DRESS MAKING AND SEWING
AN ON GOING PROJECT
Girls who leave school usually don't have employment, and they often have to resort to prostitution in order to earn money to feed themselves and their families. Yes, they know that it is wrong, and they know the dangers, but it is just a fact of life. Many of them contract AIDS, and have babies with HIV. Their situation is desperate.
If we can establish a cottage industry where the girls learn, and are paid for the work that they do, then we can solve a huge problem.
It won't take a huge sum of money to renovate a room in the old school, but we shall need to buy sewing machines and materials too. We reckon that it will be worth it!
If you would like to help specifically with this project, by providing some money, then we would be very pleased to hear from you.
In the meantime, we have started three "pilot" projects on a smaller scale..... which are working!
This is Elizabeth. Rod & Gay Neep have been sponsoring her orphaned nephew Edwin to attend secondary school for the last two years. Elizabeth has a small store at Kiboswa Market, where she does dress making and mending. She has two old manual Singer sewing machines, employs a young girl and also teaches another orphan girl school leaver to do sewing.
When Rod's mother died a year ago, he was left with a virtually new electric machine that could also do fancy stitching, and he took it over to Kenya with him on the recent visit. Imagine Elizabeth's delight. She was over the moon! She also promised to take on a couple more orphan school leavers to learn sewing. A second brand new machine was given to Elizabeth in November 2009.
We would like donations to help Elizabeth to buy materials. She can make school uniforms for orphaned children.
Jane's husband Tom died of kidney failure earlier this year. Tom was a teacher at Alara Primary School, and was a close friend of Rod and Gay, and the main contact in organising the building of the new school.
Jane wanted to start up a little business making wool school jumpers, and therefore Rod and Gay bought a knitting machine and a supply of wool for her. This is being put to good use, and she is now making a living from it to support herself and the children. Jane is also teaching a young orphan girl how to do knitting, and giving her a wage too.
We bought a Singer sewing machine for Millicent, who also has a small unit at the market. She does mainly mending as she cannot afford to buy materials to make dresses, etc. She has made quite a lot of school uniforms for girls, with material that we have purchased for her.
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Millicent also teaches a couple of orphan girls to do sewing.
Children at Alara Primary School in their new uniforms.
Elizabeth made the maroon shorts and white shirt for the boy, and maroon and white gingham dress for the girl.
New uniforms for Alara Primary School
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Elizabeth measures up each child for their new school uniforms. In November
2009 we purchased enough materials to make the clothes for 40 boys and 30
girls, selecting the most needy first.
In order to do more, Elizabeth will need more materials. Can you help by providing just a little money?
A shirt and shorts for a boy costs £4.50 Use the button below to donate any amount that you wish specifically for uniforms. |
