Local sorority chapter sews dresses for girls in Africa

GIBSON COUNTY, Tenn. — One local community is stitching together to help children they haven’t met.

Fifteen sewing machines and dozens of careful hands work to create a blessing.

“We are just trying to provide a ray of hope for the girls in Africa,” Deborah Seward said. She, along with her sorority, Alpha Kappa Alpha, are working to make clothes to send to communities in Africa.

The Theta Eta Omega chapter is turning pillow cases into dresses.

“They are made out of pillow cases or very simple dresses that anyone can sew whether they have sewing experience or not” Seward said.

Organizers say they plan to make 108 dresses with sizes from infant to size 14, and that each stitch is made with a prayer and love.

“Here in Gibson County we have struggles too, we have done exceptional things here in our community as well, but we wanted to reach out globally and help,” local chapter Vice President Melinda Jones said.

Multiple generations gathered to cut, iron, and stitch these little dresses.

“We get to help someone that’s close to my age and that’s not that much younger than me and it just feels good to me to just help them out because it could be me in their shoes,” 4H member Zarria Brown said.

“What a blessing it’s gonna be for these little girls who don’t have dresses and our children have their choice in dresses, but these children are lucky to have any dress that’s a blessing for them, and it makes us feel good to do it,” President Monola Patterson said.

Other members from the community came out to help sew the dresses this afternoon: from multiple churches, a book club, and volunteers.

Organizers say these dresses will be shipped out this summer to Liberia and Kenya.