LIHUE — Queenie and Teddy Daligdig will take 30 pillowcase dresses to the Philippines when they visit. “These are dresses going to less-fortunate girls,” Queenie said. “Teddy and I are going to visit Siquijor Island in the Philippines where Teddy’s
LIHUE — Queenie and Teddy Daligdig will take 30 pillowcase dresses to the Philippines when they visit.
“These are dresses going to less-fortunate girls,” Queenie said. “Teddy and I are going to visit Siquijor Island in the Philippines where Teddy’s grandfather came from in the Visayas. These dresses that were created as a Make A Difference Day project are going to an orphanage.”
The project caught the eye of Mayor Bernard Carvalho Jr. who inquired about the dresses that were made from pillowcases.
“There are girls in Third World countries who can’t afford dresses,” said Laura Marsh, a Kauai association Family and Community Education member. “These dresses help dress them up and gives them dignity as young girls. They make them less likely targets to traffickers.”
Carolyn Lum, another Kauai FCE member who is co-chair for the 66th annual HAFCE Convention, said there are about 40 ladies who make up the Kauai program, which is spread between two clubs on the island.
Kauai FCE will be hosting the state convention at the Aqua Kauai Beach Resort, which will run Friday through Sunday.
“We’re expecting about 80 members from the HAFCE which is located on the islands of Kauai, Oahu, Molokai, Maui and the Big Island,” Lum said. “We have the opening procession Friday night and Mayor Carvalho is expected to greet and address the group at that time.”
Carvalho was surprised to learn about the diverse programs offered by the Kauai FCE members, including the Character Counts program for fourth-grade students and helping make lei for the Kauai Special Olympics field games.
“We just returned from a trip to Japan,” Carvalho said. The pillowcase dresses “would have made perfect gifts because when we travel, we like to visit the everyday places and talk with people like you and me. They’re made with aloha prints and are colorful, appealing to the young people they’re intended for. Our next trip is to Portugal, and I want to make sure we have some of these to present to their people.”
The HAFCE is a nonprofit organization whose focus is the family and offering workshops in health, home, community and environment, international, leadership and youth education.
