Pieces of hope, one stitch at a time

Liz and Martin Dyrst, along with their sons Isaiah and Micah, are MCC workers from Chicago Community Mennonite Church.

Greetings from Olinala, Guerrero, Mexico. Our family has been here for one year and we are living into our assignment with gusto. We recently received funding for a water project that we call “Plan 500.” The water project consists of building and installing three basic technologies: water cisterns to collect and store rainwater, dry latrines which use no water, and drip irrigation systems for family gardens. Our goal is to build 200 cisterns, 200 dry latrines, and install 100 family gardens in the next three years. Needless to say, the bulk of our work is focused on building and implementing these three technologies in rural communities in the dry mountainous region of Guerrero. So why title this article “Pieces of hope, one stitch at a time?”

In Zacango, a town of approximately 450 people (900 if everyone who has migrated north in search of work came home), 10 women have formed a sewing group with the hope of generating enough income to unify their families and make a living in their community. They call themselves Grupo de Costura- La Esperanza “The Sewing Group – The Hope.”

After a recent meeting with the group, I headed home anxious about how to support this struggling group. But as I drove home, the surrounding mountains reminded me of when Jesus told the disciples that if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you can move mountains.

The next morning, our co-worker Enrique received a call from a local government organization asking if we knew of a sewing group that could use funding because they had enough money to fund one more group. He quickly went to Zacango, talked with the women (who were thrilled!), turned in the necessary documents, and by 8 p.m. that evening we received word that the group was awarded a $30,000MX grant for five new sewing machines!

And then I checked my email, and there were three emails from people offering marketing ideas. Oh, and did I mention, a donation to repair the sewing room and buy some sewing and lighting supplies also came in recently? Soon after that, my sister-in-law, Marie, a professional quilter, volunteered to come and give two weeks of sewing lessons to help improve the quality and variety of the sewing products. WOW! Once again, I am seeing the hand of God at work.

Marie came and each day we focused on something different including Christmas tree ornaments using scraps of materials, Christmas wreaths, three different cloth bag designs, and a variety of apron designs. Between sewing lessons, we gathered and assembled shelving, light fixtures, and tested the new electric sewing machines. As the translator, I found that many times no translation was needed as the knowledge and love of sewing between people transcended the language barrier. And once again, the openness and generosity of the people shone brightly through it all.

Now what? La Esperanza has new sewing machines, a new workshop and new design ideas. They are bonding as a group, making decisions and establishing guidelines for their group, and setting work hours. The long-term goal is to sell enough products to generate some income, so that they can stay in Zacango and not migrate North in search of work. But who will buy their products for a FAIR PRICE? How does this group of women in the mountainous region of Guerrero, Mexico “compete” in the global economy? Do they have enough time and resources to improve the quality of their products now, with the hope that in a few years, all the work will pay off and they will find a sustainable niche in the market place? Once again, it seems that the best thing to do is simply put our trust in God, keep praying, and keep moving ahead one step at a time.

- Liz Dyrst