The start of a sewing programme at the Gaston Boasman Community Help Desk for the Elderly & Disabled and Women’s Desk (see related story) is an encouraging initiative. The Department of Community Development, Family and Humanitarian Affairs (CDHFA) invested in machines to help participants empower themselves.
For now only eight women registered as unemployed are involved, but it regards a pilot with plans to extend such to other members of the public, including perhaps – why not – men. Similar courses have also been given in prison as part of re-socialising inmates.
Mastering this craft undoubtedly offers substantial benefits. Residents will confirm that finding good, fast and reliable sewing services isn’t always easy, so there should be plenty of available work.
Moreover, one can save money by fixing the family clothes, contributing to less waste in the process. Just think about how many things people stop wearing and ultimately discard because of minor issues like a broken zipper or missing button.
This leads to buying new stuff when not really necessary at a time during which that kind of consumerism is increasingly frowned upon by an environmentally conscious society. “Reduce, reuse, recycle” has become an important message in today’s world faced with the impact of global warming and climate change.
Of course, the project is limited in size for the moment, but every jobless person assisted in this way would be a plus. To quote the biblical saying, “Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day, teach him how to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.”
