Updates

2010 >

June 2010

The Sewing Club

Still going strong, the Sewing Club continues to attract would-be tailors. This year your funding allowed the purchase of a further 12 sewing machines. This has allowed 12 more people independence and self sufficiency. We have been asked about the influx of tailors flooding the market and there not being enough work for them all. Not all the tailors stay in the local area of Bahir Dar, and many will go back to their family homes, not an easy journey with a heavy sewing machine. The need for good tailoring, however, is always required in Ethiopia as many clothes purchased are second-hand and require repair or alterations.

One of the boysinvited us to his home as a thank you for his sewing machine, a very simple traditional mud built house with very few belongings inside, which he shared with his friend from the Sewing Club. Six of us turned up and as we sat and the conversation started he produced four bottles of Coke. A bottle of Coke is 5 Bir (about 20p) and this is a fortune to this young man. He probably borrowed the money from others or sold some of his limited possessions just to be the perfect host. Moments such as these make the British stiff upper lip wobble.

For further information on the Bahir Dar Projects and how you can help please email Angela and Mike on khyber.king@btinternet.com