Who we are:

Njord Sew For Life Empowerment is an NGO that wants to contribute to the empowerment and inclusion of refugee women and asylum seekers. 

Countless women on the run are waiting for their papers in Brussels. In the meantime, Sew for Life wants to offer a space for learning new skills centred around textile and fashion, as well as a meeting point for creative interaction between new and resident people. By these means, we hope to support and accelerate these women's economic autonomy.

What we do:

We run a sewing atelier at the North- Station in Brussels where we organise educational programs and workshops.

The educational program is organised for refugee women and asylum seekers. See further information under courses.

The atelier is the creative and production centre of Njord 'No Waste'. A clothing brand co-created by the women in the educational program, made solely out of recycled material. The products are then sold at our webshop.

At the atelier, we also take on sewing and textile projects for artists, fashion students and fashion brands. 

All the projects at the atelier are directly connected to the educational part of Sew For Life. The women in our program participate in each and every step of the production. From the creative process to production, to sales or final outcome. They are paid fairly for their contribution, work and learn in a safe and well-considered space. 

The aim of the atelier is to be a space of interaction and collaboration and to create a sustainable link between women of all corners in Brussels. 

We believe that these experiences can have an empowering effect. 

Our story:

Ftouma Laayoune, founder of Njord 'Sew For Life' Empowerment, is a designer,  and a couturier and an activist.

Drawing fromon her own experience in fashion, associations and NGOs she wanted to create a project that reflects the experiences in her career. Inclusion for her is above all "a relationship where everyone benefits", so she chose to invest this broad issue in the field that she knows inside and out: fashion. Its intentions are thought of in practical terms and operate as a means of forging a bond between newly arrived women;, socially isolated or who speak little of the language and the host city withand its economic and professional sphere. In order to helpmake them become independent and anchor them in Brussels life., Tthe goal is to train women in the professional requirements of sewing and working with textiles, both through technical training, language courses and management contributions. The workshops already put into practice within WTC I in 2018 then in Marolles in 2019 and now at the CCN de la Gare du Nord are intended to take the form of a real school. To consolidate her knowledge, she trained by following training in cooperation and development (Enabel Brussels), international migration (ULG) and international solidarity project coordinator (Bioforce Lyon). A pilot project was set up in the Skaramanga refugee camp during its voluntary work with the Norwegian NGO dråpen i havet. Here the idea to create a label called Njord 'No Waste' was born. Njord is the god of the sea. In the refugee camp we saw what happened at the sea and what role the sea played in the lives of the refugees. 

With Njord we want to make a label that respects nature and humanity.


EMPOWERMENT RESULTS:

  • IT SAVES LIVES

  • IT RESULTS IN BETTER HEALTHCARE

  • IT HELPS BUSINESSES

  • IT IS GOOD FOR THE ECONOMY 

  • CHILDREN ARE HEALTHIER 

  • IT LEADS TO BETTER LEGAL PROTECTION

  • IT LEADS TO BETTER RACIAL EQUALITY

  • IT REDUCE POVERTY

  • IT REDUCE HUMAN TRAFFICKING

  • IT CAN LEAD TO PEACE <3