Josefina Rengifo (WTTW News)
Thousands of refugees seek asylum in the United States each year.
DuPage County organizations are helping refugee women recover by teaching them how to become designers.
Josefina Rengifo never imagined that she needed to say goodbye to her life in Venezuela.
“I had to learn a new life. I wasn’t young and it was hard. I didn’t know the language. When people leave for another country, people want it. But they need to do that, “Rengifo said.
Rengifo says he was forced to leave the country four years ago and had to give up his business and head to Illinois to live with his daughters.
“When I came here, I thought my life was over, why am I? Here, I heard (of others) history and said,” Wow, Josefina Be quiet. The lives of others have become more difficult, “said Rengifo, a Re: new worker, where she met another woman who had a similar story.
Re: new A faith-based non-profit organization serving refugee women in DuPage County.
“Our mission is to create a safe place for refugee women to thrive. To provide sewing and English classes in the hope that it will lead to work with us or someone else. We will do that by, “said Executive Director Christie Trops Kaku. Re: new.
Rengifo wanted to learn English, was encouraged to learn sewing, and became a craftsman.
“The most important thing is to learn what you can do, and Re: new takes care of the people here,” Rengifo said. “They pay attention to what you feel and what happened to your family. It gives you dignity.”
The organization started as a sewing group and gradually grew into an organization in 2009. Re: new’s executive director says more than 100 women have participated in the program and worked in stores.
“We find that in sewing and making, especially when they didn’t know how to sew, it’s definitely a healing process for craftsmen. And they come here feeling lonely and suddenly friends They have a machine and can start building again, “says Zboncak. “There is something powerful in the healing process and taking away something that should have been thrown away, but you can turn it into a beautiful one instead.”
Farida Gasanova has been working at Re: new for the past eight years. She was a kindergarten teacher when she fled Georgia at the age of 47.
“I came here without speaking English, and now I know a little bit,” Gasanova said.
Today she is a designer who makes everything from earrings to handbags.
“Every time I pray that God will help us get customers. I’m glad to pray on my machine every time a customer comes,” Gasanova said.
All products sold in Glen Ellyn stores are made from upcycling materials donated by furniture stores and communities.
“Many of our products are a bit more expensive than you would expect, because we pay fair wages and all those wages go directly into the cost of the product,” Zboncak said. ..
The journey wasn’t easy, but Rengifo says he helped the organization start over from the beginning.
“I am very grateful to have a new family here. I live with my daughters. I am grateful to have given this county new opportunities every day,” said Rengifo.
Note: This story will be updated with a video.
DuPage County Organization Aims to Uplift Refugee Women | Chicago News
Source link DuPage County Organization Aims to Uplift Refugee Women | Chicago News
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