Since early 2011, Kusitawi Village has had an in-house tailor who provides the children with their class uniforms and is responsible for crafting the tote bags which are sold internationally for funding.
The hand that threads the needle is Ms. Agnes Thuku who originally applied to be a house mother for Children of Strength but upon learning of her expertise behind the spinning wheel (per se), was repositioned as the program’s tailor.
Masterfully skilled and properly trained (she studied fashion and design at Mwangaza College in Nakuru, Kenya), Agnes works weekdays from 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. and averages ten tote bags or between four to eight uniforms a day – depending on the measurements.
Agnes Thuku: kickin’ pedals and stitching names
The tailor shop is a cozy room situated across the parking area from the administration building. There are currently five sewing machines and one overlock that sews over the edge of two pieces of cloth for edging:
The overlock
Tote bag cloth. Soon countless Safeway trips will be bejeweled by their tote-y-ness
Music of choice: Gospel
The blog post is respectfully dedicated to The Beatles’ 1965 classic ‘HELP’