Denver Catholic

10 MAY 14-27, 2016 | DENVER CATHOLIC Around the Archdiocese 7 Reasons You Need an Estate Plan 1. PROBATE COSTS AND DELAYS: Avoid potential delays up to twelve months or more. 2. NURSING HOME COSTS: Protect your nest egg from nursing home costs which average $8,000 per month in Colorado! 3. DIVORCE: Up to 50% of your assets could walk out the door with your ex in-law. 4. REMARRIAGE: Prevent your assets from going to a stranger instead of your children if your spouse gets remarried after your death. 5. ESTATE TAXES: Eliminate or minimize federal estate taxes. 6. INHERITANCE: Prevent underage children or irresponsible adults from spending their inheritance all at once. 7. INCAPACITY: Avoid a publicly humiliating and expensive guardianship proceeding if you become incapacitated. Learn more about the benefi ts of having a Living Trust. Call 303.736.6060 or go online to www. ColoradoEstatePlan.com 7807 E. Peakview Ave. • Suite 130 • Centennial • CO • 80111 www.ColoradoEstatePlan.com • 303.736.6060 "Our clients' satisfaction is 100% guaranteed!" "Our clients' satisfaction "Our clients' satisfaction Catherine Hammond , Attorney Free Workshop on Wills, Trusts, and Estate Planning Presented by Hammond Law Group Register Today! Call 303.736.6060 Tuesday, June 7th 2:00 PM or 6:30 PM Hampton Inn and Suites Highlands Ranch 3095 W. County Line Road Littleton, CO 80129 Saturday, June 11th 10:00 AM Hilton Garden Inn Denver/ Highlands Ranch 1050 Plaza Drive Highlands Ranch, CO 80126 MELISSA KEATING T he fabrics featured on Totonga Bomoi are the kind of riotous, fun collection of color and geo- metric prints that you rarely, if ever, find in an American mall. There's a "Mobali neck tie" as bright yellow as a lemon rind, covered in checks with additional pattern inside. One of the totes for sale is made out of tan and gray hexagons, with a bright green design printed over them. Upon closer inspec- tion, there are even 3-D squares with di'erent colored patterns. The people of the Democratic Repub- lic of the Congo (DRC) buy these fabrics at their local market, and know the local and cultural significance of each cloth. They also know how to sew these fabrics into beautiful bags, ties and more. They just need someone to buy them. Enter Katie Hile. Denver Catholic Katie Hile is con- necting these Congolese artisans with buyers here in the States. "We believe that by honoring tra- ditional roles of society, we can create sustainable communities capable of overcoming challenges where govern- ments and NGOs have failed," she said. The DRC is located in Central Africa, a continent with a rapidly growing number of Catholics. According to a study pub- lished by Georgetown University, the number of Catholics in Africa increased by 238 percent from 1980 to 2012. Hile was able to spend a year in Africa, ending in 2011, through a pro- gram run by the Canossian sisters. The sisters are perhaps most famous for St. Josephine Bakhita, a former slave who joined their order in 1896. Hile worked on a variety of commu- nity projects in Congo. She also lived a life of prayer and fellowship with the other volunteers and the sisters. "Our days were shaped by service and prayer together," Hile said. "That made the experience for me, the community aspect of what the sisters o'ered." During this time, a Congolese friend asked Hile for a $1,000 loan to build a house. Hile requested that her friend make 25 handbags in exchange for the money. The success of the exchange stayed with Hile even as she returned to the States. "On my flight home, I imagined all the opportunities ahead, if we were to create a business," Hile said. "In 2014, I returned to my friends in Congo and shared the many economic and social benefits that a cooperative would bring. In their resounding joy (and my own), I knew I had found my purpose." Hile combined her studies in Diplo- macy and International Relations with the skills of women in the Congo to create a cooperative. She named it "Totonga Bomoi", which means "build our future" in the Congolese language Lingala. The artisans buy their cloth at their local markets. They then create bags, ties and more out of the fabric. Each product is handmade, and each product is unique. They also each come with a photo and the story of one of the artisans. " Build our future": African artisans and American buyers work together TOTONGA BOMOI i Shop and learn about Totonga Bomoi: www.AfricanArtisans.org Connect with Totonga Bomoi: bomoibags@gmail.com

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