How Minka inspires me
You've probably heard of them before, but I wanted to mention them because they deserve my admiration and respect. This is Minka, founded and run by the Nuñez sisters.
They reuse scraps from clothing workshops in Chile and make accessories, but the most valuable thing is how they do it: giving employment to women deprived of their freedom.
“Minka maximizes its positive impact by reusing industrial waste that would otherwise be garbage and intervenes in communities of women in vulnerable situations, giving them an employment opportunity that changes their perception of themselves and values handmade work in Chile.”
A few years ago, while undertaking another project in our search to add value, we arrived at a penitentiary with our proposal. We wanted to collaborate with the carpentry workshops that are created inside. Those who work there are not necessarily people who were dedicated to that outside, but they have found in the workshops the possibility of acquiring a skill, of realizing that they can make a contribution and, as Minka says, change their perception of themselves.
Developing activities inside was extremely difficult. These are spaces and systems that are not designed to “facilitate” things and to be able to work. From time restrictions that were very far from the times of a normal workday to the width of the fences where our cart with wood could not pass. Much to our regret, the work did not prosper and we had to leave it.
Perhaps that is why I value Minka's initiative so much. They have managed to do it in a pro way, dissolving the obstacles and making space for themselves. They have an objective and I imagine that to some extent that is the end that justifies their means: changing the paradigm of social reintegration and empowering women who have lost their freedom and identity.
To learn more about Minka and her work visit https://causaminka.cl
Do you know of any similar initiatives? Tell me here 👇
