Giving Dignity Back

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 It was a typical visit to my refugee friend’s home. We laughed. We caught up on their latest joys and challenges. We laughed some more. We shared food (an absolute Middle Eastern must). They delighted in the warm used socks I brought them. Then they placed something unusual on the little coffee table covered with a brightly unsewn cloth.

It was a shower head and a tap. They proceeded to explain that their current ones had broken completely off and that they could no longer function in their bathroom. They complained that no one would come and help them, even though they offered to pay a handyman. I knew that I was not talented in bathroom fixture installation. My husband was travelling. My mind wandered through a list of possible men that could help…but they were all unavailable.

If there is ever a time that I feel powerless as a woman, it is when I don’t know how to fix or deal with a problem that I consider a man’s job. With a husband who travels often, I face this frequently. However, I always have resources and people that can help me, or I know that I can wait it out for my man to return home. Imagine fleeing your home country for your very life and then not having anyone to help you work through the basic tasks, that often a man would do. It is another chip away at loosing dignity.

As the bathroom fixtures stared at me, I remembered a girlfriend who I knew would be delighted to help. A text and yes, Sara came over soon thereafter. In short order she had installed the new fixtures. The joy. The gratitude. The relief. The laughter. The reality, that a woman solved their problem. They marvelled at how simply their big problem had been remedied.

Women helping women. Women giving dignity back one small, tiny gesture at a time. That is what we are all about at Woven Dignity.

Join us in changing lives. Thank you for all of you who have and are. We are making a difference… weaving dignity between you, our team, and beloved refugees one life and stitch at a time. Whether it be a reliable income, a hospital bill paid, an encouraging visit, resources found, or faucets fixed we are creating hope in the darkness.

If you would like to be involved, please message me. I am praying that our team could expand.

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