“Learn as you earn” is an important principle at Mend.
A key component of this belief is our Functional Adult Literacy (FAL) class. Taught by Evelyn, the Mend social worker, FAL provides skills in reading, writing and numeracy integrated with practical knowledge and skills. FAL is designed not only to increase literacy but also to promote informed decision making and the use of literacy and numeracy skills to improve income generating activities.
Congratulations to all of the Mend seamstresses for their continued achievements!
Favorite Photo Friday
Videos of our newest seamstresses are in the works! Here, Atek Lilly gives her best smile.
Seamstress of the Month: Atek Lilly
Lilly joined the Mend family in February, and only 3 months later she has earned the title of Seamstress of the Month. She may be new, but Lilly has integrated seamlessly into the Mend program, even counseling and advising the other new seamstresses along the way.
Lilly likes the structure of her workday at Mend which keeps her busy and learning new skills. In her previous work, she used a foot-operated sewing machine, so she was most excited to learn how to operate an electric machine.
“She is positive, eager to learn new things, and very focused on her work,” said Richard, the Tailoring Supervisor at Mend.
Lilly is a single mother raising four boys, so she uses her income from Mend to pay school fees and buy food. She is also saving any extra money she earns so that one day she can build a house for all of them to live in. Well done, Lilly!
lifedeathlovewar asked: I got my mom a bag for Mother's Day and she absolutely loved it! She was very thankful that the purchase went to helping others. She loved the design and how it was so personalized. Your bag helped her Mother's Day a little brighter, and it's nice knowing the purchase made others' days and lives brighter too :) Thanks for all you do!
Thank you so much for your support!!
Happy Mother’s Day from our family to yours!
Favorite Photo Friday
Mother’s Day is just around the corner and we have some amazing mothers here at Mend! Meet one of our newest seamstresses Margret and her beautiful daughter, Lanyero Gloria.
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Stacked up and ready to leave Gulu…these bags will be available online soon!
Sitting at her sewing machine, Lamwaka Milka sings along to the radio playing local tunes, engaging in lighthearted conversation with the other seamstresses and bursting into laughter when she finds the song lyrics funny.
Early in the morning when the staff at Mend arrive to open the office, it’s not uncommon for them to find Milka already there, waiting to start work. Since she currently has no transport, she wakes up early to walk the three kilometers to Mend, determined never to be late. Even when she isn’t feeling well, she will make the effort to show up anyway. Her strong commitment made her the perfect choice for Seamstress of the Month.
“She has that interest in her work, she always tries her best to come,” says Richard, the Tailoring Supervisor.
Milka also takes pride in the work she does. For her, the happiest moments are when she gets to see the bags she made pass quality inspection. She is careful to learn from her mistakes, improving with each bag she makes.
“Mend is really a good place of work, because you are going to learn many things,” Milka explains how she describes Mend to her friends. “There are many good things taking place at Mend.”
With the money she earns she is planning to put her four children and younger sister through school. That’s a lot of responsibility for one woman, and this month Milka has saved up for a well-deserved gift to herself: a bicycle to make that morning commute easier.
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