What started as cautious exploration gradually grew into greater confidence in her own abilities. In the workshop, Rishma continues to build on the skills she developed at the Sheltersuit School. She takes on more responsibility and, along the way, discovers where her strengths lie. Her story shows how learning through practice can create space to grow, step by step.
In October 2024, Rishma started at the Sheltersuit School. She wanted to improve her sewing skills, gain more experience, and eventually move toward finding a job. After spending a long time at home, the Sheltersuit School offered a new environment with a new routine. Rishma took classes two days a week and also did volunteer work. She was given the space to discover, at her own pace, what she was capable of and where she still wanted to grow.
Because at the Sheltersuit School, it’s not just about learning to use a sewing machine. Participants also work on skills that are important both in the workplace and beyond: collaborating, having the courage to ask questions, dealing with mistakes, and discovering where you want to go. For Rishma, the program was ultimately extended by six months. This gave her the time she needed to continue growing before taking the next step toward the workshop.
The hands-on approach to learning suited Rishma well. During the classes, she made all kinds of different items. She learned how to insert zippers and sewed items such as makeup bags, backpacks, and shoulder bags. But some assignments went beyond simply learning a new sewing technique. For example, Rishma created a personal family tree out of fabric. It was a creative assignment that encouraged participants to reflect on where they come from, where they are now, and where they want to go.
“I really liked that you’re given assignments and then have to come up with your own ideas on how to do them.”
Rishma enjoyed the project so much that she continued working on it at home. She brought home pieces to cut out and prepare so she could continue at school. Step by step, not only did her skills at the sewing machine improve, but so did her confidence in working on her own.
Learning something new inevitably means that things sometimes go wrong. Yet that’s exactly what can make it so exciting. Rishma, too, sometimes found it difficult to ask a question. She might worry that someone might get angry or that she should have already known the answer.
At the Sheltersuit School, she learned that asking questions is actually part of the learning process—just like making mistakes. She now applies that lesson in the studio. For example, when she’s unsure whether she’s sewn a piece of fabric on the wrong side, she doesn’t just sit there worrying about it. She asks a mentor to take a look, and together they look for a solution. It may seem like a small moment, but that’s exactly where a lot of growth lies: having the courage to admit that you don’t know something and trusting that you’ll be helped.
While attending the Sheltersuit School, Rishma also thought about what she wanted to achieve for herself.
One of her main goals was to gain more experience with sewing. That’s no longer just a goal on paper: she’s been working in the Sheltersuit workshop since January. She also made progress on a personal level. She moved into a new home and traveled to Suriname, two things that were previously on her list of goals. Her driver’s license? That’s her next goal for the future.
Even within the workshop, Rishma continues to look ahead. She takes on various entry-level tasks and is working to become increasingly independent and master new skills. Because personal growth doesn’t stop when someone leaves the Sheltersuit School. The support evolves along with them.
One of the moments Rishma looks back on with great pleasure is the fashion show at the end of her time at the Sheltersuit School. By then, she had learned so much in class that she was able to make clothes for her daughter herself. She sewed a dress, and during the fashion show, her daughter walked the runway in a garment her mother had made herself.
A special moment when everything came together: what once began with practicing behind a sewing machine, Rishma could now proudly show to others. And her sewing doesn’t stop when her workday is over. She has now set up a dedicated space for her sewing machine in her new home. She plans to get back to work there soon.
Rishma has been working in the studio since January. That doesn’t mean every new assignment feels easy right away. When she’s given something she’s never made before, her first thought might still be: Can I really do this?
“Then I think to myself beforehand: Oh, that looks hard.”
But she has also learned by now what happens if she doesn’t stick with that initial thought. She listens to the instructions, sits down at the sewing machine, and gives it a try. “Once I start sewing and have been given instructions, I think: Oh, it’s not so bad after all.” So you don’t always have to feel confident before you start. Sometimes that confidence actually comes as you’re working.
Going to the studio has now become part of Rishma’s daily routine. She drops her daughter off at daycare, gets on her bike, and heads to work.
There, she learns new things, faces new challenges, and has people she can turn to when she’s unsure about something. And maybe the best outcome, in the end, is actually very simple.
Rishma isn't done learning yet. There are new skills to develop, new goals to work toward, and undoubtedly moments when things seem difficult at first. But every time she goes ahead and starts anyway, she takes another step forward.
Taking a new step isn’t easy for everyone. Sometimes it takes time, guidance, and above all, an environment where you’re allowed to try things out to discover what’s possible. At the Sheltersuit School, participants are given that space. They learn practical skills, build their self-confidence, and work step by step toward a future that suits them.
With your support, we can give more people like Rishma the opportunity to learn, grow, and discover their potential. Support Sheltersuit and help someone take the next step.
