Sew Empowering

Trinidad Montoya took a job of necessity and turned it into a successful, thriving business. Several years ago, Trinidad was faced with high medical bills when her young daughter needed special treatments in the city. In order to pay for the care her disabled daughter needed, Trinidad started sewing clothing and making small repairs for friends in her community.

Before long, Trinidad could barely keep up with the work. She brought in an apprentice to help in the shop and also to give her the time off she needed to run to San Jose with her daughter.

Trinidad now employs an additional four women in her busy garment shop. They make dresses, clothing, bed sheets, hats, etc. Trinidad most recently acquired this black sewing machine from one of our shipments earlier this year. She uses the machine to sew thicker fabrics such as denim. 

In 2018 Bikes for the World donated 114 sewing machines to projects in Costa Rica and the Philippines. Once they arrive with our partner projects they are inspected and repaired before they are distributed to beneficiaries. 

Many of the sewing machines donated were used this past year for training programs to teach sewing skills to students and apprentices in both countries.