Sewing machine donated by CityLife seniors
It is truly incredible how generosity and the initiative to reach out help others can make a dramatic difference in not just one life but many lives.
On a recent trip to Ethiopia, I had the privilege of visiting a sewing project that the seniors at CityLife Church contributed towards. About 10km north west of Addis Ababa, you’ll find a little blue shed with five foot-powered sewing machines crammed into a 4x4m space. As you look around the shed, you’ll notice that the walls are covered by garments that were made using these sewing machines. For the women that are trained here, these machines and garments represent hope for a better future. A future in which they are empowered with the means to generate the income they need to feed and clothe their children.
The machine pictured here was purchased with funds donated by the seniors at CityLife for a single mother of two children, who is HIV positive. Together with the free training that she received in this little blue shed and a little seed money, she now has the power to generate a regular income and provide for her family. Further, this is the only machine in the shed that is able to sew embroidered patterns.
Embroidered Pattern
Patterns that she used to have to spend hours doing by hand can now be done in minutes and as an added bonus she gets additional income from others in the co-op and community who get her to do their embroidered patterns for them.
This was made possible by the generosity of our seniors who before they even knew this need existed, made a decision to bless someone in Ethiopia with a sewing machine and reached out to World Impact with this vision. And unbeknownst to us, on the other side of the world Deme (our worker at CityLife International Church Addis Ababa) had just found out about this little blue shed and the needs of the women there. Imagine everyone’s surprise when the connection was made! The God we serve is truly amazing in the way that He connects and provides for His children.
– Winston