Korah Tote [The Village We Serve]
The Korah Tote is named after the village where Carry 117 is located. Korah is located southwest of Addis Ababa, which is the capital of Ethiopia. This tote was one of our very first all leather bags and continues to be one of the main staples at Carry 117.
“Korah is known as one of the poorest places in Addis. Within the village of Korah you won’t be able to miss the mountains of trash that is known as the “trash dump.” This trash dump helps support over 200,000+ orphans, widows, women, and children each day. When Carry 117 first moved into Korah, there were a lot of mud compounds and dirt roads. Fast forward 5 years later and there are a number of concrete houses being built, hand-placed cobblestone roads, and other government buildings surrounding this village known as Korah. It has grown so much since Carry 117 has called it home. Our first compound consisted of mud walls and dirt floors with no running water. 5 years later we have running water, a working kitchen, storage rooms, sewing rooms, product room, a courtyard for the kids to safely play, grass in the courtyard, and an actual store for people to visit. Growing and building our community has been a blessing and one we hope to continue to shed light onto this place that many Ethiopians don’t even know exists. Some may have not even heard of it until the trash dump landslide happened 3 years ago in March 2017. We are wanting to continue to show that the people who call Korah home are not forgotten. That’s why Carry 117, along with several other organizations in Korah, are committing to restoring dignity in the lives of the people who live here. It’s one of the reasons why we hire dozens of at-risk women from Korah to work at Carry 117, so they can provide for their families by learning skills.”
- Henok Berhanu, Founder and CEO of Carry 117
The Korah tote is one of our most popular bags. Our customers love its simplicity, its size, and most of all, the story behind it. One of them said, “I have been looking for a leather tote for a very long time that didn’t break the bank. And this was a great cause. Win win!!!”
Another stated, “I love my Korah tote so much that I bought this one for my mother in law for her birthday- such a beautiful, useful gift that empowers women across the ocean. Purchase with a purpose.”
The Korah Tote is made with premium quality leather with one single compartment with one small side pocket inside. There are two 28” loop leather straps. The Carry 117 logo is stamped into the leather on the front lower corner of one side. This bag comes in many colors that include gray, black, brown, chestnut, and tan.
We feel like when you carry this Korah tote you are empowering not only the women that work at Carry 117, but also the 200,000+ people that call this special village home. Carrying this bag encompasses what Carry 117 is all about. You may think you are just carrying a bag, but we feel like you are helping shed light onto the oppressed, the orphans, the widows, and forgotten in this beautiful village we call Korah.
To learn more about the history of the village of Korah, click here.
To purchase a Korah tote, click here.