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Help Della Stop Poverty in Ghana One Handbag at a Time

As fashionistas, we like to pride ourselves on our trendy sense of style. But what if you could also make a difference one handbag at a time?

That was the idea for Tina Tangalakis, a Los Angeles-based designer and creator of Della. She is on a mission to improve the lives of impoverished Ghanian women through her collections.

Her story started as a volunteer and teacher at the Happy Kids Orphanage, she met local seamstress Beatrice Agabe in the village of Hohoe. The two quickly bonded over their shared love of design and passion to improve the lives of others.

Now Tangalakis uses her eco-friendly fashion accessory line of handmade products in Ghana to make a difference in the lives of the women living in Hohoe. Della’s premier classic hobo handbag, is the cornerstone of the collection. Each purse is handmade by economically vulnerable women working under Beatrice’s mentorship and the sale of every bag has a positive effect on the people of Hohoe. In exchange, Della provides them with education, skill training, and fair wage to sustain their families, keeping them out of poverty.

So with spring is in full swing, a lightweight, African-inspired boho handbag by Della is perfect for hitting up the beach in style.

Della doesn’t just have handbags. They sell a whole line of colorful, boho-chic accessories from earrings to headbands, scarves and wallets. You can shop their spring/summer collection here. So get shopping, collegiettes! You’ll be making a difference for women living in Ghana!

Alexandra is a graduate from the University of New Hampshire and the current Assistant Digital Editor at Martha Stewart Living. As a journalism student, she worked as the Director of UNH’s Student Press Organization (SPO) and on staff for four student publications on her campus. In the summer of 2010, she studied abroad at Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge University, in England, where she drank afternoon tea and rode the Tube (but sadly no, she did not meet Prince Harry). Since beginning her career, her written work has appeared in USA Today College, Huffington Post, Northshore, and MarthaStewart.com, among others. When not in the office, she can be found perusing travel magazines to plan her next trip, walking her two dogs (both named Rocky), or practicing ballet. Chat with her on Twitter @allie_churchill.