This workshop run by Penny Vos’s “Schoolkits for Congo” is producing these beautiful school bags which are given to school children who would not be attending school except for the gift of this new bag. Each bag contains all  the books and school requisite they need, – plus their new school uniform. And Penny sometimes pays their school fees as well.

Productively  has increased significantly now that we have boosted the sewing equipment to four high speed industrial sewing machines and one new industrial overlocker. And because it is too dangerous to send any teachers to Goma , which is now controlled by rebels, we were able to pay a local teacher to instruct the sewers on the use of these new hi-speed machines.

We purchased the new “Jack” brand machines in Rwanda and with the help of Alphonse (Penny’s on site manager), we fortunately negotiated  the machines across the Rwanda-Congo border without loss. On a previous crossing  the machines were stolen at the border.

In addition, Simon Castley, and the Rotary Club of Kowloon Holden Mile in Hong Kong , successfully shipped  from China 1,000 sets of the all the books, pens ,pencils etc – and all the fabric for the bags and the uniforms.

Click on the photos to enlarge.

Rhonda and Vera flew to Honiara where they stayed overnight with the Nuns from the Anglican Church or Melanesia, and then travelled by boat the next day to Auki on Malaita Island. Here they stayed with the Christian Care Centre and taught seven of the nuns to sew over the next 10 days.  The teachers carried in with them four new Janome automatic sewing machines and one new Janome overlocker. And while in Honiara they purchased all the fabrics and sewing accessories needed for the workshop.

The conditions for our teachers were some of the most basic we have had , as the they lived with the nuns, rather than have separate accommodation as we normally have. The sewing room as you can see in the photos had open walls and a pebble floor, but this did not prevent a great deal of successful  garments being made.

Here is an article from the Solomons Post newspaper: https://www.solomonstarnews.com/sisters-of-malaita-christian-care-centre-learn-sewing-skills/

The nuns lead by Snr Doreen Awaiasi successfully leaned to sew at a high level  over the 10 days ,and the nuns will now use their skills to teach local women who have been effected by domestic violence . Please click on the photos below.

Ambon Indonesia:  Rhonda has also recently travelled to Ambon Indonesia with her Rotary club, taking along three new sewing machines donated by SewAid. This was an investigatory trip and Rhoda has now proposed a new SewAid project which will go to Ambon in May 2027.

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Visit to  a Western Sydney Workshop supported by SewAid

Yesterday Sandra and I visited our SewAid workshop in Western Sydney

This workshop for ladies affected by DV experiences, is teaching these ladies how to sew. Many of them have never used a sewing machine, but they were very keen to show us the cute shoulder bags they were making. Not only does our workshop give them the chance to learn a new skill but it also gets them to meet and socialize with other women who have experienced the same trauma. And yesterday they were all smiling and having a great time.

Currently, the workshop is operating in a small room at the Cumberland Women’s Health Centre in Parramatta, but as there is a need to expand the classes, it will soon be moving to the Lions Club hall in North Parramatta, and classes will operate twice and week, Tuesday and Saturdays.

The SewAid workshop is organized by Vandana Setia ( far left in photo ), an amazing woman who is a member of both Rotary and Lions and runs a number of charity services in Parramatta, including a food kitchen that feeds 240 people per week.  Our teacher is our wonderful Vera Liondas,  3^rd from right ), who has been a teacher on five of our international projects. Thanks, Vera, for the great work you are doing here.

SewAid supplied all the machines and equipment for the workshop, and we will be expanding the number of machines, etc., when they move to the larger premises. They are also using the beautiful fabrics that we have stored at the Rotary Donation In Kind warehouse in Castle Hill.

Regards Tony Castley Manager.

click photo to enlarge

The fabric was from the shipment of assorted fabric we sent them , which was originally donated to us by a Tailor in Hong Kong.

Click on photo to Expand

Regards

Tony

We have some 700 rolls, each 1.5m wide x 50m. We plan to distribute this to our sewing rooms overseas, and we recently started with a shipment of 120 rolls to our sewing projects in East Timor. However, shipping to third-world countries is always a challenge, and therefore, if anyone has any information on containers being packed with aid products going to any of the following countries, please let me know?  Goma in Congo DRC, Uganda, Nepal, Cambodia, Fiji, Kiribati.

We have also distributed some rolls to three Rotary sewing groups in Australia that make children’s clothing and send them to Africa . Also, please contact me if any other aid organisation could use some of this fabric. We just want to be used in the best possible way to help those in need.

A big thanks to Geoff for this.

The program was held at the Ukraine Church Hall in Granville over 10 days, from 20/2/23 to 4/3/23. Five  of our wonderful volunteers teachers, taught eleven Ukrainian  women sewing techniques at all levels.  During the program the students made a wide assortment of items, from basic children’s clothes, to beautiful bags and purses to magnificent dresses.

SewAid supplied all the sewing machines and equipment which will remain as a permanent fixture in the hall, for all refugees to come and sew. Initially the hall will be opened for this every Friday, but later they hope to increase this to three days a week. Also plans are in place for further training programs, including a quilting  course. So we are very pleased with the sustainable prospects of this program.

In addition to the students learning a whole range of sewing skills, these ladies also had the opportunity to escape some of the difficult life situations that they have such as husbands and brothers still fighting in the Ukraine. All the ladies  did not know each other at the start, but after two weeks together  they formed close friendships.

Many thanks to our amazing volunteer teachers, some who have given over 100 volunteer hours to this program. Our teachers were Glenda Bones our SewAid head teacher,  Vera Liondas SewAid teachers and Rotarian, Tina Latham SewAid teacher and Rotarian, Sheila McDowell , and Michelle Lewis who joined us as a SewAid teachers for the first time.

We would like to particularly  thank Christina Caldis of the Ukrainian Art therapy and Cultural Centre , for all her hard work in arranging the premises and recruiting all the refugee students, and also the Parish of St Aphanasius, and the orthodox Church of Granville for making the hall available to us, and also thanks to the Ukrainian Council of NSW who enthusiastically endorsed the program.

Tony Castley SewAid.

Click on photos to enlarge 

Sydney – teaching sewing to refugees – February 2023

Kiribati – teaching sewing  or crafts – May 2023

Uganda-  teachers sewing teachers from across Africa – July 2023.

Priority will be given to teachers on our existing database but we would also like to hear from new volunteers.

Interested to learn more : please email Tony Castley  at tonyc@sewgroup.com