Free Pakistani Sewing School Program
Picture showing the 2nd graduating class of 2025
The Pakistani Sewing School is a free program meant to empower women among poor families in Pakistan who desire to generate their own income. The school is currently aiming to graduate two classes of 20 women every year. Every graduate gets their own sewing machine and the skills necessary to sell their work. This is a HUGE life changing program for these woman. Most of them live in areas of poverty and are doing their best to get by for themselves and their family. It can be especially dangerous for women to work outside the home in many of these environments, such as for Mehwish in her story below, so you can see why it is so important for them to learn these skills!
This was only made possible by the generous help of the University of Sewing. Sonia (Aaron's wife, who is Pakistani) and Margaret began a simple conversation the spring of 2023 about starting a free school. Since that time we have had over 85 graduates (and counting!). It has been such a joy to see a full class of aspiring women, motivated to achieve a life better than what they had before this program. We invite you to help us continue this charitable mission with your support!
Continue reading below to learn how the school has impacted young girls like Mehwish, a girl in a family of four daughters. The culture may not have recognized them and their potential, but it doesn't have to stay that way! As you read, you'll understand how programs like these can begin to shape the culture around them at the grassroots level and have a water ripple effect!
"It’s not just a program, but a destiny for many women. It shows the world what we can do and how we can bring change. This is what's possible if you put trust in your daughters."
Hi, my name is Mehwish, I'm 23 years old. I was born into an uneducated family and in a neighborhood where women were not respected or thought to rise to anything more. My father works as motorcycle repairman in someone's shop, and I have three more sisters. We have no brother and being a women in Pakistan is very hard. Our father couldn’t afford education for us and we used to go to work in other people's houses owned by Muslims.
As a Christian girl, being a maid is nerve wracking. If they find out I am Christian, they start harassing me and my sisters, treating us as if we were their slaves. There was no way we could stop working there, because we owed them money for my mom's medical treatment. So we continued work there, and to tolerate everything. It even got so bad they used to beat us. They treated us like animals. Yet I knew there was no options for us. Things are different in our culture, women have little worth and no one sends their daughters to school or to any skill building program. Since we are women, and because of our religion, they say we are only ever going to work as maids.
The thought of getting out of our situation never came strongly to me, until one day, when I was harassed badly, I ran home crying and said I will never go there again, but I had no choice. We had to tolerate these conditions for 5 years until we were able to pay off the $400 that we took for my mom's treatment. We didn't work at the same house anymore, but we still had to work in other houses.
I always had desire to do something more to change the circumstances of my family. I wanted to learn skills and gain an education. I used to pray a lot and many times I cried. Then finally, I heard about a sewing school was to be established in our village! And it was going to be absolutely free, too! We did have a school, but you pay monthly and my dad couldn’t afford that. We hardly could afford to buy food.
Once I heard the news of the starting date for the free sewing school, I knew I had to convince my family to let me go. I had to learn the these skills because I wanted to change my family. I had strong resistance from my uncle, since he believed it was not my place, but after two months of praying, begging, finally they let me go to the school.
Once I start learning I noticed how important it is for a women to have skills learned in the sewing school. We weren't just getting skills, but learned how to read the bible and basic manners, too. It was life changing program for me!
After only three months of learning, I started sewing for customers. I would stay until the late hours, even after all the other girls went home for the day. I earned little by little and I showed my dad the money I was making. He started seeing the impact of the school in my life, and how it was changing our circumstances. My dad was so proud of me, and even my uncle, who had doubted me before, sent his own daughters to the school.
The program was 6 months long. I learned how to sew, embroider, how to cut patterns, sew wedding dresses, and men’s clothes, too. After I graduated, I built my own sewing school, thanks to the free school by the University of Sewing.
I started a small school in my house for free, to teach many girls like me. Because it changed my life, I want to change other's lives, too. Now I earn a good wage, like a son would in the family. I share my skills with others and I am so happy and thankful for the University of Sewing for believing in women like us. It’s not just a program, but a destiny for many women. It shows the world what we can do and how we can bring change. This is what's possible if you put trust in your daughters.
Mehwish
The Pakistani Sewing School is charitable program under Pakistan Shall be Saved Co., a 501(c)3 registered non-profit organization. Your donation is tax deductible.