Almost every one of our classes has some “frustrating” students in it. These are usually (but not always) the students that know sewing, but don’t speak English. They run ahead on the projects without waiting for the teacher OR looking at the instructions. Inevitably, these students create problems for themselves and have to redo the project.
She wakes up before dawn to get to work. Breakfast is in the kitchen for her children. She checks the house, locks the door and runs to catch the bus. The hours are short and her paycheck only covers part of her rent. Yet without childcare or paid training options, this precious refugee mom has no other option but to take whatever work she can to keep her family afloat.
4 women hired to sew. 14 women received sewing machines. 1 woman received a serger for at-home work. Friendships make. Skills learned. Stories told. It’s …
We’ve had an overwhelming amount of material needs over the past 3-4 months as rents are being raised, work hours cut, new refugee families arriving …
“Can you give me a ride?” she asked. I checked her address (it was close), thought about the class schedule (there is really plenty of time), and gulped. Why is the giving of time so hard to do? The transfer of time from project work to people investment always feels painful to me for some reason.
It’s a tough world for female refugees. They face hurdles to education, to healthcare and to even basic safety. Too often, girls and women are considered less needful of educational attainment than their male counterparts.
You can make an impact by helping us create a safe and bright future for new refugee Artisans at Make Welcome. Will you give today to provide safety, community, and job training for more students?
Every time one of our refugee students pulls back that curtain, I find my breath taken away by the grief and hardship that is encapsulated in their stories.
