“Women must be full partners in development, so they can lift themselves and their communities out of poverty.” – UN Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon

If you have not yet heard about the great things that are happening in the small village of Carraballo/Ascension in the Dominican Republic, we urge you to take a look. With a focus on creating unity and sustainable solutions within the community, positive change is happening there in a variety of ways.

This past year, this community received donated sewing machines and supplies from supporters and the women decided to form a small sewing co-op. There are 24 ladies that use the sewing machines, 12 in the morning and 12 in the afternoon. With the donated fabric they are able to make bags, backpacks, wallets, hats and more to sell in the marketplace or to tourists at the beach. The money they earn from the sale of their items goes towards taking care of their families and purchasing more fabric for future projects.

The cost to be in the sewing co-op is 25 pesos per week (about 75 cents). This goes towards maintenance of the machines and creates project ownership. Five of the women have been taught how to fix the machine, which speeds up repair time and cuts down on costs.

Recently the women learned how to make drawstring backpacks. While making them, they realized that these backpacks are better quality than the ones the local children use for school. Now when you donate to provide a child with uniforms and shoes to go to school, we can purchase quality backpacks from these local women – making your donation go even further! This ingenuity is inspiring!

Not only are these women finding new ways to support their families, they continually look for better ways to help their community. We admire their innovation and creativity!