A Sewing Machine Transforms a Community

Over the past 20 years hundreds of students have learned how to sew through the educational outreach of Mission Lazarus. The commitment of the Lazarus Academy to not only provide a college prep education but to also equip each student with a marketable skill is core to our approach to education and transformation. Today there are many graduates of the Lazarus Academy, men and women, who earn thriveable wages working for Lazarus Artisan Goods. Others have ventured to set up their own businesses; Claudia is one of them.    

In 2013 Claudia learned about the opportunity to learn to be a seamstress through Mission Lazarus. She had grown up admiring her aunt’s sewing abilities and decided to enroll. Upon graduation Claudia and her classmates were all given a simple sewing machine and basic supplies. This small gesture allowed her to start her own business in her home. More than a decade after her graduation Claudia has built a successful business as a seamstress in San Marcos de Colon, Honduras. She has been able to provide her son Mateo with a good education and a stable home. She has also been able to support her elderly parents who have significant health problems.  

Claudia is also paying forward the educational blessing that she received. She teaches other young girls to sew during their school vacation time, equipping them with marketable skills as well. Claudia doesn’t charge much for her services, especially when it comes to helping the children in her community. She has made free uniforms for students who can’t afford them and clothes for the children of the church as a way of thanking God for the blessings she has received.

Today, Claudia has been successful, owns her own sewing workshop, and her customers come from all over the region. The simple act of learning a trade has transformed her life, a testament to how a dream, combined with opportunity and hard work, has a ripple effect far beyond the dreamer.

Claudia’s story is not only that of a woman who learned a trade; it’s the story of a mother who fought for her son, a daughter who cares for her parents, and that of a woman who has not only overcome difficult circumstances but has extended her hand to help others. 

Be part of the transformation today when you shop leather goods or make a donation.