A Common Sewing Machine Creates Uncommon Community

BULIISA, UGANDA — Oyergiu Jonita (standing in the middle) is the wife Uganda’s National Coordinator Oyergiu Joshua and the mother of two young children. Like most women in Buliisa, she works in her family farm. But Jonita is also has an entrepreneurial spirit. An expert seamstress she found a sewing machine and opened a tailoring shop.

She is also the leader of a women’s Interfaith Peacemaker Team. Only a few of these ladies are formally employed. Most of them work on their farms, but also do various projects to supplement their family income.

There are several women’s Interfaith Peacemaker (IP) Teams in the area. Some pool their resources to support each other’s entrepreneurship.

In the course of their one-on-one conversations in the community, the ladies learned that teenage girls often miss school because they lack sanitary pads. This results in poor academic performance and sometimes in their dropping out of school. Jonita and her team got to work. They found a second sewing machine. Now, one machine was used for the sewing business and the other for manufacturing reusable sanitary pads, and the ladies took turns in making them.

They collected money among themselves and bought the special fabric that was needed for the purpose. Soon, they were able to provide a sanitary kit to girls in the local schools. The kit included a reusable pad, a bottle of liquid soap and an undergarment. They would go to the local schools and distribute hundreds of kits, and while they were at it, they would teach the girls about sanitation, sexual health and proper practices. As a result, Buliisa has seen improved academic performance from the girls, and a significant reduction in teenage pregnancies.

Recently one sewing machine broke. So now, they have to use the one machine that’s normally used for business, for making pads as well. They have a long line of volunteers to make pad kits, but the one remaining machine is in constant use in the tailoring business. We are looking for ways to get them another sewing machine and funds to buy materials needed for the production of sanitary kits.