Seattle-Limbe Sewing Circle
Launched in 2015, the Seattle-Limbe Sewing Circle is a project of the Seattle-Limbe Sister City Association. Volunteers meet in four locations—First African Methodist Episcopal Church (FAME), Beth Shalom Synagogue, First Assumption Catholic Church, and Baitul Ehsaan Mosque. Our volunteers produce feminine care kits for schoolgirls in Cameroon.
Work sessions provide a unique opportunity: to participate as a member of a truly diverse community, where everyone has something valuable to contribute. (Men and children participate too!) Volunteers of all ages, faiths, ethnicities, and genders, and from all parts of the Seattle area, form relationships while working side by side, cutting, stitching, ironing, and assembling colorful hand-sewn feminine care kits.
Join us! No sewing skills are necessary—there are tasks for everyone, and new friends await you.
Why feminine care kits?
A 2014 UNESCO report estimates that one in ten girls in Sub-Saharan Africa misses school during her menstrual cycle. This may equal as much as twenty percent of a given school year; in some cases girls drop out of school altogether due to lack of sanitary products and facilities.
Consider these facts:
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Most girls in developing countries lack access to feminine care supplies.
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Girls are often isolated from their families or communities during their menses, and use leaves, mattress stuffing, newspaper, corn husks...anything as a substitute. These alternatives often lead to embarrassment and painful infections.
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In some cases, men exploit girls in exchange for money for products.
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Menstruating girls who are not in school are often considered "eligible" for marriage regardless of age, which forces early marriages and pregnancies, thereby eliminating chances for education.
Addressing this issue is one of the keys to social change in developing countries. Together WE can
do something!
2020 Sewing Circle Schedule
At four locations in 2020...
First African Methodist Episcopal Church
1522 14th Ave. (Capitol Hill), Seattle
Saturdays 8:30 am to 2:00 pm
Feb 22 • March 28 • April 18 (3rd Sat.) •
May 23 • June 27 • July 25 • Aug 22 •
Sept 26 • Oct 24 • Nov 21 (3rd Sat.)
Congregation Beth Shalom
6800 35th Ave. NE, Seattle
Wednesdays 6:00 - 9 pm
Feb 5 • April 1 • May 6
Baitul Ehsaan Mosque
23515 Old Owen Road, Monroe
Saturdays 10 am to 2 pm
Sundays 10 am to 3 pm
March 14 • April 11 • June 14 •
July 11 • Aug 8 • Sept 13 •
Oct 10 • Nov 15
Assumption Church
6201 33rd Ave. NE, Seattle
Tuesdays 6:30 to 9 pm
March 3 • June 2 • Oct 6
Sewing circles qualify for
high school
service hours
The more education a girl achieves, the greater the chances that she'll...
be healthier,
earn more income,
have fewer children, and
provide better health care and education to her own children
...all of which can lift households out of poverty.
In sum, the more education a girl receives, the greater the benefits
for all.