Nabila is a volunteer at the Textile Repair Café: “This is a new opportunity for me”

More than a thousand women visit Vrouw en Vaart annually, the development center for and by women in Amsterdam Nieuw-West for twenty years. Vrouw en Vaart offers women from this district a range of opportunities to develop themselves, from empowerment and fitness to vocational training. A relatively new activity is the Textile Repair Café, on Wednesday mornings from 10:00 to 12:00, where Nabila and Fatiha are in charge.Although it is not yet ten o’clock, there is already a buzz of visitors, mostly women and a few men, at Vrouw en Vaart. Hanging from the ceiling in the large room are the flags celebrating the organization’s twentieth anniversary. In the far corner, four women are sitting behind a sewing machine, fully focused. They are part of the Textile Repair Club, with regular volunteers Nabila and Fatiha. Today, they are visited by two neighbors who do not have sewing machines at home and therefore gladly make use of the machines at the Repair Café. One of them even mentioned how enjoyable it is. Not much chatting is happening though, as everyone is working diligently.

Restoremade of textile

The Repair Café is not even a year old. It originates from the longer-existing Textile Workshop. In the Textile Workshop, volunteers make handy sandwich bags or colorful flag lines from donated pieces of fabric. At the initiative of the volunteers on site, the equipment has also been used to repair all kinds of textiles, from simple vests to beautiful Moroccan Kandouras. Once a week, on Wednesday mornings, the café is “open” and local residents can come there to have their clothes repaired for free or for expert advice. Typically, there are about three to five visitors each morning. Today is quiet, a good opportunity to get to know Nabila better.

Volunteering at school

Nabila is of Moroccan descent. She learned to work with textiles from her family; she was born into a family of seamstresses. Nabila says: “Actually, I am back to my roots. After high school, I went to the Netherlands with the dream of furthering my studies. But then children came, and I had to stop my studies.” Nabila had six children. Raising them was a significant task, which she combined with volunteering at her children’s schools. However, family life did not bring her only happiness. It eventually led to a divorce. This came as a shock to those around her; after all, you do not show your unhappiness to the outside world.

Getting to know Vrouw en Vaart

After the divorce, it was difficult to get life back on track. Nabila was almost afraid to leave the house. “I just sat there crying about myself,” she says. Then her daughter said, “Mom, it’s time for you to do something.” She took Nabila to Vrouw en Vaart. In the first weeks, she says, she was still sitting there with tears in her eyes. Gradually, through coaching and activities, she started to feel better. She says, “Vrouw en Vaart is a safe place for me. You feel: you’re still alive when you’re involved.”

OpleiThings and internship

Meanwhile, Vrouw en Vaart has become a second home for her. In addition to volunteering, she has started a training course in hospitality services. This course prepares her for a position in the hospitality industry, tourism sector, or at events. “The course was an opportunity for me to seize, as I always regretted not being able to finish my education.” The course involves studying two days a week and doing a two-day internship. The tasks at the Textile Repair Café count as internship hours, as they focus on “helping people,” which is also essential in the hospitality business. She is also interning at the reception of the male counterpart of Vrouw en Vaart, Daadkr8. Additionally, she is training for the role of women ambassador. These ambassadors are responsible for inspiring other women to participate in empowerment programs at a women’s organization in Amsterdam.

Convenient and cozy

During the conversation, the other ladies continue to sew undisturbed. Nabila also gets back to work. First, she gives advice to a “customer” who had her bathrobe repaired, then she sits behind the machine to add a black band to yellow vests. In between, she communicates through gestures and clear articulation with Fatiha, who is practically deaf. She is clearly in her element and exudes strength. She articulates it very clearly herself: “I am now sixty years old and this is a new chance for me. I have to start over, build my life. At home, you just stew in your own juices. Here, you are simply busy, and when you help someone, you feel better; this volunteer work is convenient and enjoyable.”

Want to become a volunteer?

Do you also think it would be nice to become a volunteer? For more information about volunteering in the Nieuw-West district, please contact Jelle Guijt from Volunteer Center Amsterdam (VCA) at phone number 06 – 34 03 07 20 orj.guijt@vca.nuHello.Text: Piet Renooy
Image: Kitty de Jong