Meet our makers

Hi everyone,

The mantra that guides us here at Nisa is about empowerment through employment.  We are so excited to introduce you to our makers and share their stories with you.

We have three employees from Somalia, Iraq and Syria. They all have sewing experience from their home countries, and we top that up with training on how to use our specialist lingerie sewing machines.

We work with the Red Cross Pathways to Employment team to identify potential employees from a refugee background. We understand the difficulties and barriers on the path to resettlement and the importance of having stable and rewarding work.

Boshra

Boshra is 26 and comes from Homs, Syria. She arrived in NZ in 2016 with her husband and three children. She loves sewing and did a sewing course back in Syria as she wanted to improve her skills. Outside of working in our workshop, Boshra enjoys cooking, biking and spending time with her family.

Rana

Rana is 42 and comes from Baghdad, Iraq. She arrived in NZ in 2012 with her two children and her husband.  She inherited a love of sewing from her mother, who taught her how to sew. Rana enjoys cooking, writing and going on long walks.

Fowziya

Fowziya is 27 and comes Mogadishu, Somalia.  She arrived in NZ in 2015 by herself. She is hoping that her family will be able to join her soon.  In Somalia, Fowziya made dresses.  In her spare time, Fowziya likes to pray and go to the movies.