There’s power in giving…

Of your time, talent, money, or possessions…

There’s joy in it too – but it took me longer to figure this out than I’d like to admit.

In college, I bought a black, OBEY t-shirt online that quickly became my favorite article of clothing. One of the residents in my dorm loved that shirt as well, and was sure to compliment me on it every time he saw me wearing it. After a few months, I started to feel a marked conviction to give that guy my OBEY t-shirt – not because I didn’t like it, but because he liked it so much. The next time he complimented me, that’s exactly what I did. I literally gave him the shirt off my back. He was surprised, grateful, and full of joy – and so was I.

Inspired, I decided to see if I could help my classmates experience that same thrill. The idea of a campus-wide thrift store coalesced in my mind. I organized it, encouraging my classmates to give generously in order to bless others and find the freedom and joy of giving for themselves. Many did, and our efforts resulted in a $6000 donation to Out-of-Africa Missions and Bethesda AIDS Care Clinic in South Africa, a country God had burdened my heart for during a study-abroad experience a year previously.

Their greatest need is employment.

The South African unemployment rate officially stands at 25%, but many estimate it to be closer to 40% in reality. Accordingly, while small donations are always helpful, homegrown problems are often best solved by homegrown solutions. That’s why we started Themba International – to form long-term partnerships with local organizations to activate local people to equip themselves and thereby help communities cultivate sustainable livelihoods. We do this through fashion, and help local people develop small businesses ‘resurrecting’ used clothing into new garments.

Consume with conscience.

This provides you with an opportunity – you can make a difference. Here at Themba, we are committed to the work of knitting people together through helping communities provide practical skills training and opportunities for self-employment. In turn, people become interconnected as members of the same garment. In a society that fragments and isolates individuals from each other, our community enacts the counter culture of “themba,” or hope, to show that we can only live abundantly when we give to each other. This abundant life is embodied through Themba’s four C’s: Community, Craft, Creation, and Christ. Join us in our work of using the fabric of our clothing to restore the fabric of our humanity.

WE ARE KNIT TOGETHER,

Jeff Johnson

Founder of Themba International