Hello! We’d like to introduce ourselves! We are new to the world of WordPress and Pinterest, but not to the world of sewing & sewing projects. Our motto “sewing to change the world” says everything about us.
Our story starts about two years ago, when we heard about the need for jobs and skill training for women in rural India. Why India you might ask? Sewing to the Nations started out as a brainchild of a local nonprofit based in Enumclaw, Washington. The nonprofit, Global Helps Network, has a major focus in India and has started several tailoring centers for women in rural villages.
What is the need in India and how can you and your sewing group help?
In India, women are often considered second-class citizens and are treated worse than men. We have a chance to improve their situation by training them in tailoring skills and business practices. Rural women in India have fewer opportunities due to a lack of economic independence and literacy. We empower women in rural areas with valuable sewing skills so they can earn a respectable living and help their families. This increases their ability to become economically stable, provide for children, and rely less on parents and husbands, some of whom treat their wives poorly.
Our hearts went out to the need and we started what we call “The Elephant Project.” Read more about the project Here.
The Elephant Project partners with the tailoring school graduates to create patterns for stuffed elephant toys. These toys are given out as part of our fundraisers with a plaque detailing the stories of the women in India. The money goes toward maintaining existing tailoring schools, founding new ones in rural communities, and other projects among the rural poor of India.
You can help.
If you have a talent for sewing, are a part of a sewing group, or know someone interested, we could use your help. Right now, we have a hundred and fifty uncompleted elephants created by our tailoring graduates sitting on a shelf gathering dust. The original patterns are shipped to us flat with the ears and tail unattached. All they need is a little stuffing and a practiced hand (or hands). One of the things we have learned from all these Zoom meetings is that it doesn’t matter where you are in the United States. If you’re reading this, we need your help.
If you or your group are looking to make a difference with your skills, we could use your help with this project. Whether you can finish sewing one, ten, or fifty elephant, we want to hear from you! We even have an instructional video we can send.
This project has real impact to transform lives in India. Leave a comment or contact us at GHN@globalhelpsnetwork.org if you would like more information. Or contact us HERE.