I am Catherine. My two colleagues in the photos are Akouwavi and Améyo. We are apprentice seamstresses and we are part of a program that our promoter calls Youth Socioeconomic Empowerment, a program that pays the costs of the training contracts and then, at the end of our apprenticeship, provides us with sewing machines to allow us to open our own workshops. A few weeks ago, we received our machines and are already working. It is a great joy to see these photos of ourselves.
Akouwavi
With these sewing machines, we will work and save money, take care of ourselves, take care of our families and send our children to school. We have finally reached the end of our training and here we are with our sewing machines as promised. These machines are essential tools for our small businesses. All this is possible thanks to the support of the DRVR-TOGO and its partner Pedals for Progress / Sewing Peace. It is because of you, the donors, that our dreams have become realities.
Améyo
We are appealing to all P4P loyal partners and donors: Used sewing machines, bikes, and other tools as far as the eye can see are left in your garages, basements, stores, and offices. Donating them to P4P will help people and save lives in communities thousands of miles away from you on the other side of the world. Many thanks to you, David, and all your tireless P4P team for your dedication to social causes.
Essenam
I am Essenam. I am an apprentice seamstress. I would like through this little note to express my gratitude to DRVR-TOGO, Pedals for Progress, and all their partners and donors who contribute from near and far to help support vulnerable populations all over the world and as well as our communities here in Togo. I have not been to school like many young girls of my age have, so I decided to learn a trade, and the choice fell on sewing, a trade of my dreams since childhood.
Before the DRVR-TOGO bicycle program, I had to leave the house very early in the morning. I would arrive at the workshop late and tired, and then come back late at night, when travel is risky.
With this nice bike in the photo, I now arrive on time at the workshop to continue my learning with a lot of determination. Words fail me and all my family to thank the American donors to the P4P organization. Once again thank you for everything. Through my voice, I appeal to P4P and its partners to continue this program again and again to help other people in different areas of need.
Emefa
My name is Emefa and I am 14 years old. I am a student in the first-year class in high school. For the 2020–2021 school year, officials from DRVR-TOGO came to our establishment with a program to cover tuition fees and supplies and support to promote the education of orphaned and vulnerable children, especially young girls. I was the first in my class for the end-of-year exam. To continue my study in high school, I have to travel impossible kilometers to go to my classes, because there is no college in my village. You have to go to the town next door instead. With this bike from DRVR-TOGO and P4P, I could not hide my joy and that of my entourage. We sincerely thank you. My wish is that this program continues so that other students can benefit from it.
Afiwa
My name is Ania and I am a widow with two children: Afiwa is ten years old and Komlan is six. I sell boiled meat on the side of the road in my neighborhood to feed and take care of my children and especially to send them to school. Every morning I have to leave my activity and bring my children to school and pick them up in the evening at sunset.
Komlan
Some time ago a client told me about a DRVR-TOGO bicycle program and a child who had already benefited. I went to inquire about the program, and to my great surprise my two children got their own bikes. Now they leave the house every morning and came back in the evening after class without difficulty.
My two children and I say thank you to you the donors, to P4P, its president, David, and all his staff. We also offer a big thank-you to DRVR-TOGO here with us in our community.
In November 2021, Dave Schweidenback and I went on a trip to Arusha, Tanzania, to make a visit to our partners at the Norbert and Friends Missions. While Pedals for Progress has made shipments to Tanzania in the past, our relationship with Norbert and Friends is still fresh, starting in the fall of 2019. We took the opportunity to meet Norbert and his dedicated team, give advice, and to learn from them on both a professional and cultural level.
Arusha was busy. Fast moving taxis, buses, trucks, and motorcycles dominate the roads. The biggest takeaway was the sheer number of people who walked among these fast-moving vehicles. Everyone walks. You’d often see small children, five or six years old, walking with their much younger siblings in large groups. Mothers walk with babies on their backs. Marching squads of school children in matching clothes rush to and from school. Even along desolate, secluded roads you would pass people every mile, wondering how they got there. The number of bicycles was high, and it’s clear why bicycles are important – the pace of living is fast, and you need to keep up to make a living.
There is so much activity, so much movement, that you need a smart way to keep up. The bicycle fills this need. It shrinks the massive size of the country and makes distance more manageable. You instantly see the benefits when passing school children miles away from their schools. You see how the further you get from the main city, the more life gets stretched out. The doctor is further, schools are further, markets are further, everything is further away, yet the need to reach these destinations remains.
Moving along the roads you notice that nearly every home is transformed into a storefront during the day. Tin roofs cover the cement buildings, many open to the street, so you can get a glimpse of what’s inside. Hairdressers, art sellers, convenience stores, grocers, food vendors, clothing stores, carpenters, masons. It seemed that all business was done inside or at the doorstep of someone’s home. This began to excite me; I wanted the chance to meet some of these people who ran these shops, especially those associated with Norbert and Friends Missions.
We met with Norbert and his team several times during our trip. We were able to talk about our organizations and exchange expectations, problems, and plans. Seeing their bicycle operation was an incredible experience. Their bike shop was like many of the shops along the main roads. It was modest, bare, but getting the job done. They had a handful of bikes on display with another 20 or so in storage as they were getting down to the last of their shipment. This was good to see, as it means the 444 bikes we shipped in July 2021 have been successfully distributed.
What blew me away most was recognizing some of the bicycles that I had a direct hand in loading. There was even a small motor we shipped that was donated by an individual at Faith Lutheran Church in New Providence, New Jersey! After making the long journey, standing there in the middle of their shop in Tanzania was an impressive reminder of how far our goods travel.
As we started to meet people, the significance of what we do continued to bloom. One of the groups associated with Norbert and Friends Missions is Master’s Men Africa, a religious men’s group focused on bringing awareness to mental health among men in Tanzania and Kenya. They advocate for removing the stigma of talking about mental health among men and they bring awareness to the high suicide rate of men throughout Africa.
I spoke with a new graduate of the group named Abura Markson from Uganda. We shared stories and spoke about our organizations. He was very interested in hearing about Pedals for Progress and happy to know that we were working so closely with Norbert. Talking with him made me realize a nuanced and overlooked aspect of the P4P mission. Poverty is a tremendous weight that people bear and deal with, in a multitude of ways. The emotions associated with poverty, such as shame, helplessness, and depression, can well and bubble within a person and across a community. Africa has the highest suicide rate in the world. Whatever the reasons may be, there is no doubt that extreme poverty has something to do with it. It was in that moment talking to Abura that I realized what we are doing could be saving people from taking their own lives, through the simple act of donating a bicycle.
Joel, our main point of contact with Norbert and Friends, and Sanai, an employee of Norbert’s, graciously took us around the city of Arusha and the surrounding areas, to introduce us to some of the recipients of our sewing machines.
Sarah outside her shop
One of the first people we met who received a Sewing Peace machine was a woman named Sarah. Her small sewing studio is in the center of Arusha several levels up inside a multi-use apartment building. The small, dimly lit room, six by twelve feet, overflowing with fabric, was a sure signal of a hard-working individual. Sanai translated for us and retold bits of her story. She has been sewing for six years and since then has been able to put her children through school. Her four children are either now enrolled, or graduated university. She stays busy by making custom dresses, producing two or three elaborate dresses per day.
Access to electricity is the main challenge brought up by everyone we visited, Sarah being the first to mention it. The machines that are donated to us are mostly electric machines, and access to reliable electricity is simply something that the infrastructure of Tanzania cannot maintain. There is access but it’s sparse, as it will frequently shut off without warning with no telling when it will return. Manual treadle machines are great but older women like Sarah, who work long hours behind the machine, feel tremendous strain on their knees. Sarah mentioned how she likes to alternate to utilize the moments of electricity and to give her joints a rest.
Sarah also told us about the challenge of finding specific and specialized machines and attachments. At our collections we often say, “if we get it, they get it.” Sewing Peace simply does not have the capacity to seek out specific machines like overlock machines, which are highly sought after by independent seamstresses. These machines are highly desirable but relatively rare at our collections. At our most efficient we try to send at least two of these machines with every pallet of Sewing Peace sewing machines. However, that only accounts for two out of seventy-two, and even that we cannot guarantee.
We moved a little further outside of Arusha, passing a road-side bike stand where we took a moment to stretch our legs and talk bikes. This shop at the crossroads of two main roads was relatively large, with a good range of quality bikes. We took the moment to explain to Joel and Sanai about bicycle quality differences so they could price P4P bikes accordingly. Our partners must be able to provide a fair range of prices, while also maximizing their profits by selling quality bikes to those that can afford them.
Rachel
About 45 minutes outside of Arusha, we met a second sewing machine recipient, named Rachel, who has been running her shop within a busy market area for five years. She commented on how she loves the quality of her Sewing Peace machine but still runs into the same problem operating an electric machine on an unpredictable power grid. She works from the center of her small shop that has a counter with various sewing notions enclosed in a glass case. The back three walls have shelves filled with hygienic products, larger spools of thread, and a large assortment of fabric for sale.
Danielle
Later, we met Danielle, Norbert’s wife, who has been running a small shop in their neighborhood for the past two years. Her shop is very similar to Rachel’s, as she sells various goods surrounding her sewing machine in the middle of her shop. She mostly uses her shop as a convenience store for the neighborhood, selling soap, candy, cooking oil, and other goods. She uses her sewing machine to supplement shop income. She specializes in embroidered cloth used as dining mats or decoration. It is incredibly impressive as she uses a basic sewing machine to embroider flowers and other designs on colorful fabric. She takes custom orders for dresses and other commissioned design work.
It’s incredible to see firsthand how these women have created a life around one single machine. Hours upon hours of dedication have allowed them to build sturdy businesses around a specialized skill. It’s inspiring to see how they navigate problems beyond their control, all while continuing their enterprises. They either switch machines or find other ways to make money in the off time. Our machines donated by individuals in the United States end up in the hands of truly powerful businesswomen.
We left Tanzania feeling extremely satisfied. We have confidence in the Norbert and Friends Missions as they showed a high level of motivation and sense of urgency to supply their community with bicycles and sewing machines. We are excited to continue our relationship with them and to continue to supply them with the used bicycles and sewing machines donated by our generous donors throughout the tri-state area. The support we receive from our donors, volunteers, and organizations in the United States lifts the lives of others by helping build business, improve mental health, provide reliable transportation, and give hope and ambition to those who eagerly need a helping hand.
In September 2021, “The Ideas Partnership” (TIP) non-governmental organization based in Kosovo used GoBike sewing machines to deliver training to women from the Roma, Ashkali, and Egyptian communities of Janjevo and Fushë Kosova. The aim of this project, “Women and youth for community development and cultural heritage”, is the empowerment of women and youth from marginalized communities through skill building activities promoting cultural heritage and diversity.
After 3 months, a group of 20 women and girls from the Roma, Ashkali, Egyptian, and other communities of Janjevo and Fushë Kosova have completed the skills development training on tailoring and handicrafts. During their training, the women learned how to use sewing machines, to work with materials, to sketch and sew, including learning handiwork with simple motifs and embroidery (bags, table covers, etc.). In addition, they have also created a network where they feel productive and are more confident that one day they will own a business or find employment. The sharing of space for mutual support, connection, and learning has shown them that no matter where they are from or what language they speak, it is cultural diversity that unites them more than ever, that they are all the same, and can make a difference in Kosovar society. This training was led by 5 women trainers of the Social Enterprise “Sa-Punë“, who share the same experience with participants and now are making a living of their own.
After this training, the TIP organization will continue to make use of GoBike sewing machines to train future cohorts of women and girls interested to learn a new skill and to socialize with one another. While in the past, TIP used to buy sewing machines in Albania, the GoBike partnership with P4P has enabled a much easier access to good quality sewing machines without the need to import from another country.
We hope that GoBike can continue to cooperate with similar organizations and noteworthy projects to put sewing machines to good use in empowering and improving the lives of many Kosovar women and girls.
The TIP project is part of the financial grant issued by “Cultural Heritage as a Driver for Intercommunity Dialogue and Social Cohesion” project that is funded by the European Union’s Instrument contributing to Stability and Peace (IcSP) and implemented by UNDP Kosovo.
“Freedom and Unity” is the motto of the great State of Vermont. Much of what we do at Pedals for Progress is based on this exact principle. Our goal is to send used bicycles and sewing machines to motivated people in the developing world in the hopes that they can have the freedom to get to where they need to be, creating a better life for themselves. This goal requires a great amount of unity here in the United States. We cannot do what we do without the help from hundreds of dedicated people throughout the country. The Green Mountain Returned Peace Corps Volunteers (GMRPCVs) of Vermont are some of our most productive domestic partners. Every year for 22 years they’ve sent bikes and sewing machines from 300 miles away.
FedEx, another generous domestic partner, ships the bikes at no charge from Vermont to our warehouse in New Jersey. In 2020, FedEx delivered the 4000th bike from Vermont.
The GMRPCV operation, led by Joanne Heidkamp, Paul Demers, and Bob Thompson, along with the rest of the volunteers, requires a great deal of hard work and dedication. We are happy to report that, this year alone, the members of the Green Mountain Returned Peace Corps Volunteers collected 312 bikes and 204 sewing machines from hundreds of Vermonters throughout the state. They held collections on Friday 9/24 in Montpelier and on Saturday 9/25 in Burlington. We here at Pedals for Progress would like to share a little bit about what they have done over the years and give thanks to the many people and groups involved with this difficult endeavor.
Getting the word out about our collections is always the biggest hurdle when organizing an event. What makes a successful collection is not simply stating that there will be a bike collection, but communicating to the public exactly what the collection is for. The GMRPCVs have been able to nail it year after year. MyNBC5, the local NBC station, ran a fantastic news piece that does exactly that. It perfectly showcases what they aim to do and where the bikes will be going and the lasting impact the bikes will have on the communities they are being sent to. Press releases like this not only spread the word, but convey infectious motivation that encourages people to come out to the collections. Here is the two-minute video from MyNBC5.
Vermont’s collections are particularly impressive because of the large number of sewing machines collected. Most of the machines are collected by Mary O’Brien, who works in the solid waste management department of Windsor County. She collects machines all year round, cleans, oils, and tests them. She uses pretty cloth, sometimes handkerchiefs or napkins, to hold sewing notions, a pin cushion, and reading glasses, and puts it all together in a kit for each machine. She also includes user manuals for the machines. The machines and their accessories must be astonishing to our overseas partners who get them.
This year, Mary also donated her classic, dearly loved road bike, which she had owned for most of her life and which she rode across the US in 1981. The bike has a personality of its own, reflecting the life-long activist and humanitarian that rode it. The bike is equipped with red panniers and an “anti-nuke bicyclist” sticker. The well-loved bike that has seen a lifetime adventure will continue its journey in its new home in Guatemala. It will double its life as a bicycle and see even more of the world while providing someone with a valuable means of transportation.
It is truly inspiring to see the great work that The Green Mountain Returned Peace Corps Volunteers have done for Pedals for Progress and the countless people and families associated with our international partners. We would again like to thank everyone involved. This year’s collection was certainly one worth celebrating. We greatly look forward to continuing this fantastic relationship and we are filled with excitement for next year’s collection.
On behalf of the Mityana Open Troop Foundation, I have compiled a progressive report for May to October 2021.
Mityana Open Troop Foundation is a registered Community Based Organization, with a Vocational Skills Training Centre, which recruits and trains vulnerable youths, mostly young girls formerly selling sex for survival and girls expelled from schools due to teenage pregnancies. We teach our students sustainable vocational skills. Before the closure of all institutions due to Covid-19, the school had a total enrollment of 92. Since the inception of vocational skills training at our centre in 2007, a total of over 800 have graduated. Some got employed while others set up their own workshops. Every graduate of our program is given a sewing machine from Sewing Peace, USA. Without equipment, the graduation certificate is no help, as 90% of graduates can’t afford tools.
Students are trained for 2 years in Sewing & Fashion Designing, Hair Dressing & Weaving, Motor Vehicle & Cycle Mechanics, Carpentry & Joinery, or Metal Fabrication.
Every year, there are 3 training terms of 3 months each; for each term the centre recruits whoever wishes to join.
Achievements
Madison Sewing Workshop
The Sewing Workshop floor has been renovated and we installed 2 cutting tables with a micro loan from M/s Ivonne Reilly Sencebe of the USA. The workshop floor had been dusty, not conducive to learners and damaging sewing machines. This Madison Sewing workshop was constructed with support from Madison Ardizzi of Canada.
The project sewing shop has been producing face masks and selling them at a price lower than our competitors’.
Tyne Hall Renovation
The Tyne Hall hair dressing workshop roof has been renovated with support from Mr. & Mrs. Jane Louise Colin Neil Dippie, of the UK. The roof has been leaking for a long time. The construction of Tyne Hall workshop floor and boundaries was sponsored by Mr. Chris James Eldridge of the UK.
Challenges and Limitations
By the second lockdown and school closure in mid-June 2021 due to Covid-19, a number of students had not fully paid their school fees. All training institutions in Uganda had been under lockdown since March 2020. This has caused serious loss of income for our project!
The Organization still encounters challenges in raising funds for shipping Sewing Machines from Sewing Peace USA.
The Organization lacks a computer, printer, and photocopier, which we need to print end-of-term exams and other office documents. Currently all computer work is taken to town.
The project needs a computer lab with internet access, to enable students to find dress fashions, learn computer skills, and get Health information. In addition, this computer lab would be used by our community volunteers to access the Ministry of Health for health-related issues.
The project requires a new embroidery machine that can use a USB drive and that can run faster. The current machine is slow and often needs routine maintenance and servicing.
The Organization requires office furniture and a staff room, as instructors don’t have a place to sit and keep their kits.
The Training Centre lacks clean water. There is a very small (2000-liter) water tank, which lasts 2 days. Then students have to go on foot 1 km in search of water from unprotected water sources. This has resulted in many cases of Typhoid.
We have many cases of malaria among project trainees, as they lack mosquito nets.
Our project lacks a toilet for boys. Currently boys and girls share one pit latrine, which is not recommended by the Ministry of Education.
The project lacks an incinerator, where sanitary pads and other wastes can be burnt easily.
Community Impact
The Mityana Open Troop Vocational Skilling Project offers affordable training to school dropouts from our communities, including unemployed youths. The project trainees come from the 6 surrounding districts: Mityana, Mubende, Kiboga, Kasanda, Kyankwanzi, and Hoima. The non-formal skills training we offer has very much benefited parents whose children have dropped out of school, as most institutions in the area offer only formal education.
Over 800 trainees have graduated since our inception in 2007. These graduates go back to their communities and set up their own workshops, passing along their acquired skills to fellow youths who didn’t join our project.
The community can also buy inexpensive goods and services from trainees in the carpentry workshop and the sewing project, where we make uniforms and offer sewing repair services.
Our sewing shop also offers embroidery services to schools formerly traveling to Kampala.
The Mityana Open Troop Foundation is the only shop in the area delivering high quality used sewing machines at inexpensive prices. The machines are from Sewing Peace USA. Many schools and tailors in the area have been supplied with these machines.
Way Forward and Recommendations
We are fundraising for a new 2-classroom block, to enable us to create a conducive training environment and have room for more students.
We need a new toilet for boys, who currently share facilities with girls.
We need embroidery machines with USB input, as the one we have is very slow and requires mechanical servicing all the time!
We need an incinerator for burning sanitary pads and other wastes.
We welcome volunteers who can teach sustainable skills to our youths. We would like to partner with similar vocational training institutions elsewhere in the world. This will help us learn how they operate. Plus it will help our Ugandan youths create friendships with fellow youths and learn about their cultures.
We are organizing a Christmas children’s party for December 27th, with guest speakers, drinks, cakes, biscuits, music, and gifts.
Conclusion
In conclusion, on behalf of the Mityana Open Troop Foundation, I extends our sincere thanks to the following great friends and partners: Mr. Chris Eldridge, Mr. Colin Dippie & Mrs. Jane Louise Dippie, Mr.Nino Ardizz, M/s. Madison Ardizzi, Holly Williams, M/s. Ivonne Reilly Sencebey. You have all been so supportive to our organization, during this pandemic lockdown and before. This has been and still is a very challenging season of limited funds and people losing their jobs.
I also extend our thanks to Mr. David Schweidenback, President of Sewing Peace, and the generous communities of the USA, who have been donating high-quality refurbished sewing machines to our needy Ugandan communities. Please, the used sewing machines which seem unimportant in the USA have uplifted our communities, changing peoples’ lives by creating a daily source of income. Thanks to all the volunteers involved in the collection of sewing machines and bicycles.
Please Continue Giving a Hand Up, Not a Hand out.
Stay safe from the Covid-19 Pandemic.
God Bless You.
Merry Christmas & Happy New Year 2022
Yours,
Mathew Yawe, Executive Director, Mityana Open Troop Foundation
Rising Hope Foundation for Change, in partnership with Sewing Peace, is implementing a program aimed at training vulnerable women and teenage girls in sewing, fashion, and design in Cameroon. This training program will empower these women with life skills such as tailoring, professional sewing, fashion and design, sewing machine repair, and basic computer knowledge. They will learn how to run tailoring businesses from their homes. Though women and girls at the entry point of the program may be unskilled, they will leave with a means to earn a livelihood, become trainers, and provide for their own families’ sewing needs. This program will promote and create female entrepreneurs and generate income. The program promotes economic self-reliance of women and girls in Cameroon and addresses the Sustainable Development Agenda 2030.
The zigzag sewing machines and other accessories sent by SP are very useful: they give a professional touch to the women who learn specialized sewing with different stitches. Some of the women have added new services because of the zigzag machine. At first, they had to travel long distances to use zigzag machines that are costly and unreliable. Now they can work at home or in our Centre.
We have also started a program to make and sell washable (and thus re-usable) sanitary pads to be used instead of the disposable ones. Thus we reduce the impact on the natural environment .
At the end of their training process, our trainees will be able to be either self-employed or hired as part of the team working on the washable sanitary pads.
This will have several benefits for the communities:
skills development
employment opportunities
financial independence
unemployment reduction
poverty reduction
better understanding of the menstrual cycle through the training for sanitary pad production
better control of pregnancies
better management of resources: options for education, potential for future earnings, and family planning
The Administration Entities in these regions will directly benefit from these programs, furthering their own objectives in terms of public health, social environment, and unemployment rates in the community, the region, and the country as a whole.
It will be a win-win situation for the Government, girls and women, and the community as a whole. Officially, Rising Hope Foundation for Change will launch the program in September 2021.
Success Stories
We gave some basic training to women who can sew but cannot afford a sewing machine. At the end of this 14-day training period, we gave them one sewing machine each. RHFC is excited and proud to bring these stories and thanks from the beneficiaries of the project.
Mami Blessing
I am happy for this gift from Rising Hope Foundation of Change and its partner Sewing Peace. As a widow, I thought the world had forgotten about me. I was surprised when one of my mothers in church told me I was one of the lucky recipients of a sewing machine. I thought it was a joke until the coordinator himself called me to pick it up at the Centre. This machine is going to help me and my small family a lot. The 200 to 300 Francs we earn by patching dresses will help me buy breakfast for my children.
We all are going to improve our skills in sewing since the machine will keep us constantly working on small materials and children’s torn dresses. It is going to help me train my children in learning the art of sewing since we are not going to pay people to teach us again.
I pray that the lord almighty will bless Rising Hope Foundation for Change and their partner immensely.
Mangwi Ndi
As an orphan who has spent more than 25 years in a remote village, I never knew people were so kind until I came to Limbe due to the ongoing Anglophone crisis. My boss introduced me to a matron of an orphanage who has a link with RHFC. That is how, after explaining my situation to the organization, I was lucky enough to get this sewing machine. Getting a machine from people I don’t know and haven’t heard of was a double miracle to me.
I am a seamstress by training but have been working for another person because I could not open a place of my own. This machine I just received will help me open my own shop and teach underprivileged girls and boys how to sew at a very low cost. Having this machine has given me full employment; it will help me earn money to build my future and take care of my needs like rent and family expenses. From my heart I pray the good Lord bless all the people supporting all the efforts of Rising Hope Foundation for Change.
Manka Synthia
I am a single mother with 2 children. I was a farmer before the crisis started. When it became serious I had to stop going to the farm because of insecurity. I was advised by my landlady to learn a skill. She told me tailoring would be good because you can practice it until you are 70 years old. When going to do my hair at the Empowerment Centre of Rising Hope Foundation for Change, I overheard the members talking of the sewing machine program. I pleaded with them to put my name on the list in case they need single suffering mothers. To my great surprise I was called up for my special gift of a sewing machine. The machine will save me the money I was to pay for a new machine. It will help me learn fast since I will be learning at home and at the tailoring workshop. I think I will use the machine very well so that I can hand it down to my children when they grow. In the future I may also open a centre to train other single mothers like me.
On behalf of the Mityana Open Troop Foundation, I have compiled a progress report which I wish to present to you.
Mityana Open Troop Foundation (MOTF) is a registered Community Based Organization, with a Vocational Skills Training Centre, which Recruits and trains disadvantaged youths, young girls formerly selling sex for survival, girls expelled from school due to teenage pregnancies, and youths who dropped out of school due to Covid-19. All these youths are trained in sustainable vocational skills. Before the Covid-19 pandemic forced us to close, the vocational project had a population of over 100 trainees. Unfortunately, by the end of March 2021, the vocational project had an enrollment of 50 trainees!
Since the inception of the Vocational Skills Training project in 2007, a total of over 800 have graduated. Some got employed while others have managed to set up their own shops. Every graduate of our program is given a sewing machine from Sewing Peace, USA. Without equipment, the graduation certificate is no help, as 90% of graduates can’t afford tools.
Students are trained for 2 years in Sewing & Fashion Design, Hair Dressing & Weaving, or Motor Vehicle Mechanics. Every year, there are 3 training terms of 3 months each; for each term the centre recruits whoever wishes to join.
Achievements
The organization with the help from Mr. Chris James Eldridge of the UK, managed to fund another shipment of 71 sewing machines from Sewing Peace. The machines arrived at the project and have been put to use by trainees.
To help prevent Covid-19, our sewing shop has been producing face masks and selling them at a price lower than our competitors’.
In April 2021, the vocational project registered new trainees into non-formal skills training program. These are the youths who have dropped out of formal education as a result of socio-economic effects of Covid-19. Other youths have given birth during the 14-month school closure and can’t go back to their former schools.
Challenges and Limitations!
The Covid-19 lockdown of learning institutions has caused a number of students to drop out. Most parents lost jobs, and businesses no longer worked well, so parents could not pay school fees.
The prolonged lockdown caused many students to lose hope of returning to school. Many children were idle and moving up and down, which resulted in teenage pregnancies and sexually transmitted infections. Some students got petty jobs where they earned a little money and lost interest in going back to formal education.
Because all training institutions have been under lockdown since March 2020, we have lost an entire year of income from school fees.
The Organization still encounters challenges in raising funds for shipping sewing Machines from Sewing Peace.
The sewing training workshop requires a new floor with tiles; the machines needs a strong floor. Currently the floor is dusty, which damages sewing machines.
The vocational project needs be supplied with 80% manual sewing machines, as they are easier to repair than electric machines, which are expensive to repair when their gears and rollers fail. Even electricity is a challenge in some of our remote Ugandan communities.
The Organization lacks a computer, printer, and photocopier, which we need to print end-of-term exams and other office documents. Currently all computer work is taken to town.
The project requires a computer lab with internet access to enable our trainees to access zoom communication with other international students and exchange developmental ideas, and to access health-related issues, including Covid-19 information.
The project requires a new embroidery machine that can use a USB drive and that can run faster. The current machine is slow and often needs routine maintenance and servicing.
The Organization requires office furniture and a staff room, as instructors don’t have a place to sit and keep their kits.
The Training Centre lacks clean water. There is a very small (2000-liter) water tank, which lasts 2 days. Then students have to go on foot 1 km in search of water from unprotected water sources. This has resulted in many cases of Typhoid.
We have many cases of malaria among project trainees, as they lack mosquito nets. In every term we get over 85% malaria cases among trainees. Malaria is the disease with the highest death toll in Uganda.
There is a great need of renovating training hall roofs, as all are broken due to leaking iron sheets.
Way Forward & Recommendations
On the 13th of November 2021, we will hold our 8th Vocational Project Graduation Ceremony, where over 100 youths will be commissioned and awarded start-up kits in Hairdressing & Weaving, Sewing & Fashion, or Motor Vehicle Mechanics. You are invited please.
We are fundraising for a new 2-classroom block, to enable us to create a conducive training environment and have room for more students.
We need a new roof for the Tyne Hall workshop, where we teach Hair Dressing and Weaving.
We need a new toilet for boys, who currently share facilities with girls, which is not recommended!
We need embroidery machines with USB input, as the one we have is very slow and requires mechanical servicing all time!
We welcome volunteers who can teach sustainable skills to our youths. We would like to partner with similar vocational training institutions elsewhere in the world. This will help us learn how they operate. Plus it will help our Ugandan youths create friendships with fellow youths and learn about their cultures.
Conclusion and Appreciations
In conclusion, I thank Mr. Chris Eldridge, Mr. David Schweidenback of Sewing Peace, Mr. Colin Dippie and Mrs. Jane Louise Dippie, Mr. Nino Ardizz and Ms. Madison Ardizz, who have been so supportive to our organization. This has been and still is a very challenging season.
I extend our thanks to the generous communities of the USA who have been donating their used Sewing machines to our needy Ugandan communities. Please, the used sewing machines which seem unimportant in the USA have uplifted our communities, changing peoples’ lives by creating a daily source of income.
Furthermore, we extend our sincere appreciations to our new Rotarian & Scouts friends: Ms. Sarah Kim from South Korea, Ms. Ivonne Sencebe Reilley and Pat Curley of the USA, who are trying to raise funds for a computer lab and construction of a classroom block.
Please thank you so much.
I pray that every one is safe from the Covid-19 Pandemic.
Rags2Riches (R2R) is a social enterprise established in 2007 that provides livelihood to artisans from poor communities in the Philippines. Reese Fernandez-Ruiz, the President & Co-Founder of R2R is a Rolex Young Laureate for 2010, which paved the way for the partnership with Sewing Peace.
In October 2020 Reese Fernandez-Ruiz and David Schweidenback were interviewed by the Washington Post together for a dynamic new media article called Trash to Treasure Hunters, in partnership with Rolex.org. As both Reese and David are Rolex Awardees for the Environment, they shared their experiences on upcycling, recycling, and creating better opportunities for people through transforming waste into valuable assets. The partnership between R2R and Sewing Peace was a natural fit. R2R provides livelihood opportunities for artisans from the Philippines while Sewing Peace provides valuable livelihood-enabling assets such as sewing machines to communities in need. Not long after the interview was published, Reese and David continued their conversation and established a partnership.
Sewing Peace shipped 35 beautiful and functional sewing machines to R2R in December 2020. All of these sewing machines were distributed to the main artisans of R2R. These machines enable the artisans to generate livelihood while staying home and keeping themselves and their families safe and healthy. All of R2R’s artisans are very grateful for these valuable tools that enrich their lives and create opportunities for them to support their families especially during this pandemic.
Sewing machines are incredible tools for artisans to be able to practice their craft while generating income for their families. R2R’s main tool has always been the weaving loom. However, sewing machines also emerged as another indispensable tool that, combined with the use of the weaving loom, could create unique and valuable masterpieces that could generate more income for artisans. R2R provides the training for sewing and weaving as well as continuous market access.
The sewing machines provided by Sewing Peace are valuable assets for artisans to lift themselves out of poverty and stay out of poverty.
Donate bicycles and sewing machines to developing countries
