Vanuatu Women Create Something Beautiful During Sewing Lessons

For humanitarian missionaries of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the heart of their work lies in seeking opportunities to serve others.

When Sister Janet Rose proposed the idea of teaching sewing lessons to some of the smaller communities in Vanuatu last year, she didn’t know how it would be received.

She originally purchased ten electric and two manual sewing machines with the help of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Because of the demand, they purchased ten more.

The sewing classes were warmly received in the small communities on the island of Efate where they began by learning how to make a simple shoulder bag, or “basket” as they call them.

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They then advanced to classes of their choosing such as skirts with the young women, dresses for older women, and clothes for their families.

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One community mentioned that they wanted to make sanitary pads as they were very expensive and not readily available. Classes were also taught on the smaller island of Tanna, in the villages of Imaus and Lume, where both members and friends of the Church participated.

Class sizes ranged from 8-20 women, and the ages of young women and women who took part were from 12 to70 years old. Everyone was welcomed warmly.

On the island of Tanna, manual sewing machines were donated and greatly appreciated. In these communities, the women worked together on the manual machines turning the hand wheel for their projects.

Reflecting on the experience, Sister Rose said, “These women have dreams of sewing to help clothe their families and maybe earn a little extra income to survive. It’s a beautiful example of communities working towards self-reliance.”

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