Christ in the Garbage Ministries - Nicaragua
Christ in the Garbage Ministries (CIGM) in Nicaragua began in 2004, in Managua, Nicaragua at the main city dump called La Chureca. La Chureca covers 38 acres and is home to approximately 1,500 people, including many single mothers. More than 50% of the La Chureca population is children. CIGM in this country is focused on helping these single mothers learn a marketable skill that will offer them hope for the future. CIGM began delivering periodic food packages and praying with the residents. MSC wanted to do more in both dumps and decided to offer a free skills training program to those who were willing to access it. After researching what would be best for the community, MSC decided on a sewing center for La Chureca.
In 2006, CIGM opened a sewing center near the dump to empower these women and offer them a different way to provide for their families. CIGM also offers care for the children while their mothers are in class and provide monthly food packages to families in the dump. The Sewing Center, Centro de la Costura officially opened in February! An enthusiastic group of missionaries from St. Brigid Catholic Church in Atlanta, Georgia, remodeled and furnished the first training centre in Managua and named it. A sewing teacher was employed and fourteen students were enrolled. A team of dedicated volunteers from St. Brigid’s and the parish continue to provide unprecedented support of the center and have adopted it as family.
Over 20 women are actively attending the Sewing Center. English classes are also taught at the Center.. A pastry class has started on Saturdays and products made at the class are then sold to cover the costs of the initial investment and additional ingredients for future classes.
To learn more about the Sewing Center, read the most recent editions of the volunteer-created newsletter:
