A gallon-size Ziploc bag stuffed (and I mean STUFFED) full of tissue cozies was presented when I met with the ladies from the Kamuli tailoring program sponsored by the Beaverdam Womens Group. I admit that I gulped at first…did I even bring enough money to pay for this much work? Upon in section I see that Rose did an amazing job, very high quality, with her tissue cozies. A true star performer. It’s rare to find someone so motivated and so attentive to details. Rewarding her with fair pay is absolutely the point of the program.
Two husbands purchased machines for their wives, women who completed the tailoring program, and so they didn’t come to the follow up meeting. One of the students commented, though, that the teacher was a bit strict. At first I liked hearing that she had high standards, but then I learned that many women didn’t return for lessons because she was too harsh. In a culture where women are meek and quiet that harshness can indeed be a deterrent. Further, Rose reported that they’d not covered the making of all kinds of garments but instead only a few. Time prohibited that additional teaching.
But a few others felt they hadn’t learned all that was needed to be successful. Truly, a formal tailoring program lasts one year and our budget ran for six months. The teacher could have paced herself differently but it’s clear that the students need more learning. Rose recommended finding women in the community who demonstrate successful skills and paying them on a per garment basis. I love her resourcefulness, what a great idea to sew back into the community of ladies and develop a community of tailors who work together to encourage and teach one another.