TGUP started a Save a Girl sewing center in Dang 3 years ago with 3 machines and 1 serger. They grew, on their own, to have 19 machines and more than 40 trained seamstresses. Because of their success, they have decided to spin off 4 satellite centers so they can train and empower even more women, and help even more girls. The new centers will be located in Gadwa, Bhalubang, Madhakpur, and Holeri.

An experienced seamstress from the Dang center will be assigned to each of the new centers and will train 50 new seamstresses over the next 3 months. That would allow for 200 women (50 from each center) to be trained with a life enduring skill that will both help her community and lift her out of poverty. It’s one of the greatest bootstrap success stories we have ever been a part of. 

To become a fully functioning center, able to produce Save a Girl kits as well as local clothes, linens, school uniforms, etc., they need to have 4 machines plus one serger. Currently each center has 2 machines and no serger.

The total cost to equip the 4 new centers would be $2,200 as follows:

• 8 sewing machines (2 per center): = $1,200 ($150/machine * 8)
• 4 serger machines (1 per center): =  $1,000 ($250/machine * 4)

The 8 new sewing machines and 4 new sergers (overlocks) have been purchased and delivered to the four new centers. Below, you will see the women being trained on the machines. They start learning on the floor using hand-driven machines. Once they have those mastered, they graduate to the foot-driven treadle machines.