In Saitabau, a Massai village near Arusha/Tanzania, the approximately 5,000 inhabitants live from agriculture and livestock farming – and from hand to mouth. They try to somehow master the balancing act between their traditional, original and modern life.
Since August 2023, a breath of fresh air has been blowing into the village: the association Najali – ein Herz für Tansania e.V. is building a sewing school with donations from A&R Textil. The foundation walls of the future sewing school have been standing for a while – a building that was started and never finished due to lack of funds. From these masonry walls, a building is now being constructed in which two sewing teachers will teach ten students as soon as it is completed.
Already the construction of the sewing school is an enrichment for Saitabau and creates work and income for people in the village. The men work on the construction, the women fetch water for the construction from the river and earn some extra money.
The sewing students will be young, single mothers who often do not know today if and how they will be able to fill the plates for themselves and their children tomorrow. A training course lasts 18 months and ends with a final examination. After passing the exam, each graduate receives a sewing machine as a gift, which – together with the sewing knowledge she has learned – forms the basis for a secure livelihood for the small families. A huge opportunity for the single women!
