To kick off National Sewing Month, Baby Lock has partnered with an amazing organization called Sew Powerful whose mission is to help combat extreme poverty through sewing and tailoring. Throughout the months of September-December, Baby Lock retailers are hosting a special charity sewing event that benefits the Sew Powerful Purse Program.

You’re encouraged to sign up with your friends and other fellow sewists in your community at participating Baby Lock retailer stores. You’ll create the purses using a free pattern and write a special note to leave inside the purse. These purses empower girls to stay in school all month, improve their academic performance and move on to secondary school. Sewists are welcome to make additional purses throughout the rest of the year and bring them into their local participating Baby Lock retailer.

Sew Powerful focuses its efforts in Lusaka Zambia where it equips community members with jobs, training tools and technical skills to make purposeful products. These products include school uniforms, reusable feminine hygiene products, food and soap.

“At Baby Lock, we have a commitment to supporting charitable work that ties into our core values, including a shared love of sewing,” said Director of Baby Lock Brand Marketing Susanne Voss. “Sew Powerful was a perfect match for us.”

Learn more about how these purses change the lives of girls in Zambia here.