Seamstresses sew clothes for impoverished kids

MOVING to break the cycle of poverty in Nyanga, 25 seamstresses from a local NGO sewed 400 clothing items which they donated to impoverished children.

Etafeni Women’s Wellness and Economic Empowerment Programme seamstresses gave the clothing to children at Nyanga’s Etafeni Early Childhood Development Centre on Friday as part of both organisations’ celebrations of National Heritage Day.

A six-year-old child, among those who received clothes, said: “I am so excited to show my mom my new dress. This is the first time I will have my own dress that wasn’t (a-hand-me-down) from my big sister.”

Five-year-old Awanga Bakula said she enjoyed the Heritage Day celebrations and loved eating the ice cream they received.

Etafeni Women’s Wellness and Economic Empowerment Programme manager Theresa Lumami said theirs was a beautiful story of caring people working together to do something significant.

“Some months back, we were contacted by quick service restaurant Hungry Lion, who wished to donate excess staff uniforms and support our skills development work. They supported a number of seamstresses who upcycled the uniforms into play clothes,” she said.

The items produced were given to children from Etafeni’s Early Childhood Development Centre and a number of other crèches in the area.

Seamstress Thobeka Yamile said she had learnt much from the project about sewing in the last six months, and “now it’s like we are fashion designers”.

Etafeni Women’s Wellness and Economic Empowerment Programme offers counselling and medical assistance, as well as training in sewing and handcrafts, to HIV and Aids-affected women/mothers to enable them to earn revenue for themselves and their families

The Etafeni Day Care Centre Trust was established in December 2001 to provide a best-practice model of sustainable community-based care for Aids-vulnerable children, youth and their caregivers in Nyanga and surrounding communities.

Over 100 women participate in the programme, whose on-site shop sells a range of products, spokesperson Carolyn Cramer said.

She said the women produce shweshwe children’s clothes, toy animals, bags and table linen, and fill orders for international conferences such as lanyards and conference bags.

Awodwa Mqhakayi left, Linathi Gxalaba and Akhanani Mabija frolic at the Etafeni Early Childhood Development Centre in Nyanga while celebrating Heritage Day. Seamstresses from a local NGO sewed 400 clothing items which they donated to impoverished children in their neighbourhood.