From the Gogos raising grandchildren on pension money to single mothers working hard to make ends meet and keep the lights on at home, the women of Alexandra Township shoulder many a heavy burden.
However, through a sewing programme run by Rays of Hope that aims to empower and equip women in Alexandra with skills to support them in earning a living for themselves and their families, that burden has become just a little lighter for some.
Jeniva Makola, a graduate of the programme with a passion for dressmaking, says that the programme is exactly what she has been looking for. “The sewing programme has been life-changing for me and other ladies. It has empowered us with valuable skills and the confidence to start our own businesses. I am so grateful for the support and opportunities Rays of Hope has provided through this programme,” she says.
Run by Rays of Hope, a non-profit in support of the Alex community, and enabled by the STADIO School of Fashion in Johannesburg, the five-month sewing programme equips women with a range of practical skills, including patternmaking, stitching and garment making. The programme also includes business training to help participants start their own enterprises.
Participants graduate with an accredited and recognised qualification from STADIO and are also provided with a brother brand sewing machine to help kickstart their own businesses.
Women uplifting women
Tasked with recruiting participants for this year’s programme, Jeniva recalls how she came across Thabisa Dabula. “I was tutoring English classes as a volunteer at Rays of Hope and noticed that one of the children was struggling in class,” she says.
After enquiring further, Jeniva learned about the child’s difficult situation at home. “I found out that the child’s father had passed on, and he was the family’s breadwinner. They had been living without electricity and were really struggling, but in speaking more with the child’s mother, Thabisa, I learned that she tried to earn a living by sewing by hand.”
Thabisa was invited to join the programme and excelled, having pitched a traditional Xhosa-style peplum skirt designed to help women in postpartum feel comfortable in their new bodies. Her design and presentation won her first place in a ‘Dragon’s Den’ style competition that was part of the programme, earning prize money to help in starting her own venture.
Charmaine Seloma at Rays of Hope says that the beauty of the initiative is that it gives women and opportunity to network with and uplift one another. “Not only does the sewing programme help women build skills that can help them start their own businesses, but they also have the opportunity to lean on one another in their shared struggles as mothers, wives and females figures in the community,” she says. “It’s a touching story of women uplifting women.”
Charmaine Seloma says that the NGO plans to accommodate more intakes for the programme next year. “Cummins very generously sponsored the last group of graduates, and we are trying our best to ensure we find sponsors to help fund the sewing machines for the participants as well as consumables and lessons for the programme going forward.”
To assist or enquire about the programme and potential sponsorship opportunities, interested parties are encouraged to contact Charmaine Seloma at charmaine@raysofhope.co.za
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