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| <<//My Sewing Machine//>> |
Last night I went to bed knowing about Kiva's complimentary $25 loan credits for new lenders, and this morning I woke up with a determination to donate. I laid in bed refusing to get up this morning because I was on a quest to search for the right candidate. I was hoping to find a rural health clinic in need of medical supplies, unfortunately I was not able to find such a scenario. However, my determination prevented me for giving up and I started looking at the different types of services that individuals were providing within their local community. I found an abundance of individuals, from a handful of countries, who knew a trade which allow them to provide for their family. I can't help but be envious of their stories, considering that I am someone who have decided ten years of my life into the education system and came out a little disappointed in the fact that I did not obtain a trade that I can use to support a family.
There were beauticians, auto mechanics, photographers, electricians, barbers, tailors, and the list goes on as I kept reading one story after another. I came upon may different groups of female entrepreneurs who were requesting loans so that they can buy a sewing machine in order to start a sewing business. Quickly my head started filling with memories of my childhood. I remembered that shortly after we immigrated to the United States, from Vietnam, my parents bought two sewing machines and started receiving large bulk of fabric patterns. They would sew the pieces together at home and bring the completed shirt, pant or dress back to a warehouse in exchange for cash. I have memories of weekly trips to the warehouse where my mom would pick-up or drop-off the orders. As a child I did not realized that, for several years, my mom was doing a job analogous to someone who was working at a sweatshop. What I did realized, at that age, was that by having the sewing machines, my mom was able to work comfortably at home while being able to spend more time with her children. I have fond memories of her working diligently through out the night while we slept mixed in with memories of our many walks to McDonald's for a Happy Meal or the park after school to play on the slide. Looking back now, both my sister and I can account our hard-working nature to years of observing my parents work multiple jobs in order to provide for our family.
Eventually, my parents were able to save up enough money from their sewing job and we were able to move out of our first apartment and into our first condo home. This move meant that we would be parting ways with the sewing machines because my mom was able to find a stable job once she got her cosmology license. It put an end to the sounds of the sewing machines hard at work while I slept at night and no more extra scraps fabric for me to design outfits for my Barbies. One day, when I got older, my mom shared with me the story of how she have received a loan from a family friend in order to purchase the sewing machines. She mentioned that without the sewing machines we probably would not be able to be where we are and have what we have today without he extra funds that she have saved from the sewing job. Those two big heavy sewing machines, which became fixtures in the apartment, ended up making a big impact in our lives.
Growing up I was hesitant about sharing this story with my friends because I was ashamed, but now I realized that I was just ignorant. I am proud of everything that my parents have done and hope to live by their example of hard work and dedication. Therefore, it was without hesitation that I decided to established my mom as a new lender with Kiva and started a $25 loan to support a group of women living in Pakistan, who were requesting a new sewing machine in order to start their sewing business. Ironically, they are called Asia's Group and from their picture they seem to be the happiest bunch of women which drew my attention. Asia's story of how she is using her skill of sewing in order to be able to support her children's education is very similar to what my mom's story. Stories similar to these are not going to end with Asia, it will probably continue on some where else around the world. I believe that by providing women with the right tools, like a sewing machine, women like Asia and my mom can stay out of the sweatshop. They can work comfortably at their own leisure while being able to raise their children and generate an income to help support their family. I am a big believer in empowering and supporting one another for the better good of our community, society and planet. So take some time today to reflect on your own life story and find a way to pay it forward for someone else.
