Jeanette's Story

"In the heat of the afternoon, ten women from the old sewing class came over to see me. Of course, with my very limited Marathi and their limited English, communication was sparse. 

I asked them if either of the teachers had called them over since there were ten of them. They said no.

We were all a little frustrated not to know what the other was saying so we called a friend who speaks both languages. He found out that they came over to see how I was and if they could borrow two pair of scissors from our supply.

I invited them to have Chai tea with me but they declined. Instead they told me to follow them to Nimboli. We entered one lady's home. Here they had been meeting and sewing ever since the Principal Teacher put his old sewing machines in her house. They each had been working on a project and seemed very happy.

I was very shocked to see that the only scissors they had was a little pair, about six inches long, almost like a grade school art class scissors. We needed to do a puja to that little scissors who had accomplished so much for the ten of them. 

They gave me Chai and put flowers in my hair, put a dot on my forehead, and painted my fingernails, even my toenails. I was very touched by their attention.

The gist of it is they want new sewing machines and they want to start the sewing classes again soon. They are so hungry for assistance and are showing so much drive and initiative to learn. What can we do?"

From Jeanette Monosoff, Project Manager of TMA Sewing Classes in India