Sewing Project at St Albans

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Sewing Project at St Albans A collaboration
between Rotary District 5890, USA Rotary
District 5810, USA Rotary Club of Benoni Aurora,
District 9300, South Africa in Etwatwa, South
Africa
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Converted Container The container was collected
from the District 9300 Rotary Humanitarian Centre
and taken to P.D.Nixon for conversion into a
training facility for a sewing project. This is
the converted container awaiting transportation
to the final site in Etwatwa.
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D Day Delivery of our Container The excitement
was mounting in the local community as the
container arrives on site in Etwatwa.
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Electrical Conversion to Container An electrical
distribution box was fitted with a line of plugs
just above floor level to power the sewing
machines and irons. 3 Strip lights were also
installed as no windows were put in the container
for security reasons. Installation of
Ventilation 3 Whirley Birds were installed to
allow free flow of air. The double doors at the
back can also be opened to allow in light and
air. There is only one side door to access the
container. The local community members were
present watching the container being delivered.
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The Feeding Scheme The underprivileged in the
local community come to the feeding scheme twice
a week to be fed. The members of the community
are registered with the scheme and are given a
number. When they attend this is marked off in
the register. Cecelia Matthews, who runs the
scheme, believed that some of the women should
be taught to sew which would empower them to make
their own money. Cecelia went for sewing lessons
at the local community centre and then started a
small group with old hand machines in the church
hall.
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The Container Painted The cost to paint the
container during the conversion was too expensive
so we purchased paint and paid local labour.
Local labour was also used to run the electrical
cable to the container.

• Payments by Benoni Aurora
• Cost of Container from WCS 3000.00
• Conversion and Transport 13782.60
• Stationary Cupboard 1399.00
• Trestle Tables 897.00
• Stackable Chairs 660.00
• Paint, Shelving Labour 1633.25
• Industrial Sewing Machine 2300.00
• Industrial Sewing Machine 3700.00
• Total R27,571.85

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Container In use by Students The sewing
project runs 5 days a week and each person has a
machine. Most of the materials and cottons have
been donated by the Benoni Aurora Rotary
Anns. Cecelia made contact with a church in Wales
in the UK and they donated two sewing machines.
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The Official Handover of the Container Cecelia
Mathews with Gwyn Westcott at the handover. Gwyn
is a Benoni Aurora Rotary Ann and has been the
driving force behind the idea to set up the
sewing project. Gwyn has motivated the Rotary
Anns with their donations. The project has been
given a name by Cecelia The Lesedi Sewing
Womens Club. From Left to Right Rotarian Helen
Parkinson. President of the Rotary Club of Benoni
Aurora Iain Robertson Cecelia Matthews Father
David Rotary Ann Gwyn Westcott
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Virgin Spa Contract Richard Branson has been
doing a great deal for the under privileged in
South Africa and has recently introduced Beauty
Spas. The daughter of Rotarian Helen Parkinson
has bought the Franchise in a spa in
Johannesburg. Karen needed toweling booties,
toweling headbands and toweling mittens. The
contract for this order was awarded to the Lesedi
Womens Sewing Project. Seen in the picture are
Cecelia Matthews and Sheila Mlangeni who made
most of the articles. With the expansion of the
beauty Spas to other parts of South Africa the
contract for the toweling products will expand.
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The Rotary Club of Benoni Aurora,District 9300,
Johannesburg, South Africais extremely grateful
toDistricts 5890 and 5810 in Texas,
USA. Through the book project we are benefiting
from the availability of empty containers, which
once converted, are used for a diverse range of
activities for the benefit of the
disadvantagedwithin our community. The Rotary
Club of Benoni Aurora has taken many of the
books sent in the containers and is hoping to
set up a library in a Primary school near to the
sewing project.