On August 15 twenty-four women graduated from our Dorcas Sewing School with celebrations of joy and hope. They had completed 8 months of hands-on training in using a treadle sewing machine, measuring clients and creating clothing. Also, with a financial participation on their part, they received a sewing machine largely paid for by contributions from our US supporters. Thank you to all who have contributed!
The celebration was full of praise to God and singing as they also received regular instruction from God’s Word accompanied with times of prayer. So, the joy comes from the teaching & modelling they have received and hope that with these new tools that they can begin to earn money to enable them to feed their families better.
We are excited as well for the start of our new project, the Oholiab Sewing School and Workshop. The name comes from the Old Testament for one of the men who was charged with putting together the tabernacle who had skills in the area of embroidery and teaching others to do it. (See Exodus 35:34 & 35) This is a response to our visit in January and our desire with our coworkers in Burundi to give training on more complicated electrical machines like sergers and embroidery machines.
Three men have been trained on them and the school is off to a start, albeit a modest one with only one student at the moment. We expect the number of students to grow as time goes on. Once they have learned how to use the machines, they can then rent the machines in our workshop instead of paying others to do the work for them. For those who cannot afford the training but want help with embellishing and completing work on clothing they are making for clients, they can pay for one of the three trained workers to do the work for a much-reduced price.
Join with us in thanks to God for his blessings on these two projects and the Burundians who are benefiting from them. It would not be possible without your prayers and support!