Women's Sewing Project in Kakuma Refugee Camp

The Kakuma Refugee camp women sewing project progressive report January 2021.

“You have all successfully completed your basic training. I welcome you to bring all your rich cultures and designs from South Sudan, Congo, Somalia, Burundi, Uganda and Ethiopia. Through this, we will achieve rich diversity and a unifying community around the camp.” Trainer

GlobalGiving has continued to support women in Kakuma Refugee camp, For many years. GlobalGiving has helped and given a digital platform to help donors across the globe who had keen interest with women in Kalobeyey settlement in Kakuma Refugee camp Many have donated funds to support the dreams of these women,  most of whom are windows and single parents, The last three month since August 2020 we manage to buy 10 sewing machines and started training the women with basic skills of assembling the sewing machines, understanding safety measures and precaution, parts of sewing machines, types of stitches and knots, new market designing technics of fabrics and general repaired of used clothes and fabric.

Early this month 10 women graduated, and are ready to venture into sewing business, 5 from Kalobeyey settlement and 5 from Kakuma two phase two will work together and register a small scale sewing company. Each group of three women from each camp has be given a Singer Sewing Machine. The women will be organized into a business society association which will help with purchasing materials and other necessary items to enable them to start small scale business of sewing school uniforms, designing new dresses and repairs. Through the skills obtained in micro entrepreneurship the women will venture into business of the sewing project. The profits made will help sustain families of these women and host community. Through this project, women will be empowered to self-reliance and sustainability. Through cohesion and integration, host community who are the Turkana will sell the fabric to the refugees and refugees will make clothes and sell to both hosts and other refugees from different countries in the camp.

Next month the remaining ten women will start their training for three months. Later they will join the first group. The advantage of this second group is that tthey will have enough practice from the first ten women who have been already been trained.

In 2019, African Great Lakes Peace Trust funded TCSC  to train 24 refugee women from South Sudan, Congo, Somalia and Burundi who carried traumatic events with them that have destroyed the sustaining bonds between individual and communities. In the first phase, we managed to deal with the women’s trauma both when they became refugees and in the refugee camp itself. They have participated in a Healing and Rebuilding Our Community 3-day basic workshop. This workshop help develop social cohesion among the women of various nationalities. This was followed by a three-day Alternative to Violence workshop in order for the women to learn out do resolve conflicts nonviolently. The second phase involved training in micro entrepreneurship we did manage to train 24 women and the sewing project was born.

Picture 2: Pastor from Friends church Turkana Friends Mission delivers 10 sewing machines to Kakuma refugee camp on behalf of Transforming Community for Social Change (TCSC)

The third phase was delayed by the Covid 19 pandemic. Kakuma being a confined community the government imposed curfew and further movement restrictions which affected people living in the camp. It is traumatizing to not be able to venture into public spaces without protective gear like mask and sanitizers. Even though there are attempts from some fellow refugees to make and provide free mask from locally made garments, it has proven to be hard due to the lockdown because a lot of the materials needed were not available to local tailors who usually purchase them from cities in Kenya. People were understandably worried about their lives and the safety of their neighbors when out in public or when queuing for food and water.

The month of August 2020 we manage to buy 10 sewing machines and transported to Kakuma Refugee camp a pastor from Turkana Friends mission helped us to deliver the machines.

Picture 3: The first class has successfully started and by December all the 24 women would have gain the basic skills on tailoring.

This month we have launched three one-month training in tailoring with 10 participants, 5 from Kalobeyey settlement and 5 from Kakuma 2 per session. After a three month of training, each group of three women from each camp will be given a Singer Sewing Machine which will remain the property of Kakuma Friends Church. After training we plan for the women to become  organized into a workers’ cooperative society which can help with purchasing materials and other necessary items and obtain contracts such as sewing school uniforms.

Picture 4. The excitement of the first woman on the left using the machine without fixing the treadle belt shows how she is very interested to lean outside a tattered temporal canvass structure in the camp

The economic potential of the camp has not been fully utilized and the host community, which is one of the most marginalized in Kenya, feels that it has not benefited much from the presence of refugees. Sometimes conflicts escalate, leading to injuries and even deaths on both sides for many refugees. Lack of a steady income makes it difficult to buy firewood or charcoal to fill the gap, and so they often gather firewood themselves from the bushes around the camp. This puts them in conflict with the Turkana. By the end of December we hope to promote social cohesion among women of the various nationalities in the refugee camp, promote economic empowerment among the 24 women who are getting basic training in sewing and to develop women’s run Tailoring Cooperative.

 “I have got a new machine, am excited but am a bit nervous. My legs are shaking; my hands want to try. Thanks to our donors who have  helped this sewing  project. After the training I will focus on making and repairing clothes for refugee children and host community.” Participant.

 “We are projecting by December the 24 women will have been trained and ready to implement the project on their own. I am impressed by the excitement and the commitment of the women." Sewing Trainer.