A Christian charity has distributed nearly 4 million dresses to impoverished girls around the world through a campaign that coordinates dress-making efforts involving various churches and nonprofits.
The program, called Dress a Girl Around the World, is a part of Hope 4 Women International (H4WI) and has provided over 3 million locally made dresses since its launch in 2009.
H4WI President Rachel Eggum Cinader explained that the campaign began after her visits to Uganda, where she “saw a need for dresses” as many girls were “wearing threadbare clothing.” The number of dresses distributed through the program is nearing the 4 million mark, with contributions coming from around the world.
Cinader noted, “Many sewers have said this program gives them purpose. We've seen women who were depressed and are now fired up to get out of bed and sew for girls living in poverty. They pray over the dresses and for the girls who will receive them.”
The charity ensures that dresses are hand-carried by individuals going on mission trips, providing an opportunity for these teams to share Jesus and His love with recipients.
Beyond clothing, the charity also uses the distribution process to educate communities about the dangers of trafficking, highlighting tactics that traffickers exploit to lure girls.
One of the notable contributors to the program is Oro Valley Church of the Nazarene in Oro Valley, Arizona, which began sewing dresses for the charity in 2012. Pastor David Hillis, who oversees missions and evangelism at the church, mentioned that members initially made 138 dresses in their first year but have since created over 28,000 dresses.
Each November, the church hosts a “Sew-a-Thon” event where hundreds of volunteers gather to produce more than 1,500 dresses in a single day.
According to Hillis, These dresses have been sent from OVCN to dozens of countries across the globe — mostly across Latin America, Africa, and Asia. They are distributed by short-term mission teams traveling from OVCN to these areas or are distributed inside shoeboxes through Operation Christmas Child.
Another church involved in the Dress a Girl program is Leduc Alliance Church, located in Leduc, Alberta, Canada. The Leduc group has sewn or donated over 3,500 dresses for the campaign.
From October to either May or June, volunteers at Leduc Alliance meet weekly for three hours to create dresses and also include items like flat dolls for the girls.
The dresses have reached many African countries, including Malawi, Namibia, Egypt, Burundi, Rwanda, Uganda, Botswana, Kenya, and Cameroon, as well as countries like Mexico, Jamaica, India, Brazil, Haiti, Panama, and Guatemala.
