Profile of a Dress A Girl Australia campaigner - Meet Lilia R Tapia

A campaigner for Dress A Girl Australia from the least expected place. Cagayan de Oro City, Philippines. This city of golden friendship lies along the northern coastline of the island of Mindanao which is the second giant of the archipelago of all the landmass of the Philippines, in the country's southern portion. 

This is where Lilia R Tapia lives and is making dresses for Dress A Girl Australia in her spare time. If you are wondering how I met her she is actually a high school classmate of mine who I had the chance to reconnect when I attended our high school reunion in 2010. The last time I saw her was when we graduated in high school decades ago. I saw her again in September of 2011 when I decided to go back and visit my native hometown for a couple of days to share about 25 dresses with the less fortunate children of the city through the assistance of the Ladies of Zonta International, CDO Chapter, Philippines. It was on my second visit that Lilia and I spoke about her desire to help, her wish to make a difference in this world. I offered to provide her with pillowcase dress kits to make into dresses and that she is not to send the dresses to me instead she finds little girls in areas who she thinks deserves to own and wear her creations. She was so excited about the idea that when I was back in Sydney every now and then I would get messages from her reminding me of my promise to send her kits which I finally got the chance to send in early December. It took almost 6 weeks for the  airmail parcel to arrive but at least it found its way to Lilia's home. She was so thankful that she finally got the parcel and two weeks ago she advised me that she has started sewing dresses.

This is Lilia sitting behind her sewing machine. I love her sewing machine. I wish I could have one like it. My mum and my 'lola' (my mum's mother) used to own one.  

And these are the dresses she has sewn (all five of them) and by the time she finished she will have about 10 dresses for 10 little girls in the southern portion of the Philippines. 10 happy faces brought about by Lilia's desire to make a difference from where she lives.

Lil, I am so happy and grateful for what you are doing for Dress A Girl Australia. Thank you so much for sewing dresses. You and I under the Dress A Girl Australia banner will go a long way in making sure we make a difference in the lives of the less fortunate children in your part of the world, your home, my native hometown. Together you and I will imagine a world where every little girl owned at least one dress and that nothing can stop us from our desire to make a difference in this world....not even distance....but one dress at a time.