Janine GriffithsYoung girls from different backgrounds and faiths came together at Shine in Harehills to celebrate the achievements of a girls-only sewing and interfaith project led by Roma Roots, Ifarada Youth and Space 2.
The celebration event on May 14 marked the end of the first phase of the Roma Roots sewing club project, which brought together girls from across Harehills over 12 weeks.
Daniela Mailat, founding director of Roma Roots Community CIC, said the project was about much more than sewing.
“This is the event to celebrate the girls’ achievements and what they’ve achieved so far, not just in sewing, the sewing was just a tool, it was also about building the confidence, the creativity, skills and friendship. We had this safe place for them to be together.”
Adam Aslam, director and lead youth worker at Ifarada Youth, said there was a strong demand for a girls-only space.
“There was a real need to have a girls only project or space, particularly with some of the Roma and Asian young girls that we worked with, there was a request that they wanted a girls only space. So I wanted to make sure that that space was culturally appropriate.”
Uniting the community
The project also aimed to bring communities together following tensions and division seen last year.
Adam said: “We just wanted to challenge the narratives from the riots last year and bring some girls together from different communities through an activity, and the activity was sewing and fashion. They’re all girls of Harehills. They’re all girls affected by migration, and they’re from Harehills. So today is very much about celebrating that journey.”
Throughout the project, the girls created bags, skirts, scrunchies, pillowcases and other handmade items while building friendships and confidence.
Coralie Datta, community development worker at Space 2, said it had been rewarding to see the girls develop their creativity.
“It’s really nice to celebrate how much they’ve learned and how much they’ve done. People think young people are on their phones all the time, but this is a big group of girls who are just actively wanting to learn to sew and be creative in any way, and that’s really nice to see.”
Growing confidence and friendship
Many of the girls spoke about how the project helped them grow in confidence and form friendships with people from different backgrounds.
Flavia Tiuga, 12 said: “The event that we did was very good, because now I have a hobby. I can just make new clothes, thanks to Coralie, because she teaches us.”
She added: “We have done skirts, bags, scrunchies, skirts and pillowcases.”
Miruna Nicoleta Zacornea, 13, echoed her sentiments and said the sewing club helped her overcome her shyness.
“When I first came, I didn’t know what to do. I was so scared to try the sewing machine, and I was shy around others, but now I got to meet everyone, and I’m more confident.”
The celebration itself was entirely youth-led, with the girls helping to plan the guest list and the food.
“It’s a really good way to bring us all together and celebrate what we’ve made this past month, and how we’ve gotten along with each other, and met people from different backgrounds,” said Nina Fatusin, the 10-year old daughter of Danniella who helped to welcome guests on the day and handed out food.
Beyond learning to sew, the girls found joy in meeting new friends from a wide variety of backgrounds and faiths.
Fatima Waseem, 11, said: “I got to know a bunch of other people from different backgrounds, and it was really nice to be around diverse people. We got to go home with something every week, and it was really fun. I made loads of new friends.”
Alexandria Zacorna, 12, described the group as a welcoming environment where she became more comfortable around others.
“When I first came here, I was so shy, and I wouldn’t really speak, I would just be quiet. But then I got more comfortable with the people, and it made me gain more confidence. They helped me a lot with improving my student skills, and it made me feel like I was at home.”
She added: “It is a celebration of showing how hard we worked on our sewing project.”
How to get involved
Roma Roots continues to support the Harehills community with sewing groups, drop-in sessions, and support services. They also continue to hold sewing classes every Friday from 2pm-3pm at the Shine.
For information on some of the other classes they hold, visit the Roma Roots Facebook page or email romarootscommunitycic@gmail.com or danafatusin@gmail.com.
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