New Clothes

I had a treat yesterday.  We were just leaving a compound after visiting Lynsey who’s suffering from malaria, typhoid and a chest infection when Pamela drove up on her way to pick up some new dresses from Women of Hope.  This is a ministry to widows and orphans which operates a tailoring business.  She asked if I wanted to go with her: I didn’t need asking twice, afterall, this was combining support for a good cause with the chance to get made-to-measure dresses.  Abandoning Fraser to walk back to the hostel, I jumped into her car and off we went.

Part of my problem in becoming familiar with the routes around Jos is that I’m far more interested in what’s going on at the side of the road than on the directions but I think I could probably find my way back to Women of Hope (one remembers the essential places!).  You turn off the main road and go along a dirt track to a building which houses rows of treadle sewing machines and the ladies who operate them.  In one room there’s a cupboard full of gorgeous pieces of cloth, another is full of patchwork bags of all sizes, bed linen, aprons, a few off the peg clothes; all handmade and beautiful.

 

Once you’ve picked your material you can look through magazines and sketches for inspiration.  If you like you can bring in your own design; I think they would tackle anything.  Next your measurements are taken, your requirements discussed and an appointment made for the fitting.  A week on Saturday I get to go in again to try on my dresses.  Fraser and Ruth want to be fitted out too so it’ll be a family outing, although so far we haven’t persuaded James that he would like Nigerian clothes.  He did make a very interesting remark yesterday though.  In Scotland he was in the Gaelic medium at Dingwall Primary.  Now “it’s rather surreal being taught in English at school.”

Just so you don't think life here is all about new clothes, later today I have to opportunity to visit BRICC, an organisation in Jos which is working to build relationships between Muslims and Christians through training and sport. I hope to be able to make a contribution to the work in some way so I'll post later on how it went.