Women sew traditional dresses to raise funds for a peer-to-peer counselling program for children whose parents have HIV/AIDS. Additional sewing machines will expand this self-sufficient program.
Zwelethemba, where the only source of income is from seasonal work on fruit farms, is one of the poorest areas of the Western Cape. Unemployed women, who have been trained to use sewing machines, make traditional Xhosa dresses to sell to both tourists and women who wear them for family ceremonies. The proceeds to fund local peer-to-peer counseling for youth whose parents have AIDS. Five sewing machines are needed to expand this outreach.
In the African tradition of "Ubuntu" (supporting one's community), the local women gather at the Zwelenthemba Center where their children are fed and looked after, and they can sew undisturbed.
Additional sewing machines will increase output, providing more funding for youth counseling program. Youth counselors range live with parents with AIDS, hand out pamphlets on safe sex, talk to peers & perform plays for local children about HIV/AIDS.
This project has provided additional documentation in a PDF file (projdoc.pdf).
