Sewing for Sustenance

From the Open Files of: NW Synod of Wisconsin Resource Center, (715) 833-1153 Contributed by: Women of the ELCA - NW Synod of Wisconsin, and Evangelical Lutheran Church in Malawi

Participants in the sewing class at Lilongwe. The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Malawi (ELCM) is a leader in working to improve the lives of women, believing that when women's lives improve, so do the lives of their families and communities. The church promotes economic development as well as spiritual development in its women's programs. Women are selected from their parish and are sent to the church headquarters in Lilongwe where they are taught classes in cooking, nutrition, knitting, sewing, leading Bible study and worship and evangelism. Then they go back home and teach these skills to the other women in their parish. One of the income generating projects that women have been receiving training in is the sewing project. Because electricity is not common in the rural areas, women use a treadle sewing machine, which are available in Malawi. The women learn to sew clothing for their families and other items which they can sell for income. The ELCM very much desired to put at least one sewing machine in every parish center for the women to use but lacked the financial resources to make that a reality. And that's when the Women of the ELCA - NW Synod of Wisconsin, a companion synod with the ELCM, stepped in. A committee was formed to organize a "Sewing for Sustenance" project. In this project, each local unit was challenged to fund one sewing machine, fabric, thread and other essentials, estimated to cost about $250.00. By the time the project ended, over $26,000 had been raised, with many units funding 5 or more machines. Everyone was amazed and gratified at the response. Click here to see more pictures of the May, 2003, Sewing Project graduation in Malawi These pictures were taken by ELCM staff during the Sewing Project workshop.

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