Six sewing centres have been running now for several years, in Dehradun, Haryana and Srinigar. Each centre provides courses of 6 months duration with each course being led by a qualified sewing and tailoring instructor. Typically, 8-10 ladies will attend each course, which consists of one and a half hours training, 5 days a week. At the end of each course, the ladies will be sufficiently skilled to make a range of garments and in so doing be able to generate a source of income with which to support their families. For some this will mean being able to put food on the table to feed their families. In other cases, some ladies will go on to do further training to develop their skills so they are able to do more complex sewing and tailoring.
Over the years, we have visited a number of these centres and have been impressed by the quality of the garments being produced. The teachers are obviously highly respected by the students and there was a very positive spirit among them all.
A committed couple moved to Dehradun, North India in 1986, Since then they have been involved in holistic Christian ministry where they have been totally committed to their local church while developing a variety of social projects within the community. They have a real heart for the needs of those around them, especially those living in poverty in the north of India, which is far less economically developed than the south. Although India is a fast-developing global economic power, around 40% of the poorest people in the world live there.
