When someone first arrives at a refugee camp, they’re still in survival mode – they need basic things to get back on their feet, like food, water, and shelter. But then, people begin to look toward renewing their spirit. Toward rebuilding a future.
That hopeful spirit has never shined brighter than in the women’s group we’ve met this week in Bidi Bidi Refugee Settlement. Rose – the leader of the group – explained that aside from dancing, making jewelry, and gardening, the women in her group are good at tailoring, too. “If they had a sewing machine,” she said, “they could sew clothes for our dancing, and also clothes for their children and their family, AND for selling.” She had many ideas for how to get these women to the next, more hopeful, stage in their lives.
So for Day 68, the ARC team got to work – tracking down a sewing machine.
When the machine arrived, the women were filled with excitement – they immediately set it up and were ready to go. Then they began to organize a schedule to share it, with a goal to save enough money to buy even more. They’ll be sewing for their dancing group – and earning some extra money.
“We’re going to teach our daughters and neighbors to sew, too,” said Meri, one of the women in the group.
“We are happy,” said another woman, Vivien, “because we only have one set of clothes we came with from Sudan. We want to make more.”
Their group has big goals, big dreams for the future. And by providing a sewing machine to get them started, we can be the spark that changes everything else.
