She is a single mom of four kids, and a widow.  Her auntie taught her to make banana fiber baskets when she was a child, and she says that she was given a gift when she learned to make these baskets.  Because Juliet has this skill, she is able to provide for and educate her four children.  We are thrilled to be a part of that, and are excited to pass the gift of basket-making on to other mamas.   –ErinTeo-collage

How inspiring is Erin? I know, right?

Well, want to find out how you can get involved in The Mighty River Project?

  1. Shopping the store is a great one, as proceeds go back to TMRP program; the more product they are able to find market for, the more women they can add to the program, and the more families are strengthened!
  2. Donating monthly or one-time is another great way to get involved.  Donations go towards getting their full-time program up and running in Uganda. Put it this way, if everyone reading this post RIGHT NOW donated just $5 per month, TMRP could be on the ground in Uganda full-time by this fall! Yeah. That’s awesome. I became a monthly donor of TMRP and I am PROUD to be a part of such an amazing organization. I mean, even $5 or $10 a month makes a HUGE difference!
  3. Hosting a home party is another way that North Carolinians and others within a 250 mile radius of Winston Salem can help out!  Hosts of a home party provide a venue for TMRP to set up their store for a few hours (in a home, apartment, church, etc.) and invite all your friends.  They talk a little bit about who they are and what they do, and then the shopping begins! Hosts also get a store credit as a thank you for helping them spread the word.

Well, Erin has been SO SO SO SO generous as to giveaway a choice handmade magazine bead necklace to one lucky still being [molly] reader. Use the Rafflecopter tool below to enter!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
stillbeingmollyHappy YOLO Monday!  Each week, Carly & I will be selecting a few of our favorite posts from the Monday before to feature. It’s a great way to put the spotlight on a few of y’all each week!  Please be sure to link up an ACTUAL post, not just a link to your main page. Our favs from last week?

~pink and colorful bubbles~

~5 simple rules for shopping~

~Just Tulle-ing Around~

~Ways to Wear Gingham~

The Rules for #YOLOMONDAYS Link-Ups:

      1. Follow your hosts Molly @ still being [molly] and Carly at Lipgloss & Crayons
      2. Grab a button and / or post a link back here in your BLOG POST (NOT your blog’s main page) so your readers know what all the #YOLOMONDAY-ness is about. We love you guys linking up and we do go through and read all your posts… so if you do not give credit, we will have to remove your link. That’s no fun, right? Right. So be nice and share a link! Pretty please?
      3. Link your blog post up using the linky tool below! It can be ANYTHING! An outfit post, a giveaway, a story, a recipe, whatever. Why? Cause it’s #YOLOMONDAYS!
      4. Visit a blog or four that you’ve never been to before and leave a #YOLOMONDAYS comment – you never know, you might “meet” someone new that you will lurve!
      5. Have fun! Cause #YOLO!

 


77 Comments

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  4. This is awesome! I don’t usually get excited about “save Africa” efforts because a lot of times they do more harm than help… but the mighty river project’s goal in keeping families together is SUCH a great picture of the gospel. I love it!

    I really like the partly cloudy necklace in their store.

    Also, Molly, you are SO cute pregnant. Just sayin’.

    – Deanna

    Reply

  5. This is awesome… I don’t usually get excited about “save Africa” efforts because a lot of times they’re not very sustainable. But I LOVE the Mighty River Project’s goal of keeping families together – what a beautiful picture of the gospel!

    I looked through the store and I think the partly cloudy necklace is my fave!

    – Deanna

    Reply
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  15. Audrey and her mom are as cute as can be!! Thanks for sharing Erin and her husband’s cause. So touching and gives hope for all that is good going on in this world. God bless!

    Reply
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  21. I’m really loving how you paired mint with teal and then toned the whole look down with denim. And of course, I cannot help but love lots of photos of your adorable little Audrey! What a cutie!
    Thanks so much for the giveaway – I took a look at the store and the Tendril magazine bead necklace is my favorite – it’s such a fun color for spring!

    xo
    Kym
    bitty.and.bunny

    Reply
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  29. Molly, you are absolutely glowing and you little Audrey couldn’t be any sweeter! The Mighty River project sounds AWESOME – I love projects that empower women to care for themselves and their families. Hope you are doing well, friend!

    Reply

  32. Hey beautiful! So…mint and yellow… those are my favorite colors on you. 🙂

    I LOVE MRP ever since I first heard about them from a previous mention you gave them on Twitter. Thank you for shedding light on such a beautiful cause.

    I would choose the pumpkin necklace, love that shade of orange! 🙂

    Reply

  35. 1. Your bump looks adorable in green!
    2. I wish I had heard of the TMRP sooner. I live near Winston- Salem, but we are moving back to Turkey this month, so no parties. Thanks for sharing about them Molly, this is a beautiful project. Speaks straight to my heart.
    3. Thanks for picking my little shopping post this week!
    Have a blessed Monday,
    ~Priscila

    Reply

  39. I love the zucchini magazine bead necklace! Such a beautiful shade of green… Perfect for spring!
    Thank you!

    Reply

  42. how do i not know you have a dog?? she is just the prettiest and she got a great cut by the way i saw on instagram or facebook can’t remember she is quite a beauty. love your outfit molly

    Reply

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