A Midwife in the Philippines...: Helping Hands; Taking the old and making it new

A few weeks ago I posted a blog about the dump site; the rubbish tip that is home to over a 100 families and is now a growing community.
I explained about the work they do there, sifting through the rubbish and arranging it by type of material, then putting them in big bags ready to be sold.

One of the things they sell is the juice cartons-the ones that look like the Capri Sun ones we have in the UK...I uploaded a picture, just in case you had no idea what I was on about!

At the base here in Cavite there is a livelihood center where women from local communities come and develop their skills in sewing, jewellery making, knitting, and all sorts of craft. What they produce is then sold here in the Philippines, and overseas, and the money raised is a source of income for the women and goes towards buying new material and equipment for the women. The reason why I explained about the Capri Sun cartons is that MWB buy these types of cartons from the dump site, and the women from the Livelihood Center sew them together to make great, practical bags. They come in all shapes and sizes; purses,gym bags,makeup bags, shopping bags, grocery bags, laptop bags...you name it! Hmmm...taking something old, dirty, worn out with no purpose any more...and making it clean, different and new; with a purpose. Reminds you of something?!