Spring 2011 InGear

P4P’s long practice of supplementing our bicycle shipments with sewing machines has been a great success. Where we ship, little opportunity exists for people to find the employment that will enable them to earn a living wage. So sewing machines are a great way for us to make a difference—they are simple to operate and easy to maintain. With access to electricity, their owners can create their own opportunities to generate work.

We’ve been able to distribute over 1,700 of them worldwide to help give thousands of people the opportunity of self- or full-time employment. They used to be just an extra goodie we could slip into our bike shipments, but now we are able to develop stand-alone sewing programs that we are sometimes able to supply by air freight.

Consider this chart: since we began shipping them in 1999 our sewing machine production has seen an overall increase, despite the challenges of the moribund economy. We need your help to keep this life-changing initiative growing. Sow peace by sewing prosperity, donate today.