CanoePam

I donated a number of my old hand crank capable machines to a charity that refurbishes them and sends them to remote locations for people to generate income from sewing. Hand cranks work everywhere, are very easy to set up, and need no infrastructure. I believe solar panels and their associated batteries would be a real issue in remote communities without electrical infrastructure.

I definitely have used a sewing machine on only batteries powered by solar panels when we boondock in our RV. Any sewing machine just sips power, so they have a very low draw. However my RV is set up with big, expensive batteries and expensive panels, charge converters, and monitors. Not the same as a remote location.