The hum of a sewing machine is a familiar sound at our training center in India, but for the women who gather there, it represents a path to independence. This year, we are celebrating our 48th graduating class—a beautiful milestone that reflects nearly five decades of God’s faithfulness and the steady support of people like you.
This year’s class of 15 women achieved something especially remarkable. For the first time, every single graduate took the official government certification exam, and every single one passed!
This formal government recognition changes things for these women. It lifts them out of informal, unprotected labor and qualifies them as certified professionals. With this certificate, they can command higher wages in established garment factories, gain the legal standing needed to register their own independent businesses, and receive formal validation for their hard work.
Among the graduates is Lakshmi, a young woman who faced an incredibly difficult future after losing both of her parents. Without a family safety net, she was left highly vulnerable.
Through the sewing school, Lakshmi found both a community and a craft. She mastered tailoring, earned her government certificate, and, thanks to the generosity of our donors, was one of eight students to receive a sewing machine at graduation. Today, Lakshmi has the tools and the credentials to earn a respectable living and build a secure life.
Providing a sewing machine offers these women an immediate career. By equipping eight of the graduates with their own machines, we are helping launch eight new small businesses that will support families and help the local community thrive.
As these 15 women begin their careers, they carry with them a valuable skill and the knowledge that they are capable and valued. Thank you for being part of this 48-year legacy of empowerment.
“She seeks wool and flax, and works with willing hands… She makes linen garments and sells them.” — Proverbs 31:13, 24
Respectfully submitted,
Scott Soden
Director of Global Partners & Advancement
