May 2018

Sewing Club

As we walk around Bahir Dar we see many of the people we have over the years supplied sewing machines for which has contributed to them being self-sufficient. This year we supplied 2 sewing machines for two ladies. Alemtsehai is a single parent whose husband left her when she fell pregnant. ** (see below) Alemtsehai currently sells second hand clothes so the new sewing machine will enable her to mend clothes and sell them for a better price. Eyelusalem is HIV positive with three children 9, 10 and 11. Her husband died last year. Having the sewing machine will allow her to have an income and potentially a better standard of living. She also receives support from the centre for the children’s schooling but to be able to support the children herself will give her some independence. The centre still has many students who pass the sewing training, following this we try and supply them with a machine but sometimes the demand is very great. The cost of a sewing machine is about £250.00.

** This is common with Ethiopian men, we did speak to a girl who was working in a hotel and fell pregnant, and the hotel sacked her.