In Novodnistrovsk, one of the most remote communities in Chernivtsi region, more than 500 displaced persons from war-torn regions have found shelter. For most of these people, their previous profession turned out to be unnecessary here, as they worked at large industrial enterprises. The “Sewing space” project helped unemployed IDPs learn the basics of a new profession.
Using microgrant funds, the project authors purchased sewing equipment, fabric, and organized free sewing courses for IDPs and other vulnerable residents of the community. At first, they planned to teach basic sewing techniques simply using scraps of fabric, but then they found a better way. The course instructors, professional seamstresses Olena Ilyashenko and Nadiya Musienko, developed simple models of adaptive clothing for wounded people in hospitals. Their students were able to make their own pants, special pads for hospital patients, insulation for amputated limbs, etc. from the first lessons.
Volunteers from the sewing shop sent ready-made adaptive clothing to hospitals in Chernivtsi, Vinnytsia and other regions - because due to the large number of wounded and disabled people, the need for such things is very great now, and mass production of adaptive clothing has not been established in the country. Therefore, the seamstresses of Novodnistrovsk independently developed models of pants, pajamas, jackets that could be put on a person after surgery and conveniently unbuttoned to make a bandage.
Thanks to the project, visitors to the volunteer sewing workshop not only learned to sew on modern equipment, gained confidence in their abilities and discovered new opportunities for additional income, but also created a friendly community. Course participants, both visitors and indigenous residents of the community, shared their experiences, helped find support in the city, and felt like part of an important common cause.
Among the 56 project participants, there is a special story of friendship – 65-year-old Natalya Oleksandrivna, an IDP from Borovaya, and 37-year-old Olga from Mykolaiv found each other thanks to the “Sewing Space”. Olga was already actively helping to sew clothes, while Natalya Oleksandrivna had only recently arrived in Novodnistrovsk. Olga showed her the city, told her where to get humanitarian aid and how to settle down after moving. Their friendship grew thanks to daily classes: Together they studied sewing techniques, supported each other when something went wrong, and rejoiced at each new success. After a month of training, these two friends joined forces and sewed 25 pairs of adaptive pants in one day! Now they are indispensable participants in the volunteer sewing workshop. When they receive photos with thanks from hospitals, the friends are sincerely happy that their work is actually extremely needed. This is a story about how a project not only provides professional skills, but also connects hearts.
– We were pleasantly surprised by how quickly the participants achieved high results, – says the author of the project Tetiana Danyliuk. – Many of them have already joined the volunteer sewing workshop and help sew adaptive clothing for the wounded, and also have the opportunity to serve themselves and their relatives, sew bed linen for themselves, repair things or even get a job at a sewing factory in Novodniestrovsk. So the project became not only a professional start, but also a source of social support and inspiration. We understood how important it is to create not just educational programs, but also a space for social interaction, support and mutual assistance.
The space continues to operate after the end of the initiative. The premises for the sewing workshop are provided free of charge by the local authorities, more than fifty volunteers are constantly gathering to fulfill new requests from hospitals. The authors of the project are looking for opportunities to turn this initiative into a social business, so necessary in times of war.
More about the initiative - on the "Sewing Space" page on Facebook.
