Kalani’s expenses rivaled her income. She had a family to feed, and school fees, rent and other expenses also piled on her plate. No matter how much she or her husband worked, the balance came to zero.
Kalani worked for meager wages in a tailoring shop. She thought and hoped of running her own shop one day, but she couldn’t keep up with her own expenses, let alone start a business. How could she possibly afford to purchase machines and rent a space? It was a dream beyond her reach.
Despite her hardships, Kalani, who was a Christian, trusted in Christ, whom she knew would never leave or forsake her. She had to trust He would provide, even when her circumstances made it difficult to believe.
But the Lord had plans to help her—and those plans were set in motion one day while Kalani was at church. Her pastor, Deakin, checked on her and asked about her job. Seeing his genuine concern for her situation, Kalani told him about her financial struggles. Little did she know what God was about to do in her life.
Opening Her Own Shop
Sometime later, Pastor Deakin called Kalani again to meet with him and his wife. Together, they suggested she start her own tailoring shop where she could train other women to tailor and sell clothes in order to make a living. Kalani told them this had been her dream, but she did not have the money to start a shop.
Pastor Deakin informed his regional church leaders about his idea, and they helped Kalani with the resources she needed to begin a business. With this assistance, Kalani was able to rent a space in a busy part of the town marketplace.
She was also able to buy a large table for cutting fabric and purchase five sewing machines—four regular machines and one interlock machine used to sew stretchy, breathable garments.
In many economically developed countries, a sewing machine is a tool for hobbyists, rarely used for earning a sustainable income.
The 2023 American census showed that only around 15,000 people sewed for a living out of nearly 172 million working Americans. 12
But in developing countries like Kalani’s, there is a big market for handmade clothing. And tailoring clothes can provide an income for people struggling to earn income and buy food— people like Kalani.
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"Home Health and Personal Care Aides." Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2023. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. April 3, 2024. https://www.bls.gov/oes/2023/may/oes516052.htm. [bls.gov] ↩
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"Work Experience of the Population (Annual) News Release." U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. December 18, 2024. https://www.bls.gov/news.release/archives/work_12182024.htm. [bls.gov] ↩
Cutting Through Insecurity
Kalani had the shop, she had the supplies, and she had some reservations. Was she experienced enough to teach others how to sew? Kalani wasn’t sure. Could she get her own kids to school and still be able to open the shop on time? The answer to those questions was no. But again, God had a plan for her. He was Jehovah Jireh, the God who provides. If this was His will, He’d provide a way.
Kalani sought advice from Pastor Deakin, and he proposed some solutions. To help her gain confidence and experience, the church would hire a tutor to teach her the fabric-cutting skills she still needed to learn. Also, some volunteers would help Kalani by opening the shop for her while she got her kids to school each morning.
As Kalani received training for another month on cutting and stitching fabric, she grew more confident in her skills. But she still had some reservations. She wondered if she would be a good teacher. Would she be able to help other women learn a valuable skill?
Learning by Teaching
When Kalani’s shop opened, Pastor Deakin brought her the first five students. Three of the women lived in a local leprosy colony. As her students learned how to tailor, Kalani learned how to teach. After six months, the women were trained. And gradually, more students came. Kalani later said,
“Since I started this tailoring center, it [has been] very beneficial for me. People started to come for training and stitching clothes, and I started to get income. … The Lord blessed my work.”
The Lord hadn’t just blessed her work; He also blessed Kalani and her family. As the shop continued to grow and her finances improved, her and her family’s peace and joy grew. God blessed her, and the tailoring lessons blessed others.
Through the gift of sewing machines and through Kalani’s willingness to teach vocational training classes, these women gained an incredible opportunity to support their families. This was a lifeline especially for women from the leprosy colony, whose residents often face stigma from the outside world.
Not Just Teaching About Sewing
Not only did these women gain an opportunity to earn an income, but many learned about the love of Christ. Kalani didn’t hide her faith from her students. God had brought her hope when she needed it most, and she wanted to share that hope with her students. Many of the women Kalani taught longed to learn more about this Jesus, who had changed Kalani’s life.
Kalani closed the shop at 3 p.m. on Fridays to go to a prayer service at her church, where she’d intercede for the students at her shop. On Saturday, the shop was also closed for worship service. As Kalani’s students saw her life of faith, it impacted them. As time passed, around 15 of Kalani’s students joyfully put their trust in Christ.
Many of Kalani’s students came from distant parts of the country. When they returned, they took what they learned with them. Even if they hadn’t put their faith in Christ while at Kalani’s shop, they had still heard of Christ and His love for them. A seed had been sown.
Kalani saw how much she had been given and how much God had blessed her work, and she decided to bless others around her. She tithed to her church and also blessed her church by helping with the Women’s Fellowship ministry. She served her local community by buying computers for a class meant to help needy children and teens. Along with her church, she served free food to patients and donated blood at a local hospital.
Kalani was even able to hire a former student to work in her shop. This student, after completing the six-month tailoring program, started volunteering at Kalani’s shop to gain experience and help Kalani, and Kalani offered her a job.
With Kalani in charge, the shop continues to thrive. Kalani praises God for the shop because through it, she has gained a sense of peace. She has been able to build a better life for herself, her family and her community. Now she uses it to bless others in the hope of helping them find peace and joy as well.
Gifts to a Better Life
“Today, the Lord has blessed us, our work,” Kalani says. “The income that I generate and get from my [tailoring] center is something that the Lord has blessed me with.” The change in Kalani’s life is something GFA World wants to see happen for many more families in Africa and Asia. This is possible through vocational training and income-generating gifts, like the sewing machines Kalani was given.
Vocational training teaches people in need the practical skills required to help them earn a living. GFA vocational training programs may include tailoring, hair styling/wig making, or other basic trades.
Income-generating gifts, such as sewing machines, chickens and water buffaloes, can help lift families out of poverty. The animals will produce babies, which can be sold and used to breed more animals, helping families establish working farms. Dung, an animal by-product, can be dried and used as fuel for cooking.
Sewing machines enable the recipient to sew clothes for their own families or earn income by tailoring clothes and selling them.
Above all, these gifts are tangible reminders of God’s love for His people—and for those yet to know Him. Matthew 6:26 says, “Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?”
Through these gifts, God provides recipients with a tangible way to have a better life, and He gives them a future and a hope.