In the town of Kayes in the western part of Mali, Africa, the sound of treadle sewing machines is mixed with the murmur of women's laughter and conversation coming from the sewing classroom at the Catholic Mission. It's October - hot (40 C) and dry - and it's hard to keep the dust down in the sewing room. But the women here have come to learn how to sew and quilt to help them eventually earn a living, and they're enjoying every minute.

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