I love the children of Swaziland. And just the thought of their amazing smiles makes me smile.
And the girls of that nation? Well, I do admit a special fondness and admiration for them as they face a life that is often filled with poverty, hard work, loss, and sickness with grace, beauty, and joy.
In just a few weeks, a team will be going over to Bheveni Carepoint and ministering to the children and their caregivers that Jim, Anna, and I were at last September. This time around, as we did last time, the team wants to take one new outfit to each of the children. For many, if not most of these children, it will be the only new garment they will receive all year long. Most of these kids only own a couple of outfits and often these clothes are threadbare, stained, and inadequate against the elements.
Danielle Brower, the team leader and carepoint sponsor coordinator, is gathering up items to take over with the team. She is in the process of trying to get the last needed items donated. That means, that before mid-September, she needs about 50 new dresses. These can be simple, handmade dresses (such as pillowcase or t-shirt dresses) or they can be store-bought.
Still needed are:
20 dresses - sizes 10-12, 12-14
30 dresses - sizes smaller than 5/6 (toddler sizes for under age 5)
Here are the guidelines:
* no spaghetti straps (1 inch ribbon straps are fine)--- if you DO buy or make a dress with spaghetti straps, a shirt needs to be included with the dress.
* fabric - nothing too 'frilly' or flimsy. DURABLE is the key!
* no fabrics with fairies, or any magical type style
* no camouflage, military prints, or overtly American
* Swazi girls are long-legged, so dresses that would be at/below the knee are preferred.http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif
* pockets would be great, but not necessary
* any "season" dress is fine as the temperatures fluctuate a lot in Swaziland with cold one day and hot the next
* please pray over the young girl who will be receiving your handywork!
And the girls of that nation? Well, I do admit a special fondness and admiration for them as they face a life that is often filled with poverty, hard work, loss, and sickness with grace, beauty, and joy.
In just a few weeks, a team will be going over to Bheveni Carepoint and ministering to the children and their caregivers that Jim, Anna, and I were at last September. This time around, as we did last time, the team wants to take one new outfit to each of the children. For many, if not most of these children, it will be the only new garment they will receive all year long. Most of these kids only own a couple of outfits and often these clothes are threadbare, stained, and inadequate against the elements.
Danielle Brower, the team leader and carepoint sponsor coordinator, is gathering up items to take over with the team. She is in the process of trying to get the last needed items donated. That means, that before mid-September, she needs about 50 new dresses. These can be simple, handmade dresses (such as pillowcase or t-shirt dresses) or they can be store-bought.
Still needed are:
20 dresses - sizes 10-12, 12-14
30 dresses - sizes smaller than 5/6 (toddler sizes for under age 5)
Here are the guidelines:
* no spaghetti straps (1 inch ribbon straps are fine)--- if you DO buy or make a dress with spaghetti straps, a shirt needs to be included with the dress.
* fabric - nothing too 'frilly' or flimsy. DURABLE is the key!
* no fabrics with fairies, or any magical type style
* no camouflage, military prints, or overtly American
* Swazi girls are long-legged, so dresses that would be at/below the knee are preferred.http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif
* pockets would be great, but not necessary
* any "season" dress is fine as the temperatures fluctuate a lot in Swaziland with cold one day and hot the next
* please pray over the young girl who will be receiving your handywork!
Strength and beauty are her clothing, and she shall laugh in the latter day. --- Provers 31:25
If you would like to donate or sew dresses, please contact Danielle at daniellebrower@gmail.com. She can answer further questions and give you her mailing address.
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NEWS FLASH!!!! Just found out that we need about 20 skirts for teenage girls. These can be new handmade or store bought skirts. Draw string or elastic waist ones are preferred just because it is easier to match them to girls and can "grow" with the girls as needed.
2 comments:
I don't know if I've said this lately, but THANK YOU Elysa!!! Thank you for always being a conduit of blessing to our Bheveni girls, and sharing the needs that they have. You & I know the JOY of taking an old tattered, ripped outfit off a young girl and clothing her with a new, well-fitted beautiful dress for her to call her own. It's not so much the material, but what the dress represents - hope and a realization that someone and Someone cares about every detail of her life. I'm still holding out hope that you'll be right there with us mid-September, to love on them once again.
You KNOW it is my honor and pleasure to do this.
And I'm starting to ask my praying friends to intercede for that miracle. :)
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