04/30/06 Empowering women
Fond du Lac nun helps AIDS orphans rebuild lives
By Avi Stern
Forty young women are attempting to carve out a life in Bukoba, Tanzania.
Until only recently, their prospects for achieving even a modest existence would have seemed farfetched. They were born into abject poverty in one of the poorest places on earth and the ravages of AIDS orphaned them as infants.
"They had no family, no money, no dowry, no skills and no prospects for the future. They were the perfect prey for those who would exploit them," Sister Stella Storch of Fond du Lac observes.
Without some form of outside intervention, the women — now in their teens or early 20s — remained prime targets for human traffickers, emphasizes Storch, the justice coordinator for the Congregation of Sisters of St. Agnes who has spent more than a decade thinking globally and acting locally.
The Dominican nun will continue her activist tradition this Saturday when Storch travels to the East African nation to reunite with the 40 women whom she first met in 2000.
As part of a cooperative called "Empowering Women's Future: The AIDS Orphan Sewing Project," a unique partnership has emerged: The Tanzanians sew authentic African garb and ship it to Storch, who in turn sells it locally. The profits are sent back to Tanzania — administered by the Bokuba-based ministries of the Sisters of St. Therese of the Child Jesus — in order to employ the orphans and ease the plight of others.
Storch's goal is to take a proactive approach in fighting human enslavement. Through the cooperative, the Tanzanians earn a sustainable wage and at least one hot meal a day. It doesn't sound like a lot, but it's often enough to keep them out of the throes of desperation that otherwise drive the hopeless into the hands of human traffickers.
Getting down to business
Storch views her upcoming trip as one-part celebration of what's already been accomplished and one-part old-school management exercise.
"Our goal is to work on a plan that will move us from a grassroots 'do-good' operation into a more formal and organized business venture," she said.
Currently, Storch serves as a one-woman sales force, pitching the hand-made garments at area festivals, fairs and art shows. The clothing generally costs $25 to $35 per item. She eventually hopes to expand sales by placing the clothes in regional specialty stores as well as developing an online shop.
Despite the socially conscious nature of the venture, Storch believes her second meeting with the Tanzanians will address the same kinds of issues facing any retailer in the fashion sector.
"I want to improve how we ship our products. I want to improve how we size our products," she says. "We need to address fundamental things."
Moments later, Storch pauses and catches herself. It's as if she realizes that no matter how she phrases it, the harsh realities underlying the cooperative inherently redefine what most businesses would term "fundamentals."
After a moment, she offers this caveat: "Let me put it this way — when you're hungry, a straight seam isn't that important to you. That's something we have to deal with."
A tough combination
Fond du Lac attorney John Zacherl and his wife Susan Zacherl, principal at FACES Intermediate Campus, have remained two of Storch's top customers. On a casual-dress Friday at Zacherl's law firm, 115 S. Main St., for instance, a visitor will see the AIDS orphans' garments on display as well as worn by various members of the staff.
"The first time I saw the clothes, they just looked neat," John Zacherl said. "Once I found out how they were made and who made them — once I knew the whole story behind the clothes — it went from 'me buying for me' into trying to see if there was some way we could help Sister Stella sell more of them.
"There are no labels, no sizes," he said. "You really have to pick out what you like and be careful about color and size."
Any imperfections in the clothes, he noted, are far out-stripped by the mission that helped create them. "The thing about (Storch) is that she's energetic and committed; but more than that, she's knowledgeable.
"There are a lot of well-meaning people who talk. Stella doesn't. She actually gets something done. Partly because of her commitment, but also because she knows what she's talking about. She's intelligent. And that's a tough combination to say no to."
Humbling experience
Storch, 62, bankrolled her trip by knitting and selling more than 100 scarves as well as receiving a $5,000 grant from the Sophia Foundation.
During her two-week Tanzanian stay, she'll compile personal biographies and photos of each seamstress. She'll provide that information to her local customers in the future, so that they can develop a personal connection with the women they are helping overseas.
"I hope I'll be able to come back and better represent them," Storch said.
Despite the cooperative's progress, the nun acknowledges the humbling nature of her mission.
"I assure you, when I come back I'll have been treated like a queen," Storch said. "I'm almost embarrassed by their gratitude. It gives me such joy that I can do something when I have so much and they have so little."