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Member since 7/23/07
Posts: 7276
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Posted on: 10/16/09 11:01 AM ET
My boss does a lot of work in Eritrea educating preschool teachers etc. and has many friends there associated with many different development projects. Yesterday we were discussing the need for treadle and hand crank machines there due to lack of electricity or at least availability of it for most people. She said she was asking about some of the women in the village and was told they were at "sinje-r" or "singe (as in slightly burning) er" which she could not translate with her meager knowledge of the local language. She was told "singe-er. You know - like the name of the sewing machine!" Goodness knows what they would do with Husqvarna...
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http://bgballroom.wordpress.com to follow the progress on my next ballgown.
  
Member since 8/28/08
Posts: 6569
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Posted on: 10/16/09 1:29 PM ET
In reply to tourist
Hahahaha. Husqvarna: I still have trouble pronouning it. Wonder what the villagers would do with the name Pfaff?
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Oops, forgot what I was going to put here.
  
Member since 12/10/05
Posts: 1221
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Posted on: 10/16/09 6:29 PM ET
Some years back I worked for Singer selling machines. A few times I had African women come into the shop wanting to buy new treadles to send home to family members. Until the first one asked, I had no idea Singer still made new treadle machines.


-- Edited on 10/16/09 6:29 PM --
  
Member since 2/15/08
Posts: 500
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Posted on: 10/17/09 0:33 AM ET
In reply to tourist
there are many aid organisations that receive hand crank machines to send to developing countries. the singers have been in African countries etc for decades.

If you are interested there are groups on the internet that will help you understand which machines are suitable to convert to hand crank for donation.

For Australian people, Spotlight will take money off your next sewing machine purchase and donate your old machine to charity. They do it in partnership with World Vision (hope this program is still going).

So, if you have a Singer that would love to be used by women in a country where electricity is non existent then there are programs to gift your "extra" machines to some needy people.

ETA: there have been replicas of treadles and hand cranks being made for years specifically for countries with limited electricity. Although the quality is not as good as the old machines.


-- Edited on 10/17/09 0:44 AM --
  
Member since 2/9/04
Posts: 18029
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Posted on: 10/17/09 8:49 AM ET
Tools For Self Reliance Is one of those type organizations.

Click on this link and you can pull up the manuals for a few models of non-electric Singer machines. I think Missionaries are involved with this organization and get some basic training before going over, but I really don't know.

I've printed off lots of pages from the sewing machine manuals section there. It's wonderful info for my own Vintage Singers.
-- Edited on 10/17/09 8:50 AM --
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iPad's auto-correct is my enema.
  
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