Christine
The Sewing Machine that Built a House and Saved a Family
Making a difference is sometimes as simple as the gift of a tool – a common utility that can open up new worlds of opportunity. For Christine Stanley who struggled to feed her family and make ends meet, that gift was a sewing machine. And it changed her entire life.
Sudan Relief Fund partners with STAR Support Group in Yambio, South Sudan, to empower desperately impoverished people with the skills and means to sustain themselves. It’s the timeless concept of “give me a fish and I eat for a day; teach me to fish and I eat for a lifetime.”
Participants in the program receive skills training so they can build small businesses to support themselves and their families. They also receive basic finance instruction and tools needed to get started. The ripple effects of these opportunities benefit children, families, and sometimes even extended families and members of the community.
When Christine was identified as a candidate in severe need and joined the tailoring program, it wasn’t long before she became a star student. A single mother, she was dedicated and hard working, known for her quick learning and diligence toward her craft. When she graduated from the training in 2023, she received a special gift – her own sewing machine, along with materials to launch her start-up tailoring business.
Christine proved to be a capable entrepreneur. She saved meticulously and was blessed with a windfall of work during the busy Christmas season. Eventually she was able to save enough money to fulfill a landmark goal she’d dreamed of – a walled-in living accommodation for her and her children.
“Raising a wall was a challenge,” she said, “but with the help of my sewing machine, I’ve been able to provide a safe and secure space for my family.”
Christine is also able to pay for medicine that she needs. Knowing her business made it possible, she says, “I’m so grateful for the program. I can now afford my medication without depending on others.”
This budding entrepreneur did not stop there. She diversified her income-generating activities by investing part of her earnings into a garden. She even hired workers to expand its cultivation and production output. Now she feels secure that her family won’t grow hungry, and she’ll have extra to share or sell at the market.
Opportunity is rare for mothers like Christine in her region of Africa. That’s why this work is so vital here, bringing hope to the vulnerable and making the dependent become self sufficient.
Christine’s story is one of determination, empowerment, and the transformative power of support when simply given an opportunity. With no current challenges facing her or her family, she only wishes for Sudan Relief Fund to continue their life changing work, helping others in need become self-reliant, too.
These stories of lives saved are made possible by the generous and compassionate support of Sudan Relief Fund’s donor community. Thank you for changing lives like Christine’s and her children, who now face the future with hope and a solid foundation.
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