Charity appeal for used sewing machines

from Village People Norfolk / Suffolk border edition – August / September 2021 (Late Summer)

Gospel from The Saints

Sewing machine lifesavers!

Did you use lockdown to have a good sort out at home? If this has left you with an unwanted sewing machine – treadle, hand or electric – then Tools with a Mission (TWAM) can give your old machine a vital new purpose. Ipswich-based TWAM is a charity that enables people in Africa to earn a living and support themselves and their families. In many countries, people have few skills, little education and no means of earning a living, and a

A TWAM volunteer gives a machine a drop of lubrication before it’s shipped out. A woman in Zambia shows off her work after using a refurbished TWAM machine

switch from aid dependency to selfsufficiency is impossible without help. On top of this, the pandemic has had a devastating effect in many African countries. Many women in poor villages have become widows at a young age and have children to support. With the gift of a fully refurbished sewing machine from TWAM, many have been able to start their own business and often they go on to teach others how to use the machines and earn a living. TWAM Chief Executive, Mike Griffin, said: “In the hands of a determined tailor in Africa, sewing machines transform lives! They provide income to put food on the table, send children to school and keep a roof over their head. Your unused sewing machine would be a lifesaver in Africa." So if you have a sewing (or knitting) machine that is surplus to your requirements, TWAM would love to give it a new life. Don’t worry if it hasn’t been used for a while, as all the machines are given a full service.