What do you get when you mix 2 teachers, 50 treadle sewing machines, and a whole bunch of kids?

The Sewing Classes at our Uganda school, of course! At St. Patrick Nursery & Primary School in Uganda, the sewing classes are for ALL the students in P6. They’re held on Saturdays. Two classrooms each have 25 treadle machines. Yes, TREADLE - - like your great-grandmother used - - no electricity needed! The machines and table were purchased thanks to grants from the Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration (FSPA) in Lacrosse, WI.

While the classes cut into students’ “free time” on the weekend, they’ll also provide knowledge & skills for the future. Tailors are in high demand in Uganda; folks can’t just drive to a local clothing store like we do here in the U.S. Ask Board president John Grillot about it - - he purchased custom-tailored shirts while on mission trips to Uganda - - quality workmanship with a quick turnaround.

Also, plans are for the Pad Project to eventually transition to the girls at the school. It has been the work of volunteers who meet monthly at St. Monica’s church hall in East Peoria, cutting fabrics and sewing them into reusable sanitary pads for the girls/women at the school. Perhaps in the future the sewing classes in Uganda can not only provide pads for the school residents but also provide (or sell?) them to others.