With a donation of $1000 from the Ruebe Family, three sewing machines costing 2 million Uganda shillings have started a sewing academy in Mbarara, Uganda.
This second “Dress a Girl” mission jump-starts a friendship with 300 young Uganda girls. Each will soon have the opportunity to make and sell their own dresses. Microfinancing will be taught with six sewing machines in a new academy designed to teach Uganda girls how to escape poverty.
Brainchild of Dress a Girl (For Life) founder Sharon Rudy and MAAPFoundation founder Deacon Don Grossnickle and priest Fr Zeddy, the sewing academy concept grew from the first 300 dresses delivered two months ago to Kasese Uganda.
Deacon Don and Sharon said: “Handing a girl living in poverty a new dress is a great gift, but giving them an opportunity to learn to sew their own dress offers a greater chance to prosper.” Now, we offer, “Dress a Girl’s Future”
A donation of three sewing machines by Rich and Kim Ruebe, after reading the Daily Herald story, inspired Father Zeddy in the Rubindi parish in Uganda to organize the academy. Sharon took the idea of going beyond donating dresses to the ladies who have made hundreds as giveaways. $500 will purchase three more machines.
The transportation and delivery costs of the dresses will be covered by a donation of $1000 from the Diocese of Pittsburgh’s mission office, which was obtained by Our Lady of the Wayside’s teacher Joe Nigliazzo and Deacon Don.
A donation was made to start a local village microfinance lending cooperative in Rubindi. This cooperative will offer loans to girls so they can purchase fabric. With the skills learned through mentoring, young women can make money to pay school fees, sell products for profit, make reusable sanitary pads for themselves or for sale, and open a savings account.
