We believe that for every newcomer in the Netherlands it is crucial to learn the language, get introduced to the social norms of everyday behavior, make social contacts, build a social life and created the bridges of mutual respect and recognition with locals which is achievable via economic activity because it develops a sense of shared ownership.

 

Often newcomers, specifical refugees, are blamed for consuming services and benefits yerned by local people, that were/are paying taxes. Therefore we want to create circumstances enabling refugee women getting skills and jobs and paying taxes, which will contribute significantly to their integration process into the new society.

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We are driven to achieve a positive change in the everyday life of refugees and migrant women and empower them by creating sustainable, socially responsible businesses that can educate, train, employ and assist in further employment with us, or other big and small companies or going totally independent! 

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Our short-term goals are to:

 

• Deliver a training course on sewing skills

• Create a pool of well-trained potential employees

• Find and contract companies interested in purchasing our very unique handmade products made by women with a migrant background

 

In the long run, we plan on establishing sustainable, self-supporting social businesses, which will:

 

• Train and employ 20 people annually

• Produce hundreds of exclusive, handmade, high-quality items/goods per year

• Become a platform of empowering and encouraging refugee women

• Become a good practice for local communities across the country, and the EU to support newcomers and social entrepreneurship.

 

What we already have?

 

• We have a highly experienced trainer, that is willing to work voluntarily and has already developed a training program. The training program is delivered in Dutch.

• We have enough budget to purchase equipment and training materials

• We have a strong willingness and motivation to begin!  

 

What do we need to start?

 

We need a classroom suitable for a group of five students and five students, to begin with.

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