The python script pidgin_events.py listens for Pidgin messages and status changes on DBUS and outputs those into FIFO queues that can be displayed using xmobar's PipeReader (xmobarrc-bottom is the config file I use for xmobar)
I use 3 FIFO queues for status, message and last message time. These can be made using the "mkfifo" command. The whole setup can then be lauched with the following commands:
pidgin_events.py &
xmobar /path/to/xmobarrc-bottom &