Tithandizane means “Let’s help each other” in Chichewa, and it denotes the spirit of working together to solve a common challenge. The challenge facing many of our Passion kids is finding resources to buy school uniforms to go to school. For the young ladies, having reusable sanitary pads allows them to stay in school. The Tithandizane Mothers Sewing Group is a group of caregivers of some of the Passion kids from the most vulnerable households. Several of the mothers are also members at Mulunguzi Community Church. Together, they are working to help eliminate some of the challenges that prevent these children from going to school.
The sewing group has about 15 members, as we only have seven sewing machines and one instructor. Our goal is to expand and reach more through recruiting and building more groups, perhaps at our sister churches. As the current members gain experience, they can train the new groups in the future.
During the 6-month program, the mothers learn basic tailoring and business skills, but Bible study and prayer are critical to the program. The key objective is to provide opportunities for others to know Christ and grow in their spiritual lives while offering good fellowship for the mothers as they are building relationships while working together.
When they complete the training, they will be working as a group to sew school uniforms, school bags, reusable sanitary pads, and other clothes. Part of the money earned will be reinvested into the sewing program, while a portion of funds will be shared among them to help support their families. We also hope to see each member purchase her own sewing machine and start her own business one day!
We are excited about this door that God has opened to provide for and empower our Passion family through this sewing group!