Von Saeng and Olivia Guler are implementing UWS United Women Switzerland, an association that supports refugee women in their integration process. The bagforeveryone project will also be integrated in Zurich, Switzerland, under the umbrella of UWS. We offer inclusive activities such as dance, the Kitchen Stories project and Bagforeveryone, a sewing initiative established in Lesvos, Greece.

What are we looking for

We need someone with experience in:

Project Management, to take on projects. Networking with NGOs and foundations in Switzerland.
Social Media and digital media (Instagram, TikTok, etc.). We seek a dedicated individual passionate about improving the situation for refugees in Switzerland.

What can you bring?

• Be well-versed in this topic and an excellent connector.
• Take over specific projects (e.g., partnering with stores).
• Spread awareness through various channels.
• Your role could be Project Manager, Communication Manager, or Coordinator. You’ll work with United Women Switzerland (UWS), meeting every Friday at Impact Hub. Commitment is 15-20%, starting July 12th.

What can we offer?

• Free access to Impact Hub, including workshops, events, and community.
• A role in building a social entrepreneurship start-up.
• Certification of your work with UWS.
• Potential payment for your 15-20% commitment (subject to NGO funding).
• Priceless satisfaction from making a real impact.

More Infos

olivia@bagforeveryone.com

Join us and be a part of something truly meaningful and transformative!

Impact Hub: Part of Social Economy

A benefactor has provided us with a workspace within the “Social Economy” community for six months. This has integrated us into a community where we can meet in an officially peaceful place. Additionally, we find like-minded individuals in the community, providing us with an opportunity for exchange to make an impact on social coexistence on this planet. Social Economy encompasses business philosophies based on an anthropological approach, with the belief that the outcome of a company should support people and promote social coexistence.

New Perspective on Lesbos with bagforeveryone Tailoring

Our project, “bagforeveryone,” accomplishes this by offering opportunities for refugees  to become part of the Community House run by our partner, the Starfish Foundation, and benefit from its services and activities. The vision behind this is to welcome people after a long journey and take the first step towards integration into the European community.

bagforeveryone Backpack & Belly Bag

They have finally arrived! In addition to the shopper bag, we now have the bagforeveryone backpack and belly bag in our board of range. Just like the shopper bag, both of these products are made of vegan suede* and come in six different colors (gold, olive, blue, red, beige, dark brown). They are washable and water-resistant, featuring a zipper closure. The interior lining is made of linen and includes multiple inner pockets.

The backpack

I am your friend for shopping. Whether it’s your laptop,
your beach towel, or your bikini, I carry everything for you.

The bagforeveryone backpack

The belly bag

I am your friend for travel. Through countries or through the night,
I fight any storm and keep the rain off you.

The bagforeveryone belly bag

See the product

About bagforeveryone

Whilst I was in Lesvos, I met a young Afghan refugee named Sara who had the idea to make bags from leftover donated clothes and fabrics. I brought her idea to the women’s shelter where I was working at the time, and together with Sara, we worked on the project until I had to return home to Switzerland. It was there that the bags caught up with me again.

Olivia, Co-Founder bagforeveryone

Update on Mavrovouni Camp

The end of the year has seen significant further changes inside the refugee camp where Lesvos refugees live. The best of all are that, after so many years of hygienic issues and he stay in tents, finally new containers with toilets and hot water showers connected to the municipal water supply were put in place across numerous sites in the camp. Also, all those residents who were living in tents have been moved into improved Refugee Housing Units (RHUs) over the past few weeks. This move did not prevent many individuals living in tents during extremely cold weather of the beginning and middle of December.

Pope Francis visits the camp

At the start of December, Pope Francis paid a visit to the residents of the camp and delivered a strong message to European countries;

We are living in the era of barbed wire and walls…please let us stop this shipwreck of civilization!”.

Pope Francis

Over all the camp population has continued to decrease to a total of 1831 as of as 17th December. Asylum applications continue to be issued at a faster pace and individuals then move either to the Greek mainland or further into Central Europe with the hope of applying for Asylum again in that country. 

Aegean Sea Crossings: The week before Christmas 31 deaths and 3 shipwrecks

Sadly, we also need to report the tragic recent events in the Aegean sea which illustrate just how many people are still attempting to reach Greece and how the Coast Guard are handling the situation. According to figures from the Aegean Boat Report, the week before Christmas was the most deadly week of the year with 31 deaths and 3 shipwrecks, including one near the island of Paros where 16 deaths have so far been confirmed from the 88 on board. Overall during this week, there were 51 attempted crossings with 1201 people, of which 39 were stopped from reaching their intended destination.

News in the Sewery

We have been working hard on some exciting developments to expand our range of bags on offer to our supporters. Tila, one of our sewing teachers, has done some great work to design a few new bags to test and we are now experimenting with these samples to see if they can be added to our product range in 2022. They will allow us create a wider range and more affordable selection of products whilst reaching a new audience and supporting students at our classes to learn the sewing of new products.

After heat follows a heavy rain

It has been another busy few months here amongst the refugee community here on Lesvos and in Mavrovouni refugee camp. As is typical in the refugee environment, every week sees new developments and those of late have been no different. Here is a summary of the latest activity. After the extreme heat of August, Autumn made an early and abrupt entrance with torrential rain and thunderstorms for a number of days in the middle of October. It is these weather extremes which expose the vulnerabilities of the refugees living in very basic tents and containers. Thankfully, the new drainage channels built in the camp prevented any serious flooding, something which caused really problems at the Samos refugee camp.

Global Handwashing Day and another Fire

In the name of the Global Handwashing Day on 15th October, our partners Starfish Foundation and a group of NGO’s in the camp, held activities to promote the day dedicated to promotion and awareness of washing hands with soap. Alongside a busy safehands washing station, other activities included education, art and sports for children and distribution of adults and children’s masks, soap and hand sanitiser. The participants enjoyed the activities on offer and also learned about the hygienic aspect of washing hands.

At the same time, refugees had to experience the outbreak of a fire in camp.The fire took place in the single mens rubhall tents; thankfully it was extinguished before expanding much more but it brought back many memories of the devastating events of Moria last year. It happened inthe same week of October as the heavy rain broke out.

Facts of the Mavrovouni camp

Lastly, here are some numbers to give you a sense of scale here at Mavrovouni camp:

• The total population in the camp stands at 2651 which is almost one third made up of children.
• Only about half of the adult refugees, 1273, have been fully vaccinated against Covid19.

(Status: 5th of November 2021)

Get a sustainable bag

The sustainable vegan leather is sourced locally in Greece and are perfect for the colder Winter months: they are made from material that can resist snow and rain easily. Besides that: Would it not be a perfect gift to give someone for christmas? Choose the present for your loved one by going to the shop.

This is what we do

Our partner starfish foundation provides different courses every day at their community hub OpenSpace. Our sewing workshops are one of these courses available, they take place between 10am – 1pm and allow refugees to attend the workshop space with the support of tailors to help practice and develop sewing skills whether they are experienced or looking to try a new interest. 

Where are they held?
The bagforeveryone workshops are based on Lesvos, a Greek island which can be found close to the Turkish coast. Lesvos has received international news coverage over the last five years as one of the faces of the European “refugee crisis”; in 2015 alone, over one million refugees arrived on Lesvos and the surrounding Aegean islands.
Our bagforeveryone workshops were designed to give people residing on Lesvos a safe place to learn how to sew on industrial sewing machines and learn a new skill: they are held at OpenSpace, the community centre of our partner organisation on the ground in Lesvos, Starfish Foundation.

What happens in a bagforeveryone workshop?
As well as being a space for socialising, the bagforeveryone workshops focus on the creativity of individuals. Each participant is taught how to use an industrial sewing machine; they learn the basics and are taught different patterns, before moving on to create the shopperbags and essentials cases that can be found on our website. One of the most important aspects of the project is that when the participants learn the necessary skills, they too can go on to teach the class.
The collections you find on our website have all been made by hand in our workshops; each items shares a story, and each purchase supports the survival of the project.
Masooma, having learnt the skills, will soon start teaching the sewing class to Farsi-speakers.

What is the current situation on Lesvos?
At the time of writing this update, around 7,200 refugees and asylum seekers reside on Lesvos. Of those, 6,200 live in the RIC Lesvos camp, with the majority of the population from Afghanistan (65%). Children make up 32% of the present population of refugees on the island (UNHCR: 2021).
The situation on Lesvos is ever-changing, but frustrations continue to rise regarding asylum procedure delays (due to COVID) and the living conditions of a “temporary” camp in the hot summer temperatures. In addition, the hardships of the global pandemic are felt more acutely by those residing in the camp as their freedom of movement is restricted further. People are stuck “in limbo” as they await their asylum decisions.

It remains vitally important that we stay informed about the situation for refugees and asylum seekers worldwide, but we do need to remind ourselves that behind the figures and statistics are individuals with unique stories and tales to tell. We are thankful for the people we meet in our workshops, each person bringing their own character and personality to the items they are crafting.

How can I attend?
If you, or someone you know on Lesvos, would like to attend the workshops, please reach out to us via email. You can send an email to projects@asterias-starfish.org and someone from the Starfish Foundation team will get back to you with more information.
We want to extend a sincere thank you for your unwavering support. To all of you who have purchased a bag on our website, who have followed us on social media, and those of you who have shared the project or raised awareness about the situation on Lesvos with loved ones, we appreciate it so much.

Browse the collections here:
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