When American Rotarian Linda first read about a Rotary project in India teaching women life skills to support their families, it sparked an idea: what if she could bring the same opportunity to students at The School of St Jude?
“I love to sew, and maybe The School of St Jude would be interested in having a sewing machine to teach students to sew,” says Linda.
The timing couldn’t have been better. St Jude’s Founder, Gemma Sisia, had recently added sewing machines to the school’s donation wish list. Having learned to sew herself, Gemma knew firsthand how valuable this skill could be.
What started as a plan to donate a single sewing machine quickly became more ambitious. With the support of her Rapid City Rushmore Rotary Club in South Dakota, Linda secured the first machine. However, after enlisting the support of her family, notably her brother, a member of the Scottsbluff/Gehring Rotary Club in Nebraska, she was able to donate a second machine as well.
In 2024, Linda had the opportunity to visit St Jude’s campus in Arusha, Tanzania, to present the sewing machines to students and staff in person. Before her arrival, the school had recruited two teachers to train students in sewing, including practical skills like mending their uniforms.
This initiative has empowered the school’s 1,800 students to repair uniforms internally, extending the impact of the donation far beyond the initial gift.
“The sewing machines are the gift that keeps giving as the students learn a new skill and the uniforms are repaired,” she says.
Inspired by Linda’s story? You too can make a difference. Donate today.
