“It’s as if we were recreating this natural daily life of indigenous people, which is to learn from generation to generation.” It was with this genuine feeling of contributing to the cultural continuity of the indigenous peoples served by the Roraima Humanitarian Mission that Juan Diego, from the Fraternity – International Humanitarian Missions (FIHM), recalled the sewing course that took place at the Indigenous Cultural and Training Centre (CCFI).
We know that the humanitarian crisis that has made it difficult for Venezuelan indigenous peoples to remain in their lands, often separating them from their families, leaves deep scars that are difficult to erase from their hearts. On the other hand, this same crisis contributes to the weakening of the cultural heritage of these peoples, age-old customs, profound teachings, which are being lost as the days go by, as they experience other geopolitical and socio-cultural realities as refugees in another country.
Traditionally, indigenous children learn many things from their parents and close relatives, such as siblings and grandparents. Knowledge is passed on during day-to-day activities or at special times, such as rituals and festivals. Thus, they learn from an early age to sew, by hand, more common garments such as the loincloth, petticoat or clothing in general. The most common materials used in ancestral sewing are animal feathers, plant leaves, tree bark, plant fibers such as vines and straw, seeds or beads.
With the idea of strengthening this traditional custom among indigenous women of sewing and making clothes, and with the aim of professionalizing this activity, the Fraternity – Humanitarian Missions (FIHM) promoted the Fashion and Sewing course at the Indigenous Cultural and Training Centre (CCFI). The course trained eight indigenous women from the Taurepang, Akawaio, Warao, Wayúu and Arekuna peoples.
The training taught sewing techniques on a semi-industrial machine and pattern-making, and encouraged creativity. The indigenous participants learned contemporary sewing techniques and also about fashion, without losing their roots. The result was the expression of contemporary clothing creations as a tool for empowerment and autonomy.
“They learn and pass on the knowledge of machine sewing to other generations and to migrant women from other shelters, from other peoples. The facilitator, an indigenous migrant from the Wayyú people, learned the craft at CCFI through courses and from more experienced indigenous people, and is now doing the same, passing on her knowledge to younger generations. This time, three generations were present, represented by one family: the grandmother, her 17-year-old daughter and her granddaughter, who is just a few months old,” said Juan Diego.
In this way, the CCFI’s sewing workshop has become a kind of business incubator, because after the courses, some have continued to use the place to put into practice the knowledge they have acquired, to make clothes, to advertise and to receive orders from outside, thus prospecting their own businesses. Some, like the course facilitator, have bought or acquired machines with the help of humanitarian agencies, in partnership with government bodies and through public tenders, and are now having the opportunity to sew professionally and build up their source of income.
“There are always many challenges when implementing a new initiative. Every time they are willing to accept an invitation, obstacles arise regarding health, children, household chores, etc. The first thing to overcome this is our presence in the shelter, reminding them of the date and time when everything is going to happen. The other thing that helps them overcome these obstacles is to explain to them the importance of starting a sewing business for their future emancipation and financial autonomy,” explained Sarah, a volunteer humanitarian actor with the Fraternity – Humanitarian Missions (FIHM).
Venezuelan migrant Yasmery, from the Wayuú people, facilitator of this edition of the Fashion and Sewing course, reflected that “sewing can be a transformative tool for these migrant women, because with what they have learned and with their skills and confidence, they can have their own business, so that they can earn their own income and help their families get out of their current economic situation.”
Yasmery also stressed that the course was an opportunity to build the empowerment of the indigenous women taking part, when she said: “What struck me most as a facilitator was seeing the participants excited and having confidence in themselves in wanting to learn and train in sewing and, with this confidence, they were able to achieve their goal, which was to produce a pair of shorts.”
Regarding the opportunity for financial autonomy provided by the course, Yasmery points out: “In addition, working with and training indigenous women was a wonderful experience; being able to see them develop their skills and learn from their indigenous culture. It was a wonderful experience, really, to see how sewing can transform the lives of many of us women, so that we can get our own business and generate income.”
It can be seen that the training was well received by the migrant indigenous women who benefited from it, and it has become an important part of the participants’ lives, due to the importance of learning and exchanging knowledge between indigenous generations, as traditionally happens. It has also served as a springboard for them to move on to further professional training, a path to be blazed.
The accounts of the indigenous participants in the Fashion and Sewing course express joy with themselves, security to carry on with their lives in another country and satisfaction at being able to set examples of overcoming to their descendants in this time of refuge.
We could see how the course influenced the self-esteem of one participant, who said: “Now I’d like to teach other people what I’ve learned; I can sew for myself, for my family and I can even give it to someone else and sell it too. With the course, I felt very happy, happy with myself, with my life, just as I am, an indigenous Warao migrant!” Another participant said that “it was very important, because I’m setting an example for my children”.
In this way, the technical training and contemporary teachings have contributed to the autonomy of the migrant women who have benefited and to strengthening the community, both in terms of strengthening cultural identity and generating income, as well as integrating the indigenous population into a new social context. With this initiative, the Fraternity – Humanitarian Missions (FIHM) has not only contributed to learning a trade, but also to building a sense of belonging and resilience in the face of the challenges faced during forced displacement.”I learned knowledge on the course so that I can get on with my life from now on,” concluded an indigenous participant in the course.
