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索馬利亞難民學習製作傳統衣物，不但習得謀生技能，更播撒未來成功的種子。 Sewing the seeds of future success, Somali refugees learn to create traditional clothing, a highly marketable skill. |
目前有兩萬名東非人以美國加州聖地牙哥為家，其中過半是索馬利亞內戰的難民。一項獲得扶輪資助的計劃正協助索國婦女學習裁縫技巧以維持家庭生計，因為當中許多婦女來到美國時丈夫並不在身邊。
San Diego, California, USA, is home to 20,000 East Africans, more than half of them refugees from civil war in Somalia. A Rotary-supported project is helping Somali women, many of whom arrived in the United States without their husbands, to acquire sewing skills in order to support their families.
從2002年1月開始，婦女們在城市高地(City Heights)附近的非洲號角中心(Horn of Africa Center)接受為期6週、每週兩堂的裁縫課程。上百位難民婦女已經學會製作如傳統圍巾garbasaar之類的衣物，一些人還計劃做起小生意。
Since January 2002, women have been taking sewing classes twice a week for six weeks at the Horn of Africa Center in the City Heights neighborhood. Hundreds of refugee women have learned to make clothing such as the garbasaar, a traditional scarf, and some plan to start small businesses.
這些裁縫課程快速成長到索馬利亞社區之外，如今也招收來自蘇丹和中南美洲的移民。
Quickly growing beyond the Somali community, the sewing classes now enroll Latin American students. Organizers hope to enroll Sudanese students soon as well.
曾組織一個扶輪社區服務團(RCC)來幫助該計劃與社區的拉荷亞金三角(La Jolla Golden Triangle)扶輪社員史提深•布朗(Steve Brown)就說：「排隊等著上課的名單可長著呢。」
"There are significant waiting lists for these classes," said Steve Brown of the Rotary Club of La Jolla Golden Triangle, which organized a Rotary Community Corps (RCC) to advance the project and community.
除了社工人員、實習的學生和一位成衣業的退休人員外，這個RCC還有10位能用學生母語來授課的裁縫老師—7位索馬利亞人、2位墨西哥人和1位伊利垂亞人。雖然只從每兩週5美元的上課費用中領取微薪資，但他們仍協助設施的維修保養和招收新生。
In addition to social workers, student interns, and a garment industry veteran, the RCC includes 10 sewing instructors - among them two Somalis, one Mexican, and one Eritrean - who conduct classes in the students' native languages. They earn a little money from the US$5 per-two-week class tuition, help maintain the facility, and recruit new students.
這項計劃共獲得拉荷亞金三角扶輪社1千美元、聖地牙哥扶輪社和聖地牙哥市中心早餐扶輪社各2千美元、9200地區(馬拉威、莫三比克、尚比亞和辛巴威)之地區指定用途基金4,000美元、墨西哥4,100地區1千美元，以及扶輪基金會配合獎助金1萬美元的資助。這些資金用於採購設備與材料。
The project has received $1,000 from the La Jolla Golden Triangle club, $2,000 each from the Rotary clubs of San Diego and San Diego Downtown Breakfast, $4,000 from the District Designated Funds of District 9200 (Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda), $1,000 from District 4100 in Mexico, and a $10,000 Rotary Foundation Matching Grant. The funds helped purchase equipment and materials.
合作推動這項計劃的組織包接非洲角、國際難民委員會(International Refugee Committee)、SAY San Diego以及聖地牙哥大學。
Organizations cooperating in the project are Horn of Africa, the International Refugee Committee, SAY San Diego, and the University of San Diego.