The main goal of the project is to organize a sewing training workshop for 10 low-income women or women living in poverty who want to acquire sewing skills and provide income for themselves and their families with the help of these skills will be set up on May 16 in Daugavpils, Latvian Red Cross (LatRC) Daugavpils regional branches premises on 18 November street 197V.
Funded by: Embassy of the United Arab Emirates in Riga, Sharjah Charity Organization
Implementer: LatRC Daugavpils regional branch
UAE Embassy (Sharjah) funding: EUR 5900
2 sewing teachers Marija Arhipova and Elvira Azreviča are involved – both of them have experience in conducting professional retraining courses in training centres (within the framework of State Employment Agency projects).
The training will take place over a period of 150 hours for all participants at the same time.
Ensuring the sustainability of the project
At the end of the project, the LatRC Daugavpils branch transfers ownership of the sewing machine to all participants who have regularly attended classes and acquired sewing skills, received a positive review from teachers about their ability to work independently and submitted a follow-up plan. The participant will have to sign a document forbidding them from reselling the equipment.
In case the participant does not complete the training and does not obtain the opinions issued by the lecturers on the acquisition of sewing skills, the sewing machine remains with the LatRC Daugavpils regional branch to continue training people who want to acquire sewing skills as well as work in a social enterprise.
Sustainability of the project: LatRC Daugavpils regional branch further envisages the establishment of a social enterprise in which project participants will be able to work as self-employed persons, fulfilling the enterprise orders. In addition, they will be able to work independently on private orders.
The LatRC is organizing a project closing event at the end of June, to which representatives of the UAE Embassy (if possible also colleagues from Sharjah), journalists, municipal representatives, teachers, trainees and potential companies which are interested in placing orders are invited.
Project coordinator at the LatRC Secretariat: Solvita Bespalova, solvita.bespalova@redcross.lv
Contact person at the LatRC Daugavpils regional branch Helena Soldatjonoka, helena.soldatjonoka@inbox.lv.
During the Women Empowerment Project nine ladies became seamstresses
Published on 09.08.2022.
The “Women Empowerment Project – Republic of Latvia” has ended. It was implemented in Daugavpils, Latvia by the Latvian Red Cross with the support of the Embassy of the United Arab Emirates, financed by the Sharjah Charity Organization.
The main goal of the project was to organize a sewing training workshop for low-income women or women living in poverty who want to acquire sewing skills and provide income for themselves and their families. Project was implemented from 16 May to 30 June, 2022.
Results: nine women learned sewing for 180 hours.
On July 28, the closing event of the project was held in the premises of the LatRC Daugavpils regional branch. The participants and lecturers of the project were welcomed. Words of gratitude were expressed by Annija Prisjolkova-Bottiglieri, representative of the UAE Embassy, Uldis Likops, LatRC secretary general, Helena Soldotjonoka, LatRC Daugavpils branch chairwoman and Solvita Bespalova, project coordinator.
Klaudija Litvinovica, the director of the “Klar” sewing factory, also visited the event, who inspired women to continue working in the sewing industry, because, as she admitted, Daugavpils is missing people skilled in this profession.
Also, Natalja Kozanova, chairwoman of the Social Issues Committee in Daugavpils municipality, welcomed all those involved in the project.
During the event, everyone had the opportunity to view the work of the project participants – sets of children’s clothing, soft toys, aprons, hats, bags etc.
“The Embassy has always tried to support those people in Latvia who need it the most and makes it a point to bring the support outside Riga covering as many regions as possible. Thanks to Sharjah Charity International we were able to bring this project to Daugavpils and we are very happy with the outcomes. We also thank the Latvian Red Cross for their active involvement in the Sewing Project and all the ladies who showed interest in learning new skills. We wish best of luck to all the women in their future endeavors.” Annija Prisjolkova Bottiglieri, a representative of the UAE Embassy
“LatRC highly appreciates the recently started, but active and positive cooperation with the UAE embassy! Providing social support to people in need is one of the priorities of LatRC. Therefore, this project is special, not only because the women learned new skills in it, but also because they will be able to use these skills in the future to independently and financially provide for themselves and their families”, Uldis Likops, LatRC secretary general.
Together we can help!
The start of the training, 16 May 2022
