newsletter April 2011

Dear friends of the sewing project,

When writing such a newsletter, we are always thinking: what could we achieve, how did your money and support make an impact in the lives of the women and children here in Paraguay?

Thanks to your help we could offer again the free sewing classes to 16 women – and they are passionate about it and like it very much. They will receive a 1 year/ 6 hours a week instruction. They appreciate the devotional time together and look at the first products –aren’t they wonderful?

 

Felicita - the sister of one of our ladies of the last year - needs more than 1 hour to come to our course – but it’s worth the time.

Gloria a lady from the morning class and below Juana from the afternoon-course..

Patchwork is unknown in Paraguay. Ideal for our ladies, who normally don’t have the money to buy fabrics. With patchwork they can use the little fabric pieces and can sew wonderful creations. Ideal to learn to sew correctly and to learn to use the measure tape and the scissors – and last not least the sewing machine!!

Which color fits? – Some of my ladies have an eye for it some have to learn. We would like to see how these ladies can pass on their new-learnt skill to their daughters.

Nelly - she comes from a very poor family in Limpio. We are glad to give her the opportunity to help her siblings. She is a 22 year old girl, who has to look after 4 more siblings. She is really happy to learn something useful, so she can earn some money with it. If she is progressing we are thinking to lend her a sewing machine very soon, so she can start sewing and producing at home.

The advanced ladies of the passed two years come together every two weeks on a Monday afternoon. It is a blessing to see how they are improving.

• Last week a former participant told one beginner class, how she can sell her products in the neighborhood. “I’m creating something and then I show my product to my relatives, friends and neighbors. Very often I get the response: I would like to have this, too. Could you please make me one?”

The advanced ladies sew kitchen towels which are present idea. These towels brng a whole new dimension into the project because the beginners see that they can earn money with their learnt skill . We receive donations for these towels from Germany and Australia as well.

The fair trade shops are very interested in them and we have requests from Germany and Australia.

If you would like to distribute those kitchen towels in your church, enterprise or neighbourhood, please send us an Email.

The German enterprise Lumara from Bavaria surprised our project with a 1000;-Euro donation. How wonderful!  Our ladies have the possibility to enrich their bags, clothes and accessories with lovely motives. This is a wonderful addition and the Brother  Innovis IIE  is running and running.

As you see the women are very happy.

In this year I, Sylvia, started to train Alba to become a future teacher.  She is a participant of 2009. She simply assists me in the morning hours and is really a big help and very talented. To teach 8 persons who don’t know the sewing isn’t an easy project.  Some are not used to work with electric machines. Some don’t have scissors in their homes and aren’t used to work with a measure tape.

We would like to see Alba as a teacher for the beginners in 2012. Could you help us with the finances?

Thanks to our sponsors we could give used clothes to our women of the last year. They can change these or use the fabric. They were very eager organizing the transportation. A big blessing for them and a good opportunity to work at home and earn some money.

Thanks to you we could install some more lights – it is becoming winter and we really appreciate the „new room“

We had visitors from Australia. Christa and her sister Heidi stayed for one week with us. We received old sewing machines through the initiative of Christa and Heidi.

In February we could offer a 1 week sewing holiday class for teenagers. We got the money through a fundraiser from Australia. The holidays are very boring for the kids in Paraguay because there are no activities or the families can’t afford them. As you can imagine we had a lot of fun but were exhausted as well. Women from my advanced classed helped me again. The girls made their bags, skirt and some other items. A German newspaper wrote about this event and our project.

Last Friday we could start a music project. We want to help the young kids in this town to learn something useful.

We would appreciate, if you could promote this project in your church, in your business or within your neighborhood. We need partners to assist the women and kids in this land. And we would like to invite you to visit us and see what we are doing and how we invest the money you gave us.



Bye-bye and God’s blessing.

Yours

Sylvia and Norbert Hill with our kids Rebekka and Michi

Our sponsors have to use the following way:
docAfrika International/ Nähprojekt Limpio

Donations to DocAfrika are tax refundable in Germany.

Deutsche Bank München, Germany

Account Number: 170 3 107 Bank Code: 700 700 24

BIC (SWIFT-CODE): DEUTDEDBMUC

IBAN: DE57 7007 0024 0170 3107 00

The sewing project in Limpio

Hello,

thank you so much for joining us and for your interest in our work. Please contact us if you wish more information. We are very thankful for every word of encouragement. And ...please pray for us.

The sewing project in Limpio, Paraguay, started in February 2009. Initiator was the American Organization P.P.P.  (Project for the people of Paraguay)  . The objective of the sewing project was and is to provide women of all ages training in the art of sewing. These instructions will give them an opportunity to sew clothing, household items and crafts for their own use  or to create an inventory for them to sell for income.

 We want to help individuals become self sufficient enabling them to create micro businesses in their homes or in a cooperative setting. Also this training could help them secure a job position within a larger business.
We pray for one another and start every session with a devotional time. We want to see these women get healed and becoming the person God has them created and called to be.

My first student: Mirna

In March 2009 the first 8 donated new machines arrived:

We could rent a very nice room and could start:

Others heard about our sewing class. We started a morning group with 8 persons as well as one afternoon class. Very soon I had to say: " I'm sorry! Please contact me next year again!"

The first hours  : we sew stripes together and cut motives for applications and ...

here they are -  the first products:

We are sewing with donated used labcoats and jeans and other fabrics. A big help because under normal conditions it is not possible for the women to buy new fabrics. A few women could't come sometimes, because they didn't have the money for the bus ticket (0,5 $).  In 2010 a young German foundation, DocAfrika International, started to support the sewing project. Every month we receive money to help some women to pay their bus tickets as well as to buy some new fabrics. 

Very soon the first group accomplished in teamwork a baby rug for one pregnant participant.

Later we started to make blankets. A big blessing for their homes in the cold winter days. "Thank you , Mom!" -  isn't it good to hear these words from our kids!! Especially for a poor Paraguayan woman.

Later in the first year the progressing women could sew some clothes. With the earned money they were able to buy their own sewing machine. I had the privilege to deliver 8 machines to the following group of women in the first year:

Neri, single mother of 6 kids

Rosana, single mother of 3

And we were visiting our new seamstresses in their houses to discuss further steps. We know, every help starts with a single person.

Alba with her 2 kids

We celebrated  the termination of the first year:

In 2010 we had a special meeting with Sheri Bizan( on the right side with the white pullover) and the sewing ladies.  Sheri Bizan is the founder  and president of  PPP. As you can see, we stay together and accomplish our longterm sewing project for the women of Paraguay.

When we delivered a machine to Elva recently, we prayed together. My husband, Norbert, and I were very touched by the following words of this woman:

"Thank You, Lord,

that there are people in the world

who are thinking about us women in Paraguay"

Elva with her family in 2010

Thanks for reading and "God bless you" or as we say here: "Dios te bendiga!"