Asia
Many countries in Asia practice one major religion. Children born into one of these nations are oftentimes documented as following the religion of their parents. Should they be one of the minority beliefs, opportunities for jobs and training are limited. Consequently, those in the minority are often relegated to lives of poverty and hopelessness.
The projects in Asia are efforts to restore hope starting with one community.
Our desire here is to support these women in learning new, marketable skills. At this point it includes making the products sold on this website. As the women are paid for their work their “value” to their families increases, which in turn increases their self esteem and worth.
Women’s Training and Supplies
One story shared with me…(paraphrased)
“Most of the women I work with have had no education. Their skill sets are quite limited. Few could even cut with a pair of scissors. I struggled to even know how to teach them this skill most of us pick up in grade school. However, now all of them know how to use scissors. One night my housekeeper told her family she had used scissors. Her family did not believe her. Her son had been apprenticed to a tailor and in the several years he had worked there had not once been allowed to use scissors because if the son learned to cut cloth he would become competition for the tailor. Her family could not believe someone would teach her, a woman, such a valuable skill. When she eventually demonstrated her new skill and all were amazed, the housekeeper said she walked taller and prouder.”
Career Training for Men
The need for this is quite apparent. Husbands who carry the responsibility of providing for their families but with little hope of being able to do so often drift into hopelessness, as well as, destructive choices. The desire is to give families optimism by training men in some viable type of employment.