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Making 100 handmade bags
100 Bags!!! The ladies of the Skills Training Center recently fulfilled an order for 100 handmade bags for a church in the Netherlands! International Women’s Day is on March 8; the church placed an order for these bags to be used as part of their celebration.
Making 100 handmade bags is a large project under normal circumstances; making them during the Greek lockdown created many significant challenges that were overcome. Sewing machines were sent home with ladies since meeting at the STC classroom wasn’t allowed; work was reviewed through text images and when hot meals were delivered to the homes of the refugee women. Fabric stores are not open so fabric was ordered online, removing the ability to feel the fabric before purchasing; when some fabric arrived and was too thin, design changes were made to double the fabric to ensure the bags were sturdy. Applying the text to the bags was challenging because the STC doesn’t have screen printing tools. Stencils were used for the text but access to multiple stencils was limited; for part of the project one stencil was used for 43 bags.
Completing and shipping this order is a major accomplishment for refugee women who have learned to sew in the last year. The vision of the STC is beginning to be fulfilled as these women will receive payment for their work; their diligence in learning to sew and persevering through lockdown difficulties is providing the opportunity to financially help their families.
Please join us in prayers of thanksgiving for the bag order and the completion of the order; also, please pray for the STC team as they plan for the future; both in fundraising efforts for new supplies (including a screen printing machine!) and continuing to share the love of Jesus with the women in the STC classes.
Making 100 handmade bags is a large project under normal circumstances; making them during the Greek lockdown created many significant challenges that were overcome. Sewing machines were sent home with ladies since meeting at the STC classroom wasn’t allowed; work was reviewed through text images and when hot meals were delivered to the homes of the refugee women. Fabric stores are not open so fabric was ordered online, removing the ability to feel the fabric before purchasing; when some fabric arrived and was too thin, design changes were made to double the fabric to ensure the bags were sturdy. Applying the text to the bags was challenging because the STC doesn’t have screen printing tools. Stencils were used for the text but access to multiple stencils was limited; for part of the project one stencil was used for 43 bags.
Completing and shipping this order is a major accomplishment for refugee women who have learned to sew in the last year. The vision of the STC is beginning to be fulfilled as these women will receive payment for their work; their diligence in learning to sew and persevering through lockdown difficulties is providing the opportunity to financially help their families.
Please join us in prayers of thanksgiving for the bag order and the completion of the order; also, please pray for the STC team as they plan for the future; both in fundraising efforts for new supplies (including a screen printing machine!) and continuing to share the love of Jesus with the women in the STC classes.
