With the support of our two partner NGOs ASISPEV(asispev.com) and SIDIO GROUP(sidio-group.com), we found an old warehouse in Diourbel. It is perfect for our plan to set up our own production facility for textiles in close cooperation with the Deutsche Gesellschaft für internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ). In addition to a room of around 800 square meters, there are several smaller rooms and a garden with a fountain. Almost 60 sewing machines from the Tekin company are already on their way by sea from Hamburg to Dakar, so if everything works out, we can start at the beginning of May. On Google Maps you can see what the building looked like in March 2022: https://maps.app.goo.gl/Szwxa8y9vk2jBrtX7
The former commercial street of Diourbel runs past the studio, where stores, restaurants and bars are slowly starting to pop up again.
Meanwhile, we are training the trainers from Senegal in Benin. Over several weeks, they not only get to know our curriculum, but also go through the production steps of various garments with our team. How do you cut the leg of a pair of trousers, how do you neaten the collar of a blouse, how do you sew the button placket of a jacket?
At the beginning, we weren’t sure whether Beninese and Senegalese would ever get on as a team. Uncertainty and skepticism were clearly noticeable on both sides. But from day five, the ice began to break.