WATCH: Joy as women graduated in the Sewing Class Project
St Patrick Catholic Church improves the community of the South.
Over a dozen women graduated on May 31 after completing three months of training on sewing at St Patrick’s Catholic Church, La Rochelle.
Their mood was jovial as they were receiving their certificates of attendance.
These are mainly migrants and refugee women, as well as local women who are mostly single mothers struggling to care for their families. The church equipped them with sewing skills to help them sustain themselves.
Just over 300 women have been trained since June 1, 2016, when the Sewing Class Project started between the church and Grassroots Heroes International (GHI)*.
Sewing trainer, Monique Kishala said graduation day is a special one for them and the women should be proud of themselves.
“We thank our deacon Walter Middleton of St Patrick’s Catholic Church and everyone involved in this project, for the support and the strength to carry on.
“To the women, you’ve been here since February and today we celebrate the seventh anniversary of the project. The church wanted you to be beneficiaries and empower you in the community.
“A lot of you have challenges from wherever you come from. However, I want you to take this opportunity and fly with it. Use it to put bread on the table and support your children.
“Please have humility because with it you will have the courage to ask anything you need in life. We are also proud that we accept any woman who wants to become self-empowered regardless of colour or religion,” Kishala said.
Middleton said he was delighted to be part of the graduation.
“Thank you Monique for the excellent job, you’ve done this with utmost humility and passion.
“As a church, we were having our soup kitchen as usual when we got the idea of empowering women so that they can sustain themselves.
“We are proud of the number of women we have helped through this project. Some have their own businesses now. Thank you to GHI for their support as more supporters came on board. I am glad to say some of the women’s goods will be sold in the US as there is interest there,” he said.
Testimonies from graduates
Blandine Mukendi, “My heart is filled with gratefulness. It is not by myself to be here but through God’s grace. When I heard about this project, I didn’t know how to use a sewing machine. I learned and today I can make anything, even a school bag.”
Antoinette Mangapi, “I’m emotional standing here. Coming here was a blessing as I didn’t know how to put a cotton in a needle, but now I make my own clothes. Every Sunday I wear the clothes I made.”
Venessa Mavanga, “This is a wonderful day. I was also blank in terms of sewing coming here. I told myself that I will learn. Now I can fix something for my children and my husband, thank you, Mama Monique.”
Neema Kandolo, “I had a desire for sewing and when I was introduced to this, I was happy. I wanted to volunteer my services, although I had a desire, I didn’t know how to sew.”
Chioma Madu, “Thank you to all our donors. I knew about sewing, but I did not know how to do it. I was scared at first to operate the sewing machine or to cut, but now I can.”
For more information on how to become one of the sewing women, contact Kishala at 063 196 8239.
* Grassroots Heroes International is a faith-based, Christian group whose goal is to empower ‘grassroots heroes’ who are working to improve the communities in which they live. This is done through financial support as well as socially and spiritually. They are all volunteers and all the money donated to GHI goes directly to support the projects. There are no overhead expenses related to any work or persons based in the United States.
