Denver Catholic

11 DENVER CATHOLIC | MAY 14-27, 2016 *Available at time of estimate only! *Maximum available discount 50% Off 3/1/16 rate card. Call for details. (Offer expires 5/27/16) *Based on a 2014 study. OF GREATER DENVER AND NORTHERN COLORADO *Owner operator and proud REGIS UNIVERSITY GRADUATE Karl Scheib says "We hope we can help protect your home and family too!" Over 2 MILLION FEET INSTALLED IN COLORADO! Made In America • FREE In-Home Estimate! METRO 303-816-3555 NORTHERN 970-300-5103 America's #1 Choice for Gutter Protection.* With 35 years experience and over 1 Million satisfi ed customers nationally, Gutter Helmet ® remains the #1 gutter protection system. Labor & Materials! (Offer expires 5/27/16) Up To 50 % OFF* SINCE 2001 CO LO R A D O O W N E D A N D O P E R AT E D F O R YEARS G U T T E R H E L M E T MENTION DENVER CATHOLIC FOR BEST PRICES! 2015 PRICES While Materials Last! SOLUTION Avoid the nasty & dangerous gutter cleaning chore Keeps leaves, needles & debris out year round Installs over new or existing gutters Backed by a triple lifetime 'no clog' warranty Don't Become A Fractured Fred! Hile helps with logistics, such as maintaining a working space for the women and making sure there are enough sewing machines and solar panels. However, she said the artisans are learning how to run businesses on their own and keep detailed budgets. "I just ran the numbers, and in a two year period their income has more than doubled," Hile said. "It's definitely having an impact not just in the money they're making, but that they're work- ing together and learning from each other and learning how to budget. It's teaching them life skills that they are using not only to benefit themselves, but that they'll teach to their children and community." Hile runs Totonga Bomoi from Denver, where she says she has found ample support for the project. In addi- tion to receiving encouragement from neighboring non-profits, she has been invited to sell Totonga Bomoi products at parish fish fries and young adult gatherings. The success is allowing her to begin fundraising for a new cooper- ative that would employ men. "Too often we're presented with an image of Africa where men are lazy or driven only by conflict, but this is false. The continent is full of men who desire to work, to learn, and to serve their families. We want them to know that our social enterprise exists to serve them, too," Hile said. She said this also fits with Totonga Bomoi's mission of strengthen- ing communities by strengthening families. She said at no point has she considered making the program an oppor- tunity for hand outs. She knows the artisans are capable of work and want to learn to provide for themselves. She just helps with logistics and connecting them with consumers. "When I was in grad school, I studied arguments about development work versus aid. Providing handouts isn't going to lead to long-term success," she said. "[Honest work] brings love and pride to the person." Hile said recent pontiffs have inspired her in this. "I'm so inspired by Pope Francis and Pope Benedict, just because of the amount of time they spent discussing family and human dignity. It really drives me in that sense, where I'm part of something bigger than myself,"she said. She specifically pointed to para- graph 192 of Pope Francis' Joy of the Gospel, in which the pope discusses the dignity of work. "[I]t is through free, creative, par- ticipatory and mutually supportive labor that human beings express and enhance the dignity of their lives. A just wage enables them to have adequate access to all the other goods which are destined for our common use," Pope Francis wrote. Hile said that based on her research, she is confident that milleni- als and others will be willing to buy products that they know benefits a community. "Our customers and donors are interested in improving the livelihoods of our artisans and connecting," she said. Artisan Celine Edrako said that Totonga Bomoi has taught her many new skills. However, her favorite part of the experience is the community. PHOTO PROVIDED Totonga Bomoi's artisans with some of their products and Hile, left. PHOTOS PROVIDED.

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