Begging is a way of life for many women and girls in Africa. Carol Schillios wants to turn them into businesswomen.

Her Fabric of Life store in Edmonds is part of a non-profit that trains young women and girls in Mali, one of the poorest countries in the world. The shop, run entirely by volunteers, then sells the products made by the women -- woven fabrics with traditional patterns, bags and multicolored beaded jewelry.

Schillios funds a school called the Here je Center in Mali's capital that teaches job skills, along with health and nutrition, family planning, AIDS prevention and literacy. The students are paid $20 a week to help support their families while they are studying.

The idea is to reach girls who are begging and get them off the streets before they turn to prostitution. They continue being paid that stipend as artisans after graduation. On an annual basis, it's more than double the average income for a person in Mali.

Schillios decided to focus on Mali after working there as a consultant and meeting Kaaba Soumare, the CEO of a small microfinance institution, who eventually became her local partner.

The shop provides a critical link -- market access to American buyers.

"We're always going to be consumers," but there's a difference she said, holding up a mustard colored place mat. "When you eat on it you know you helped save someone from starving."

A consultant to credit unions and microfinance groups, Schillios says she takes no salary from her non-profit, the Schillios Development Foundation, and relies on volunteers rather than employees.

For the past three months Schillios, 56, has been living in a tent on the roof above her shop, accompanied by her 22-year-old cat Elliette.

She vowed not to come down until 1 million people each donated $1 to her foundation and shared how they are making a difference in the world. So far she's raised $66,000.

The blue tarp covered tent is visible from along Main Street in downtown Edmonds, where she gets stares, waves and donations of coffee and food. Extension cords linked to the shop bring electricity for her laptop, lights and a device that helps her breathe at night. There are bottles of Ibuprofen for achy joints. She's hung a Tibetan prayer flag and a Halloween skeleton for decoration.

One night everything went wrong. The tent leaked. The roof of the makeshift bathroom collapsed in on her. She was so frustrated she took off her clothes and danced on the roof in the rain at 3 a.m.

Eventually she realized her goal of raising $1 million might be too ambitious, so she plans to come down before Christmas. Still she's happy with all the attention drawn to the cause.

One supporter agreed to match donations up to $43,000, $1 dollar for every resident of Edmonds.

Revenue from the Fabric of Life shop has steadily grown since its opening last November, enabling Schillios to channel about $30,000 into grants to the school in Bamako. About 20 women have graduated so far. Not all of them make it-- one of the students died of malaria a few weeks ago.

"We didn't find out the extent of her illness until it was too late," Schillios said. Two others left the program after they became pregnant. Still, she is hopeful she can fund a third class of students this year.

"My dream is we create an industry for the whole country," she said.