BEACON OF HOPE

A FORMER machinist from Beacon Valley, Mitchells Plain is using her talents to weave some hope into her community. 

Maria Brander, 62, founder of the Sewing Academy Training School in Beacon Valley, tells the Daily Voice that she is taking mense off the streets, teaching them how to sew and providing them with opportunities to generate an income. 

She said it doesn't matter your age, whether you're wearing rags or homeless, she has trained over 690 people from the surrounding gang-ridden areas and is making a difference.   

Maria said “I don’t know what happened, but one day God just put it on my mind to help these people on the street.

"I asked Him to show me, and He said ‘teach my people, get them off the street’ and it was successful.

“If you walk this side by us, you see how the young boys and girls are standing on the corners smoking, doing drugs and being rude.

“But when people step in here I can only say thank you God, because when they are here you see the difference and the change and then they get work.”

She explained that she worked as a machinist at different factories for 36 years, but started sewing van jongs af aan. 

After Maria's mom died when she was just six years old, she moved in with her aunt in Athlone who taught her how to sew.

Now she is passing on her wealth of knowledge to give mense another chance in life. 

Maria explained: “The materials are donations from people, while the machines I get from a mechanic who fixes them and then I buy them from him.

“I pay for it with the stuff the students make. All the profits go towards the machines to pay it off.

“I have six machines and teach the basics of how to thread, put in and take out your bobbin. Then they move to stretch stitch, make lines then they go onto doing seams also in a line.

“When they are used to a plain machine, I put them on an overlocker, when they complete that then I put them on the cover seam machine.

“I have a morning and afternoon class during the week. People who are skilled enough, I put them in the afternoon class. And when they are ready to get work, I let them wait for the rest of the class to get to that level.

“I like for everyone to be on the same level, because when you go to the factory you must push yourself and be comfortable.

“When they are finished they are so proud of themselves, because now they can make their own dress or pants."

Brander hopes to soon get signage for her academy and appealed with anyone who is able to assist with donations or equipment to contact her on 084 899 9417.