Newsletter

		ET teammember receives Mother Teresa Excellency Award The Indian government recently bestowed a high honor on Subhadra, a key member of Eternal Threads’ team in India. On March 8, International Women’s Day, district authorities recognized her work by giving Subhadra the Mother Teresa Excellency Award. Subhadra trains all of the crafts women who crochet Eternal Threads totes, traveling by rickshaw out to the villages where the women live. In the past five years she has trained 500 women and is presently training 60 more in Mogollu, a village new to the work of Eternal Threads. Subhadra’s personal history provides a prime example of the power of educating girls. Married at nine years old, and unable to continue going to school, Subhadra made certain that her daughter received an education. In later years, her daughter encouraged and supported Subhadra to pursue vocational training in tailoring. Now Subhadra teaches tailoring and trains all of Eternal Threads crafts women. The Mother Teresa Excellency Award is a tribute to Subhadra, her daughter and the untold value of an education.

		Sewing machines increase earning potential Do you remember your grandmother’s treadle sewing machine? For us, such machines are quaint relics. For village women in South India, who live in villages without electricity, treadle machines represent an opportunity to improve their quality of life. In 2005 Eternal Threads began facilitating the giving of sewing machines to young women who have received vocational training to become seamstresses. Ten young women were supplied with reliable and sturdy metal machines. With this gift they can establish their own tailoring businesses. Being self-employed increases their earning potential allowing them to purchase nutritious food, access health care and send their children to school. Twelve more machines are now being given to young widows. Among those receiving these sturdy treadles is a notable young widow and her sister. Work has begun with this pair to establish the first Eternal Threads sewing center.

		120 girls educated because of your tote purchases! I am pleased to report that the profits from the sale of Eternal Threads totes are now providing education to 120 girls. Sixty girls from the tsunami devastated villages were added to this program at the start of the school year in June. We are grateful that your tote purchases, not only provide village women a chance to earn a fair and living wage, giving them the means to send their own children to school, but also contributes to the education of S. Bhavani and 119 others.

		Girl abandoned by her parents sees success in school When I was in India last February doing tsunami relief, we met Ravallamma and her granddaughter, Jansi. After hearing their story we decided that Eternal Threads should provide education for Jansi and make her an "ET Girl". The grandmother tells their story so beautifully that I will let her words speak for themselves. "My granddaughter, Jansi was deserted by her parents at seven months. Now she is ten years old. I raised the girl with pain and hard labor, working as a servant in homes and washing dishes in a hotel. Several times I fasted to feed the girl. Now Jansi is receiving monthly school funds from Eternal Threads. Jansi is feeling "one" among the students now and made 1st in recent exams."