The Fabric of Life store in Edmonds, Washington opened last fall and is interested in more than just making a profit. Sales from the store go back to the girls who made the fabric in Mali, Africa.
These girls live in one of the poorest countries in the world where it is common for young girls to be beaten, raped and forced to beg in the streets.
While volunteering in Mali, Carol Schillios, owner of the store, decided to start a school to teach these young girls how to sew, weave and make traditional fabrics so that they could earn their own livings. They learn life skills in addition to job skills while at the school, which trains about twenty girls a year and has a long waiting list.
Sales are good at Fabric of Life, and Schillios hopes to be able to expand the school. The Schillios Development Foundation has been involved in projects in other countries as well over the last ten years. For more information visit their site at http://www.schillios.com.
Leave a Reply