The bagforeveryone project aims to bring together the strengths, experiences, and talents of people by teaching the transferable skill of sewing. The project welcomes refugee and migrant communities, local Greeks, and vulnerable people residing on the Greek island of Lesvos to join in and learn how to use industrial sewing machines to craft items by hand and produce stylish bagforeveryone bags. The project is a joint initiative of the Greek non-profit organization Starfish Foundation and the Swiss association #EducationEveryone. All of the donations are reinvested back into the project.
HOW IT STARTED
The bagforeveryone project began with a woman named Sara. A talented sewer, Sara, had made the dangerous journey over to Europe from Afghanistan in 2018, and it was on the Greek island of Lesvos that Sara met Olivia, a volunteer from Switzerland. Sara proposed an idea to Olivia: she wanted to make bags, using her sewing skills to craft something beautiful, and she wanted to share her skills with others. Sara later received the positive news that her asylum had been accepted, and she could leave the island of Lesvos for mainland Europe. However, even with her departure from Lesvos, the project and her ideas remain as important as ever.
Vision
To foster a place of social integration and solidarity building.
Mission
Our aim is to empower refugees by providing a safe space
and by promoting a sense of inclusion. In doing so, we strive to build bridges
between local and the refugee communitie, thus allowing people
from different backgrounds to meet and learn a new skill.
Workshops
The bagforeveryone project has been designed to bring local communities on Lesvos together by learning the skill of sewing. Two instructors conduct the sewing workshops, where they teach each student how to use industrial sewing machines. The students progress from learning basic sewing skills, to advanced skills, such as the bagforeveryone shopper bag. Once the students gain the set of skills necessary, they too can teach the lessons to others.
The project provides people with a safe, unique, and friendly space where they can practice sewing techniques and socialise with others. Based in Starfish’s headquarters in Mytilene, named “OpenSpace”, the bagforeveryone initiative brings everyone- from those within the refugee and migrant communities, to local Greek people on Lesvos, and vulnerable groups- together to learn practical sewing and tailoring skills, and encourage them to teach sewing classes themselves.
If you donate starting from 20 Swiss Francs, one of the stylish bags will belong to you. By buying a bag, you will be supporting the bagforeveryone project on the ground in Lesvos; enabling the sewing teachers to continue their work, and the students to keep learning skills and techniques in tailoring. Additionally, you will be supporting the local economy on Lesvos. The orders, the packing, and the logistics are all organized directly on Lesvos, the fundraising is conducted from Switzerland. All of the donations are reinvested back into the project.
