From Questions to Dreams in Drepada

Let's rewind time back seven years and step into the greenheart of Drepada – a Maroon village 1,5 hours away from the capital city Paramaribo. 

Drepada is the first village where we started our first sewing employment project. We gave the women several training sessions about sewings bags and headwraps. We used to have frequent meetings. During these meetings we discussed the improvement of the production line, have quality checks for products, and have quality time with the women. One day, in the middle of a meeting Dayen boldly asked, "Can we get a workspace here?"

At first, we thought, "Wow, that's a big dream!" Pretty but almost impossible. We didn't have endless money in the bank to make it happen. So, we smiled, kind of brushed it off, and said, "Maybe someday." This question sparked something special. It was like planting a seed that nobody knew would grow into something amazing.But life loves surprises, doesn't it?

No more struggling and juggling 
Fast forward, while we were busy producing, and living life, that tiny seed we'd planted started to sprout. Dayen triggered us again by asking when the workspace was coming. This made us realize that having our workspace in Drepada would be very beneficial for the women and for Talking Prints. It meant they could still sew at our own pace, surrounded by all the materials and the right sewing machines they needed. Imagine big tables for cutting fabrics. No more trying to balance everything on their laps or working in a tiny corner of the house. 

Knock knock! 
We decided to ask for help. Because our bank account isn't ready for big investments yet. So we started knocking on doors and we found a company who believed in our project. We wrote a project proposal in 2021 and after almost 2 years the first stone touched ground in Drepada.  Dayen persistence and determination pulled through. The question from 7 years ago is now unfolding before our eyes. 

The workspace is still progressing, but everyday we are getting closer to finishing. We can't wait to share the finished workplace with you. Stay tuned for more updates.