Thirteen Sudanese African Refugee women were enrolled in the initial pilot program which began in January, 2008.  These are women who can hardly read or write, with an average family size of 8 and who have been in Utah for a number of years ; but whose lives have not changed.  

The women met each Saturday morning at my studio at A Gift to Africa at ArtSpace, to learn how to use sewing machines.  They were able to make ladies purses made out of upholstery fabric and a leather strap.  ArtForms was able to market a few of these at various church and community gatherings.  I  feel that this was very successful as the ladies are now looking forward to get into dressmaking and alterations.  

From February to November 2009, we continued to collaborate with Salt Lake Community College who provided us space and some of their sewing equipment from their Fashion Institute and Interior Design department (at 231 Eat 400 South, downtown across from the main library) to further our endeavor of giving skills to refugee women.  The Salt Lake Community College's Women Business Institute also got involved in giving the women entrepreneurial and financial literacy course following a custom curriculum developed by SLCC. 

The women attended two classes; one in textiles and the other in basic financial literacy course classes on Saturday mornings for one month and then just went on with the sewing classes till November.   We had to cancel the business classes because the women had no baby-sitters to leave the kids for more than 3 hours on Saturdays.

The women learnt how to read patterns and to make their own dresses.  They attained a certificate for both completing the sewing class.  The teacher, an adjunct professor (South African) with SLCC, was paid through the $1,200 grant funds received from the Utah Arts Council.  The skills gained from this course assisted with the women’s goals of becoming self sufficient, self reliant, and to eventually open a business, selling their hand-made African clothing and performing alterations.    I am hoping (together with the SLCC) to continue this program with other African refugee women in the Salt Lake Valley. 

The women also had a chance to learn screen-printing from a local business woman whose intentions are to employ the women when she gets established.

ArtForms has now joined hands this year with the Utah Refugee Coalition through Salt Lake County in a program called Global Artisans.  This has provided us with a conduit to sell any goods made by the women to the community.  We have also started some programming with the women’s children.

My kindest gratitude to the Whale Board for supporting the ArtForms program.

Sincerely,

Sabina Zunguze.