Training new Canadians one stitch at a time
By: Avi Saper | United Way in the News | Archive 2009
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Canstar Community News Limited, Thursday Jul 16, 2009
Reproduced with permission.
A local Muslim women's group is doing its part to help immigrants and refugees gain employment skills while improving their English at the same time.
Instructor Gina Hirney (left) shows Sana Jamil how to use an industrial sewing machine.
Yasmin Ali, CMWI's president, said the idea for the sewing training program came about after a number of women who were new to the city had been getting together in a Manitoba Housing apartment to sew socially.
"Besides learning to sew, the program decreases the isolation that some of the women feel," Ali said. "It gives them a place to discuss issues as newcomers to the country. Because they come from many different countries with different languages, it forces them to use English and improve their English."
The program is now training its second group of 10 women, with participants originally from Pakistan, Afghanistan, Nigeria, Ethiopia and Somalia.
Sana Jamil, 22, arrived in Winnipeg from Pakistan a year and a half ago and had meagre experience as a sewer.
"I knew a little bit, but I had never used an industrial machine like this before," said Jamil, who lives in West Alexander. "I'm still learning new things, but there are a lot of things I know how to make now. I'm also learning some new words that I don’t use at home."
Sekinat Adetunji was already fluent in English when she arrived from Nigeria eight months ago, but she was anything but fluent with a sewing machine.
You can't even compare the industrial machine with what I've used at home," said the Fort Richmond resident. "I was at home doing nothing. Here I've been able to meet a lot of people here with different ideas...beautiful ideas."
Ali said the women may not find it easy to find work in the troubled local garment-manufacturing industry when they finish the program, but many of them will be happy to start their own small home-based businesses.
"We've shown them how to take what they're learning and turn it into a business," she said. "There is a niche market out there for alterations and things like that. There are things people are asking for."
Ali added that there is a growing demand for traditional clothing in Winnipeg's burgeoning Muslim community.
Jamil said she could see herself starting her own company in the future to meet that demand.
CMWI's eventual plan is to make the program two-years and to create a business that will sell the products the students make as a way to become self-sustaining.
"We've already sold some conference bags and tablecloths and table runners for weddings," Ali said. "It has helped us recover some of our costs."
CMWI is always looking for donations of home sewing machines that the students can use for practice, as well as fabrics or other supplies. More information is available at cmwi.ca.
