Putting tools in the hands of those who already have the skill.
Helping skilled tailors and aspiring fashion entrepreneurs turn existing sewing ability into greater opportunity — by providing one of the most important tools of the trade: a sewing machine.
Sometimes the skill is already there. What's missing is the equipment.
Asake's Projects provides sewing machines to selected recipients in Nigeria who have sewing or tailoring ability but face a financial or practical barrier to owning a machine of their own.
Asake's Projects is a registered 501(c)(3) U.S. nonprofit. All donations are tax-deductible to the fullest extent allowed by law.
— THE GAP
The skill may already be there. The machine isn't.
Learning a trade is only part of the equation. A skilled tailor may know how to measure, cut, construct, alter, and finish garments, yet still depend on a borrowed machine, rented equipment, an employer's workspace, inconsistent access, or no machine at all.
That equipment gap shapes real, everyday outcomes. It limits how often someone can work, how many customer orders they can accept, how much they can practice, and how independently they can operate as a tailor or emerging fashion entrepreneur.
Asake's Projects focuses on that specific barrier. The goal is not to teach what recipients already know, but to help put the machine into capable hands.
— OUR APPROACH
One practical tool. Many possible next steps.
The Sewing Machine Initiative is intentionally simple. We identify skilled applicants whose ability outpaces their equipment, provide sewing machines, and follow their progress where practical.
01 — Identity
Tailoring Skills
Identify applicants with existing sewing or tailoring skills for whom machine ownership could meaningfully improve their ability to work.
02 — Provide
Provide
Selected recipients receive a sewing machine of their own: a piece of productive equipment they can use, own, and rely on.
03 — Follow
Follow
Where practical, Asake's Projects follows recipient stories and progress to understand how machines are being used and shared.
— WHY A SEWING MACHINE
A practical tool with real consequences.
Machine ownership doesn't guarantee an outcome. It removes a specific barrier and opens the door to work that was otherwise difficult to reach.
1
Work more independently and take on customer orders.
2
Reduce dependence on borrowed or rented equipment
3
Practice and improve consistently
4
Increase productive working time
5
Build a customer base and small tailoring business
6
Increase production capacity and own a productive asset
Demonstrable sewing or tailoring ability
Genuine need for sewing equipment
Limited or unreliable access to a machine
A clear intention to use the machine for productive work
Ability to explain how machine ownership would affect the applicant's work
Willingness to participate in reasonable verification
Any geographic or campaign-specific requirements announced for each giveaway
A note on selection.
Selection is not automatic, and submitting an application does not guarantee that an applicant will receive a machine. The number of recipients depends on available machines, funding, eligibility, location, and the requirements of each giveaway campaign.
— RECIPIENTS
Who can apply?
The initiative is primarily intended for people in Nigeria who already possess sewing or tailoring skills but do not have adequate access to their own sewing machine.
The Sewing Machine Initiative is open to eligible applicants regardless of gender.
— THE PROCESS
How the giveaway works
The process is intentionally simple. This is not admission to a training school. Four straightforward steps take an applicant from application to receiving a machine.
01
Apply
Applicants submit a short application describing their sewing experience, current access to equipment, and how they would use a sewing machine.
02
Review
Asake's Projects reviews applications and may request additional information, photographs, videos, references, or reasonable verification of ability and circumstances.
03
Selection
Recipients are selected based on the criteria established for each giveaway campaign and the number of machines available.
04
Presentation
Selected applicants receive their sewing machines. Recipient stories may be documented and shared where permission is provided.
— HELP PUT A MACHINE TO WORK
Sponsor a sewing machine.
A contribution to the Sewing Machine Initiative helps Asake's Projects purchase and distribute sewing machines to selected recipients who already have the skill and are ready to put the equipment to work. Choose an option below, or give any amount.
Option One
Sponsor One Machine
$200
Funds one sewing machine for one recipient
Cover the sponsorship of one sewing machine for a selected recipient. The most direct way to support the initiative.
Option Three
Give Any Amount
$25+
Contribute towards future machines.
Give whatever amount feels right. Contributions are pooled toward future machine purchases, distribution, and reasonable project costs.
Option Two · Higher Impact
Fund Multiple Machines
2 · 5 · 10+
Machines you would like to fund.
Support the sponsorship of multiple machines. Ideal for a family, a company, a community organization, or an annual giving commitment.
— PARTNERSHIP
Partner with us.
Asake's Projects welcomes partnership from sewing-machine manufacturers, retailers and distributors, fashion brands and designers, textile and fabric companies, corporate sponsors, logistics partners, and community organizations aligned with the initiative.
Machine sponsorship for individual or group campaigns
Direct machine donations from manufacturers or retailers
Discounted equipment for bulk purchase
Transportation and distribution support
Recipient-event support and coordination
Campaign sponsorship for named giveaways
Photography and storytelling partnerships
Common questions.
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The initiative is intended primarily for people in Nigeria who already have sewing or tailoring skills but do not have adequate access to their own machine. Specific requirements may vary by campaign cycle.
-
Yes. The Sewing Machine Initiative is open to eligible applicants regardless of gender. Selection is based on skill, need, intended use of the machine, and the criteria of each giveaway campaign.
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Yes. This initiative is for people who already have sewing or tailoring ability. Applicants should be able to describe their experience and demonstrate their skill when reasonably requested.
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No. Asake's Projects does not operate a training program. The Sewing Machine Initiative provides sewing machines to people who already have the skill but not the equipment.
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Recipients are selected based on demonstrated sewing ability, genuine need for equipment, clear intended use of the machine, and the specific criteria established for each giveaway cycle. Available funding also determines how many machines can be placed.
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No. Submitting an application does not guarantee selection. The number of recipients depends on available machines, funding, eligibility, and campaign-specific requirements.
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Distribution focuses on Nigeria. Specific regions may be announced per giveaway cycle depending on partnerships, logistics, and campaign focus.
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Contributions support the purchase of sewing machines, distribution logistics, and reasonable project costs. Donors receive receipts for tax purposes and, where they opt in, updates on machine placements and recipient stories as the initiative grows.
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Yes. Asake's Projects is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization in the United States. All donations are tax-deductible to the fullest extent allowed by law.
— HELP PUT A MACHINE TO WORK
Help put a machine to work.
For someone who already knows how to sew, owning a sewing machine can remove one very practical barrier between having a skill and being able to use it consistently.