so this week has been a biggie. ive felt pretty weighed down by the responsibility of it all.
ive had so many women come and ask for a job. its hard to explain...but living in a tiny village outside a small town...there really isnt much these women can do to make some money for their families.
ive been trying to come up with a way of generating jobs. someway of giving jobs to unskilled women...
so a little idea hatched that i could maybe get some embroidering happening...surely it wouldnt be too hard to embroider?? not that i have any embroidery skills...but still. i bought a whole bunch of long sleeved tees from phnom penh thinking that i could give this girl Malay a job.
well...it turns out that Malay was out on the day i had wanted to see her...she was getting her ID card. she needed to apply to a local sweat shop. Malay had decided that her best chance for getting some money is working in a sweatshop from 6PM...to 6AM!! six days a week. for $55 a month.
right. so now im even more frantic to get her to work for me. not just that..but my helpers sister..srei-deep had gone along with her to apply for a card and then job as well. let me just highlight that they are 16 and 18 years old.
so. they come to my house. i explain about the embroidery. that if we can make it look nice..and people in australia will buy it...then we can keep doing this and it means a long term job for them.
well.. next morning..they rock up with six other girls!! they all want to embroider!! as the day progresses...more and more women fill up the space in my house. so on top of my regular four seamstresses...i now have 12 or so young women sitting on my floor. i only have a few emboridery supplies..so many of them just sit and watch...or make suggestions. i quickly buy more embroidery rings and needles...and put the word out that i need more string!!
so thats whats been going on this week...each day ive had so many women in my house...some pregnant...some with a baby..all wanting to get a job.
so here i am. feeling somewhat...daunted by it all. obviously i want to give them all a job. but at this stage its just not doable financially.
i would love to share the load somehow...would love to hear your thoughts on it all. your ideas. here it is in a nutshell: women are invited to my home to embroider. anyone is welcome. once they feel their skills are good enough...they then practice some of the designs i come up with. (i sat down this morning and drew some ideas that werent too shabby actually). once they have 'mastered' the designs..they can start working on the shirts that i bought.
the design will be small. possibly in the back of the neck. not too obvious. the shirts are good quality, really nice colours...but yes...made in a sweatshop. im hoping that by giving the girls the chance to embroider on the shirt...it redeems it somehow. at this stage i just dont have enough of my own things to embroider on.
i will then sell the shirts for $20. if they sell it means i can pay wages for these women and properly set this up to be a long term thing.
so in some ways..its basically a $20 donation will give you a nice shirt.
what do you think?
i need some guidance.
i will get some photos up soon to give you more of an idea...
i have so many ideas and plans...but basically none of this works unless you good people 'catch the vision'...
(hope i dont sound too pleading...)
ive had so many women come and ask for a job. its hard to explain...but living in a tiny village outside a small town...there really isnt much these women can do to make some money for their families.
ive been trying to come up with a way of generating jobs. someway of giving jobs to unskilled women...
so a little idea hatched that i could maybe get some embroidering happening...surely it wouldnt be too hard to embroider?? not that i have any embroidery skills...but still. i bought a whole bunch of long sleeved tees from phnom penh thinking that i could give this girl Malay a job.
well...it turns out that Malay was out on the day i had wanted to see her...she was getting her ID card. she needed to apply to a local sweat shop. Malay had decided that her best chance for getting some money is working in a sweatshop from 6PM...to 6AM!! six days a week. for $55 a month.
right. so now im even more frantic to get her to work for me. not just that..but my helpers sister..srei-deep had gone along with her to apply for a card and then job as well. let me just highlight that they are 16 and 18 years old.
so. they come to my house. i explain about the embroidery. that if we can make it look nice..and people in australia will buy it...then we can keep doing this and it means a long term job for them.
well.. next morning..they rock up with six other girls!! they all want to embroider!! as the day progresses...more and more women fill up the space in my house. so on top of my regular four seamstresses...i now have 12 or so young women sitting on my floor. i only have a few emboridery supplies..so many of them just sit and watch...or make suggestions. i quickly buy more embroidery rings and needles...and put the word out that i need more string!!
so thats whats been going on this week...each day ive had so many women in my house...some pregnant...some with a baby..all wanting to get a job.
so here i am. feeling somewhat...daunted by it all. obviously i want to give them all a job. but at this stage its just not doable financially.
i would love to share the load somehow...would love to hear your thoughts on it all. your ideas. here it is in a nutshell: women are invited to my home to embroider. anyone is welcome. once they feel their skills are good enough...they then practice some of the designs i come up with. (i sat down this morning and drew some ideas that werent too shabby actually). once they have 'mastered' the designs..they can start working on the shirts that i bought.
the design will be small. possibly in the back of the neck. not too obvious. the shirts are good quality, really nice colours...but yes...made in a sweatshop. im hoping that by giving the girls the chance to embroider on the shirt...it redeems it somehow. at this stage i just dont have enough of my own things to embroider on.
i will then sell the shirts for $20. if they sell it means i can pay wages for these women and properly set this up to be a long term thing.
so in some ways..its basically a $20 donation will give you a nice shirt.
what do you think?
i need some guidance.
i will get some photos up soon to give you more of an idea...
i have so many ideas and plans...but basically none of this works unless you good people 'catch the vision'...
(hope i dont sound too pleading...)
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