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Grevic Alvarado
More than 300 Latin American women in Trinidad and Tobago have been trained in the Textile Entrepreneurship Route program sponsored by the International Organization for Migrants (IOM) through the NGO TTV Solidarity Network (TTVSolnet).
On Saturday, 125 migrants received sewing machines after completing the online basic sewing course.
Heidi Diquez, Founding Member/Managing Director of TTVSolnet said: “Textile Entrepreneurship Route is a project born out of the need to support migrant women in TT who, due to their immigration status and residency in the country, do not have equal opportunities for their economic stability and achieve the progress they all deserve.”
The program began in 2019 thanks to TTVSolnet’s alliance with the Pan American Development Foundation (PADF) on behalf of the Organization of American States (OAS), in particular to support all those affected by the humanitarian and migratory crisis in Venezuela.
The program is funded by the Office for Population, Refugees and Migration.
The program is only available to women in TT with irregular residency status. Women from Venezuela, Cuba and Colombia take part in the virtual courses with a six-week practical part. Each student receives all the necessary materials for the course.
Diquez said, “To date, the program has trained more than 300 women, providing them with vocational training in the textile field from basic sewing to intimate garment making, garment repair and adjustment, pattern making, cutting and sewing.”
Diquez explained that the project includes a dedicated workshop on digital marketing in social networks, which gave participants the tools to create virtual marketplaces and help them promote their products and services.
“Another important part of the program was the alliance with IOM, who supported it by providing all graduates with sewing machines so they could produce from home.”
Diquez said at the end of the second training cycle: “It is with great pride that we congratulate all the women who took part in the workshops with commitment and commitment in order to achieve their goals and implement projects.”
She also thanked all the workshop facilitators for sharing their knowledge and encouraging each student to achieve perfection and quality in all their creations.
“We thank all our employees and especially PADF and IOM for their trust and commitment in supporting our group of women entrepreneurs in TT.”
