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 In Africa
Kamala Sewing School, Kamala Training Center
Kigoma, Tanzania
The Kamala Sewing School in Kigoma, Tanzania teaches widows, young mothers and orphans to sew garments and crafts. This school founded 7 years ago, by Harold and Coni Knepper, also maintains a village “duka”, a small store where the seamstresses sell their creations, retaining 100% of the profits for themselves. For some, sewing is the only source of income for themselves and their families. Seamstresses receive free instruction from a trained tailor on fabric selection, pattern design, simple and complex sewing, and pricing their goods for sale. In this way, women are learning not only how to sew; they are learning how to run a successful home business.
In a place where employment options are few and women’s rights are scarce, the ability to sew and operate a successful business provides a world of opportunity for the woman and for her children. As the women are taught to sew, a free Montessori pre-school, also founded by the Kneppers, is available to teach her pre-school aged children.
This Summer, Pockets of Dreams will begin selling some of the seamstresses’ creations (baby bibs, baby quilts, boys shirts, aprons and draw string bags) at our online store. All profits from these sales will go to purchase additional equipment and supplies for the Kamala Sewing School.
The Future: Lake Tanganyika
With the Pockets of Dreams partnership, the school hopes to expand with additional training classes both in Kigoma and in other communities along Lake Tanganyika. Lake Tanganyika is an African Great Lake, the second largest lake in volume in the world, and stretches 673 km (418 miles) in a general north-south direction and averages 50 km (31 miles) in width.
Because of the terrain, many communities are completely cut-off from outside resources except by boat. Using the Kamala Training School as a model, the Kneppers plan to take the sewing school by boat to teach women along the lake how to sew and run a successful business. With no tailors or seamstresses for miles, the opportunity is ripe for women in this area to build businesses that will help to bring themselves and their families out of poverty, provide food and clothing for their families, educate their children and obtain medical attention as needed. Thousands of women and children living along Lake Tanganyika would experience radical life change and opportunity from learning to sew and being equipped with a sewing machine and supplies. Interested in purchasing a sewing machine for the Lake Tanganyika Project?
Listen to the hum of the sewing machines
Tanzania Details
Tanzania is the quintessential image of Africa. This peaceful country boasts fresh water lakes, oceans coasts, The Serengeti and Mount Kilimanjaro. Perched on the edge of the African continent, and facing the Indian Ocean, Tanzania’s weather and climate leaves nothing to be desired. Warm and sunny days are followed by cool and balmy nights. But sun-filled and beautiful days are not all that Tanzania has to offer. On the contrary, the country’s borders hold a vast number of people and tribes whose varied cultures and traditions make up the rich tapestry that is Tanzanian culture.
Although Tanzania is a country rich in culture and traditions, it’s history is also one of treasured heritage and pride. From the early days of mankind's history, man has called the land of Tanzania home - its verdant mountains, its scrubland plains. Tanzanians enjoy a climate of freedom and peace in our daily lives, and value community and togetherness very highly. Tanzanians practice Christianity, Islam, and traditional African religions in tolerance and understanding.
With a stable government and access to water and other antural resources, the under-five mortality rate in 2006 was 118 out of 1,000. Life expectancy at birth in 2006 was 50 years, and the 15-60 year old mortality rate in 2006 was 518 out of 1,000 makes and 493 out of 1,000 females.
The leading cause of death in children who survive the neonatal period is malaria and for adults, it is HIV/AIDS. 2006 data show that 55% of the population had sustainable access to improved drinking water sources and 33 percent had sustainable access to improved sanitation.
Education is compulsory for seven years, until children reach the age of 15 years. Primary school tuition has been eliminated in Tanzania since 2002, but families still have the responsibility to pay for uniforms, testing fees and school supplies which often is too great of a burden to families to be able to send their children to school. Secondary schools are not tuition free and by law, all secondary education must be taught in English, excepting Swahili class.
Zinunula Omunaku Education Center
Kiryagonja, Uganda
Pockets of Dreams partners with individual seamstresses in Uganda through our local in-country administrator, Lamech Katamba. Mr. Katamba, who has a bachelors degree in Country Development and Micro Finance from Makerere University in Kampala, was thrilled to partner with Pockets of Dreams. Mr. Katamba stated, "I am happy to learn that you are actively helping individual women gain financial progress in their own lives. I share
 the same heart too" .
Mr. Katamba selects partner seamstresses based on their current business success. He looks for women who have been in business at least 3 years, have a viable customer base and are in need of assistance to update equipment. Although not a requirement, seamstresses with school aged children of their own are preferred.
Mr. Katamba was introduced to Pockets of Dreams through our initial partnership with Dianna Eckhardt, a recent graduate of San Jose State University. Ms. Eckhardt's passion to provide opportunities to groups of people with a demonstrateable desire to change but who lack the resources to do so, led her to travel to Uganda for four months in 2007.
Through Dianna's partnership with The San Jose Rotary Group, Dianna worked with a local school and orphanage in the rural area of Kiryagonja, Uganda. She expanded its secondary curriculum, finished roofing the school buildings, opened a medical clinic to service both the children at the center as well as the community and increased AIDs education outreach in the region.
To foster the beginning of our relationship with local seamstresses, Pockets of Dreams clothed an entire school of girls with new uniforms, featuring the signature seven pockets blessing the girls with dreams of family, friends, health, wealth, education, opportunity and love. Many of the girls had never received brand new clothing and at least half of the girls had never had their picture taken. The day of the uniforms arriving was a day filled with much laughter, love and new hope.
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