Stitching Community: Empowering Women and Building Resilience in Derj

“The women are eager to learn, and they have become very creative, coming up with new ideas each session,” says Ms Khadija El Ojeli, the Director of the Women’s Training Centre in Derj. She adds, “I look forward to supporting the women further and starting the production of garments we can sell, ensuring the Centre supports the women’s income sustainably.”

Derj Women Centre (©Abdallah Hussien / UNDP Libya)

The initiative, explained by former Mayor Mr. Fadel Hussin, addresses a critical need: “We saw the necessity for a dedicated space for women to engage in sewing and knitting. Our primary goal is to equip women, including housewives, with the skills and knowledge to actively participate in society.”

DSRSG Georgette Gagnon at the women training centre for female entrepreneurs (©Bryony Taylor / UNSMIL)

In May 2024, Ms Khadija El Ojeli met with Ms Georgette Gagnon, Assistant Secretary-General and Resident Humanitarian Coordinator for Libya, celebrating the completion of a UNDP project that rehabilitated and supplied equipment to the Centre.

Thanks to this impressive effort, the Centre now boasts 19 sewing machines. Here, women produce traditional Arabic male clothing, bed sheets, school uniforms, and curtains. Additionally, the Centre has successfully trained 15 women who are now ready to enter the market with their products.

Despite the challenges of transportation, the Centre has now become a vibrant hub of community and continued learning. Women often return for multiple training sessions, further enhancing their skills. The Centre also accommodates children, providing facilities where they can play and be supervised while their mothers focus on their training.

Looking ahead, the women aim to secure adequate supplies to generate income from their projects. Additionally, they hope to enhance the children's play area by adding artificial grass due to water scarcity.
 

Faiza Sassi, one of the participants in the sewing workshops (©Abdallah Hussien / UNDP Libya )

Ms Faiza Sassi, a trainee at the Centre, shares her experience: “I have learned to operate the sewing machine effectively and gained skills in cutting, tailoring, and sewing. I now understand how to select fabrics, assess their quality, and coordinate colours to create beautiful garments. These skills were new to many of us, but we've made great progress.”

Women’s Training Centre in Derj (©Abdallah Hussien / UNDP Libya)

The rehabilitation and equipping of the Women’s Training Centre in Derj was completed in early 2023 through close collaboration between UNDP and the Ministry of Local Government. This initiative, under UNDP’s Local Peacebuilding and Resilience, was funded by the European Union, supporting local authorities in Libya in providing essential services, ensuring community security, and creating job and livelihood opportunities.