By Casey Neill
Sewing skills are giving migrant women a leg up in their new homeland.
But Springvale’s Twich Women’s Sewing Collective is about more than just skills.
“Twich is an organisation which supports women by coming together, socialising, learning an activity they’re interested in, and maybe making a business idea out of it in the future,“ Nyachuol John from Twich said.
The group is welcoming new students to sign up to study a Certificate III in Clothing Production.
The part-time course takes 18 months to complete.
Twich founder Abuk Bol explained that this made it more appealing to mums with limited time.
An RMIT teacher hosts classes at the store from 10.30am to 3pm two days a week.
Ms John was thrilled to attend a graduation ceremony for the first three women to complete the course last month.
“I was so proud. It’s a milestone for Twich,“ she said.
The students were all from different cultural backgrounds.
“We’re looking for everyone to come and do the certificate,“ she said.
“This year looking for 10 people, this place is much bigger.“
Ms John was referring to Twich’s relocation from Walker Street, Dandenong, to Lightwood Road, Springvale, in February.
The other store was initially rent-free, and when the fees kicked in, the group couldn’t afford to stay.
“It was really hard to find a place,“ Ms John said.
“We thought since it was opposite the station, we’d have traffic.
“We want to see if we can attract new customers.“
The store stocks bags, placemats, table runners and cushion covers, and makes clothing to order.
Ms John got involved with Twich through volunteering in an administration role.
“I was studying part time,“ she said.
“I needed the work experience.
“I wanted to get into business – how to do business planning, marketing…
“I was learning them in theory and really wanted to put them into practice.“
She’s now paid to work there one day a week.
“It was a really good work experience platform for me. I’ve learned a lot,“ she said.
“We need more volunteers.“
Ms Bol couldn’t speak English when she arrived in Australia 12 years ago.
She fled Sudan with her husband and children in 2004.
“Back home I knew how to knit and how to sew,” she said.
“When I came here, I tried to look for a job in what I know. But I didn’t have a certificate.”
Ms Bol studied and got a job in the textiles industry, but found it hard to fit into the workplace.
She led a small group from the Twich community of South Sudan to establish the Twich Women’s Sewing Collective.
Last year she received an Encouragement Award in the Greater Dandenong Australia Day Awards’ Corporate Citizen of the Year category.
“Abuk demonstrates the qualities of perseverance, determination, innovation and resilience in the way she now assists others to enrich their own lives,” the awards judges said.
Call teacher Tatyana on 0449 575 894 for more information about the course.
