Nassau, Bahamas - In today's economic climate, saving money when shopping for back-to-school items is easier said than done. 

With many families on a limited budget, 50 girls are helping their parents cover one back-to-school cost through a program sponsored by Charles Maynard, the Member of Parliament for Golden Isles.

With school skirts and jumpers retailing around $30, these budding seamstresses help their families' dollars stretch further by creating their own uniforms. 

The program, in its fourth year, provides the fabric and other accessories for the uniforms. Mr. Maynard covers the cost, while his constituency office secretary, Christine Sawyer, brings the know-how.

"When the girls come they don't know anything about sewing," said Mrs. Sawyer, an experienced seamstress by trade. "I teach them all the fundamentals of sewing and they start from scratch. They not only learn the machine, they're also introduced to the tools they need to sew: scissors, tape measures and pins. That's all we basically need because we do not sew with patterns. We saw from scratch, free-hand."

Over its existence, the program has helped roughly 200 girls. Their supplies cost around $25 per uniform. Each participant gets to make two uniforms.

"They are not only learning how to sew, they're learning a skill for life," said Mrs. Sawyer, who first noticed the community's need.

"It's an opportunity to try and help somebody," she said. "The parents are very appreciative and they are looking for us to sew for the younger ones as well, but it's not in the budget. If I could. I would."

5 sec. SLIDE SHOW: Caption 2: Seamstress Christine Sawyer helps Davalia Smith, 11, to sew her uniform, and checks a young student's uniform measurements. Photos by PRECISION MEDIA

One young mother of six, Taiwari Griffin, sees the value of the program. Ms Griffin's oldest daughter, 11-year-old Davalia Smith, is making her own uniform.   

"If she can learn [how to sew] that's excellent because that's uniforms I don't have to go out there and buy," said Ms Griffin, who had yet to purchase school supplies, as the new school year approaches.

"That's a good program they have up there. It helps a lot of parents who can't really afford to buy uniforms. She has four little sisters and a little brother behind her so if she learns to sew that would be good. If she's interested in it, I'll push her and help her along."

 

Mrs. Sawyer works with six to eight girls a week over the long summer months. Working three hours a day, it takes about a week to start and complete a skirt.

"When they go to school they can wear their uniform with pride," said Mrs. Sawyer, whose youngest student is eight. "Once they know they've made it, they'll take better care of it."

Sewing is a skill that Nadia Cox sees herself having use for, later in life.

"I can do it as a side job to make some extra cash," said the Government High School student who heads into twelfth grade in a matter of days. "It's something I wanted to do because it teaches me how to sew and save my parents some money." 

At the end of the sewing period the girls also receive a personal grooming kit from Mr. Maynard's Golden Isles Constituency Office.