Lillian Weber was 99 years old when she sat down at her sewing machine with a goal that seemed impossible for someone her age: to finish 1,000 dresses for African girls before turning 100. At that point, she had already made just over 800.
She lived in Iowa, United States. Every morning she sewed just one, although she could make two. She preferred to devote time and care to each piece, even though the girl who would receive it would probably never know her name.
Her dresses made their way to Malawi and other parts of Africa through the organization Little Dresses for Africa, which helps orphaned girls, many of whom are raising their younger siblings on their own because of AIDS and other tragedies.
Lillian reached her goal of 1,000 dresses ahead of schedule. And she didn’t stop there. She kept sewing until she reached 1,234, until she died on the eve of her 101st birthday.
The organization created a pattern named after her, “Ms. Lillian”, so that other hands could follow in her footsteps. Today, Little Dresses for Africa says it has delivered more than 11 million dresses in 97 countries.
It all began with an elderly woman, a needle, and a girl she would never meet. You are never too old to do something good for someone. 🧵
