My cousin's daughter is 10 years old and wants to be a fashion designer when she grows up. While many kids may say something like this, she's actually taking steps to get there. This girl blows me away. She's an incredibly talented artist and has recently started sewing lessons as well, to help her reach her goal.
While I can operate a sewing machine (most of the time... I'll admit that after a long break from sewing, I find myself back at the sewing machine store, begging them to re-teach me how to thread the darn thing), I am by no means a sewer. My hems are crooked and nothing's what you'd call even. I like to think of my products as having a charming, homespun look... This girl however, her pieces, they're a work of art.
So... last night at a family birthday party, we were asking her how her sewing lessons were going. She told us that she'd recently made five Little Dresses for Africa. I'd never heard of this organization before, but I must say, it sounds incredible.
Little Dresses for Africa- This is a non-profit organization that encourages people around the U.S. to turn pillowcases into cute, simple dresses for girls in Africa, who are desperate for clothes. It's a simple idea, yet an inspiring one. (The picture in this post is one I borrowed from their site.)
In the news, we so often hear about the bad things that are going on with kids. The childhood obesity, the decline in U.S. test scores, the bullying, the cyber-bullying, anorexic five-year-olds... So, when I hear of something like this, it's refreshing. Here's a young, 10-year-old girl, spending her time to sew dresses for other little girls, halfway around the world. This next generation, it just may be alright after all.
