Action Kivu

Alissa from Handmade by Alissa launched an amazing fundraiser this week to benefit Action Kivu, an organization that helps women who are victims of the conflict in eastern Congo by teaching them to sew. The conflict in Congo has taken the lives of over 5.4 million people since 1998. Rape is used as a weapon of war, with estimates putting the number of rapes in the hundreds of thousands.

Alissa’s twin sister Cate is working with Action Kivu to provide some of the eastern Congo’s victims of violence with the opportunity to rebuild their lives on a foundation of hope, dignity, and economic self-sustenance. Their approach is spearheaded through two programs. First, they run a sewing workshop that teaches women who are victims of the conflict to sew. This leads them to be able to support themselves and their families. Secondly, they pay for children to go to school which is not free in Congo. It costs $40 a year, per child. That’s very little money and it makes a big impact.

Alissa writes, “Our online sewing community is so blessed to be able to pursue our love of sewing as a hobby, career, or just for fun, but for these women, learning to sew will be life changing and give them hope for their futures. The Action Kivu sewing workshop of course costs money to run and they need supplies– sewing machines and more. They do not need the goods themselves, but the money to buy them.”

(be sure to silence my music at the bottom of this post before watching this video)

Action Kivu: Sewing Workshop Fundraiser from Action Kivu on Vimeo.

Sewing is something that is near and dear to my heart. Throughout my life it has continued to be a source of joy and healing for me and knowing that women throughout the world can share in that joy is awesome. Some day, I hope that I have the opportunity to participate in something like this in a "hands-on" way.