Significant growth, new sewing hubs and exciting local UK initiatives.
Growth!
Our newer sewing hubs in Burundi and Uganda have all been busy.
It’s been an absolute delight to visit Burundi and Uganda over the last few months, all from the comfort of my workshop in the UK. Isn’t zoom amazing! The different sewing hubs, associated with GLO in Burundi have just posted me pictures of the first dresses they have made. I am so looking forward to seeing their progress and stocking their dresses in our online shop.
In the meantime you might want to consider buying a dress made in Nigeria. Buying a dress will make a difference to the ladies that are part of our sewing hub there.
The UK
Our hub in Shropshire continues to send us encouraging reports.
The group, hosted by Hope Church in Oswestry is currently serving a group of women who each enjoy the friendships and relationship they are finding within their sewing group. This is a big part of who we are: enabling people to flourish in safe places where they are nurtured and valued.
A few weeks ago we ran a jewellery workshop with a group of learners linked to Guideposts in North Oxfordshire.
It was great fun enabling the group of 6 learners to make gifts for their loved ones so close to Valentine’s Day.
And the hottest news off the press, is our new hub in West Oxfordshire.
This has been a project on my heart for some time now. A hub close to my home, where, as CEO, I can put my dressmaking heart into practical use for people in West Oxfordshire. It’s been a prayer, overwhelmingly answered, as just before Christmas we discovered asylum seekers and refugees were being housed locally. We are providing a safe place where we can build friendships across cultures and languages. Our aim is to help these women to settle, and when permitted, provide character references to assist them in seeking work.
All in all in the last year we’ve grown from working with 1 or 2 people in Nigeria and 3 or 4 people in the UK, to working with well over 100 people from all over the world. How awesome is that. Sorry I haven’t found time to write, I’ve been a bit distracted!
New hubs
An update from the new sewing hub in Tanzania. The equipment did arrive, but sadly with unexpected import taxes and release fees at the border have meant we have had to hold off buying treadle bases for the sewing machines we sent, whilst we wait for more funds to come in.
And it’s not stopping there, we are having encouraging conversations with a group in Kenya and with networks linked to the Democratic Republic of Congo.
In other exciting news.
I have had the great honour of teaching students, via zoom, at our sewing hub in Teso, Uganda. It’s been great fun to engage with all the students and get to know them a little bit. We’ve had drawing classes, sewing classes and a session on servicing and repairing machines. Within a space of 2 hours the group had managed to get all their machines in tip-top shape, some of which had not been working for some time. Sharing knowledge and friendship is such a gift and a joy. A few weeks ago I had a video call from Everline, she wanted to introduce be to the youngest member of their group. I have been given permission to share photographs of baby Maria. I realise what a great honour and privilege it is to have someone named after me. Please join me in praying for Maria, her older brother and her family: for good health and for laughter and joy to fill their home.
We have been busy putting in funding bids to a variety of different organisations, in the hope of sustaining our rapid growth and bringing much needed exposure to our charity, which in turn we pray will increase sales and economic stability to those we aim to serve. Please be praying these funding applications are received favourably.
Thanks for reading.
If you notice a change in style it is because Martha very generously breathed life into my words last year. Thank you so much Martha for your support, encouragement and enthusiasm for The Dorcas Dress Project: we really valued your contribution and miss your input.
I will try not to make it so long until I write again.
See you soon!
Maria
and
The Dorcas Dress Project Team 🙂