• Fatima, a refugee from Afghanistan, shows a traditional dress she's sewing to Judith Smith, executive director of the Literacy Volunteers of Rensselaer County, at a sewing class in Rensselaer's McManus Center on April 14, 2018. The class, sponsored by the Literacy Volunteers of Rensselaer County, takes place every Saturday to help refugees practice their sewing and English skills. (Massarah Mikati/Times Union)
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Fatima, a refugee from Afghanistan, shows a traditional dress she's sewing to Judith Smith, executive director of the Literacy Volunteers of Rensselaer County, at a sewing class in Rensselaer's McManus Center on April 14, 2018. The class, sponsored by the Literacy Volunteers of Rensselaer County, takes place every Saturday to help refugees practice their sewing and English skills. (Massarah Mikati/Times Union) less
Fatima, a refugee from Afghanistan, shows a traditional dress she's sewing to Judith Smith, executive director of the Literacy Volunteers of Rensselaer County, at a sewing class in Rensselaer's McManus Center ... more
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Mary Dwileski watches Fatima, a refugee from Afghanistan, as she practices her sewing skills on a square handkerchief at a class in Rensselaer's McManus Center on April 14, 2018. The class, sponsored by the Literacy Volunteers of Rensselaer County, takes place every Saturday to help refugees practice their sewing and English skills. (Massarah Mikati/Times Union) less
Mary Dwileski watches Fatima, a refugee from Afghanistan, as she practices her sewing skills on a square handkerchief at a class in Rensselaer's McManus Center on April 14, 2018. The class, sponsored by the ... more
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Refugees in the Capital Region attend a sewing class at the McManus Center in Rensselaer on April 14, 2018. The classes, sponsored by the Literacy Volunteers of Rensselaer County, take place every Saturday to help refugees practice their sewing and English skills. (Massarah Mikati/Times Union) less
Refugees in the Capital Region attend a sewing class at the McManus Center in Rensselaer on April 14, 2018. The classes, sponsored by the Literacy Volunteers of Rensselaer County, take place every Saturday to ... more
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Refugees in the Capital Region attend a sewing class at the McManus Center in Rensselaer on April 14, 2018. The classes, sponsored by the Literacy Volunteers of Rensselaer County, take place every Saturday to help refugees practice their sewing and English skills. (Massarah Mikati/Times Union) less
Refugees in the Capital Region attend a sewing class at the McManus Center in Rensselaer on April 14, 2018. The classes, sponsored by the Literacy Volunteers of Rensselaer County, take place every Saturday to ... more
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Refugees in the Capital Region attend a sewing class at the McManus Center in Rensselaer on April 14, 2018. The classes, sponsored by the Literacy Volunteers of Rensselaer County, take place every Saturday to help refugees practice their sewing and English skills. (Massarah Mikati/Times Union) less
Refugees in the Capital Region attend a sewing class at the McManus Center in Rensselaer on April 14, 2018. The classes, sponsored by the Literacy Volunteers of Rensselaer County, take place every Saturday to ... more
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Refugees in the Capital Region attend a sewing class at the McManus Center in Rensselaer on April 14, 2018. The classes, sponsored by the Literacy Volunteers of Rensselaer County, take place every Saturday to help refugees practice their sewing and English skills. (Massarah Mikati/Times Union) less
Refugees in the Capital Region attend a sewing class at the McManus Center in Rensselaer on April 14, 2018. The classes, sponsored by the Literacy Volunteers of Rensselaer County, take place every Saturday to ... more
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Lah Byi and Aye Tin, refugees from Burma, sew pillow cases and a pair of pants at a sewing class on April 14, 2018. The sewing class, sponsored by the Literacy Volunteers of Rensselaer County, takes place every Saturday at the McManus Center in Rensselaer to help refugees practice their sewing and English skills. (Massarah Mikati/Times Union) less
Lah Byi and Aye Tin, refugees from Burma, sew pillow cases and a pair of pants at a sewing class on April 14, 2018. The sewing class, sponsored by the Literacy Volunteers of Rensselaer County, takes place every ... more
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Refugees in the Capital Region attend a sewing class at the McManus Center in Rensselaer on April 14, 2018. The classes, sponsored by the Literacy Volunteers of Rensselaer County, take place every Saturday to help refugees practice their sewing and English skills. (Massarah Mikati/Times Union) less
Refugees in the Capital Region attend a sewing class at the McManus Center in Rensselaer on April 14, 2018. The classes, sponsored by the Literacy Volunteers of Rensselaer County, take place every Saturday to ... more
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RENSSELAER — On Saturday afternoon, a harmony of buzzing and drilling sounds from sewing machines filled the air in the former daycare room inside the McManus Center, owned by the Church of St. John the Evangelist and St. Joseph. Four long tables were jam packed with dozens of sewing machines of all colors and ages, and seven women and girls hunched down over a select few that are functioning. Their faces were tense with concentration over the fabrics in front of them — a concentration that occasionally broke as they looked up to speak to each other in Burmese, Pashto or broken English.

This is the scene at the McManus Center every Saturday, as volunteers get together with refugees in the community for sewing classes sponsored by the Literacy Volunteers of Rensselaer County.

"This started out as a literacy class that was for mainly Burmese refugees, and kind of evolved," said Julie Ensle, one of the lead volunteers of the group.

Ensle discovered the refugees' passion for sewing when she was volunteering in a literacy class over seven years ago and asked the class if they would want a sewing machine her friend was trying to get rid of.

"They all said, 'Yeah, we want sewing machines!'" Ensle said. "It turns out they had had experience sewing."

Ensle ended up going to another friend of hers who was a sewing enthusiast with a basement full of sewing machines, and distributed the machines to Burmese women — experienced and inexperienced.

"Most of the talents, for the Burmese at least, were what they learned from refugees camps," she said. "We're talking about really skilled crocheters and knitters."

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Refugees in the Capital Region attend a sewing class in the McManus Center in Rensselaer on April 14, 2018. The class, sponsored by the Literacy Volunteers of Rensselaer County, takes place every Saturday for refugees to practice their sewing and English skills. (Massarah Mikati/Times Union)

Media: Times Union

The sewing classes have been taking place since January 2011, initially with a large Burmese group but eventually shifting to predominantly Afghan seamstresses. On a typical day, there are up to 18 women seated at the sewing machines.

Although the classes evolved from literacy classes to sewing, one of the main goals of the class is still to improve English literacy.

"It's not one of your traditional and typical ways of practicing a new language," said Judith Smith, executive director of the Literacy Volunteers of Rensselaer Country. "But part of the whole learning process, the motion of (sewing) does help, too."

Besides practicing English, Smith and Ensle mentioned a number of other benefits the refugees gain from the classes: socialization, entertainment, financial relief (by making instead of buying clothes for themselves and their families) and diversifying a skill set for potential employment.

"We might be more job-oriented in the future," Ensle said. "There are many local businesses who need more seamstresses, but (the refugees) would need to learn to use the new equipment which is more industrial."

Fatima, a refugee from Afghanistan, sat across from her teenage daughter Amina. Fatima was working on sewing a traditional Afghan dress out of a green fabric with leaf-like patterns. Amina is new to sewing, and was practicing her skills on a plain, red square.

Lah Byi and Aye Tin, refugees from Burma, sat at another table, chattering quickly to each other in Burmese while Byi — who has been attending the class for one month — sewed herself a pair of pants and Tin — a regular for two years — made pillowcases.

The pair was eager to practice their English.

"I want to learn how to sew the pants and pillowcase. Before I never learned," Byi said. "If we learn here, in the future we can get a job for sewing."

"She's boss," Tin chirped in about Byi.

Then clarified: "I like her, so I made a joke."