Moussa in his early days at i-did

Moussa, 52, has lived in the Netherlands since 1991. He moved from Morocco for love. "When I came here, I had no education or profession. I've done all sorts of work, including cleaning and production."

He found i-did about seven years ago through the municipality of Utrecht and started working in the workshop. "I couldn't find work. I had all sorts of qualifications in cleaning, but that wasn't really my thing. When I got the opportunity to volunteer at i-did, I jumped at it. I enjoy making new things myself and being creative."

Helpdesk for colleagues

After seven months, Moussa joined i-did and is now truly versatile: behind the sewing machine assembling bags, at the laser cutting felt to size, managing inventory in the warehouse, and in the showroom. He's also a source of information for his colleagues.

"Because I've been working here for a while, I know a bit about everything. It's quite difficult for new people to find their way here, and I try to help them with that. Sometimes the language is still a problem, but because we all have to speak Dutch here, you pick it up very quickly. We really work together here and take care of each other."

Handicraft

He's seen the company grow and change over the past seven years. "We used to do a lot of clothing alterations, which was a lot of manual work. Now we make bags, accessories, and acoustic interior products from recycled felt made from textile surpluses that would otherwise be burned or end up on the textile mountain.

It's still a lot of manual work, but we now also have sewing and cutting machines that make the job easier. It's fun to make something new with the old uniforms from the Ministry of Defence, IKEA, Efteling, and KLM."

Moussa among the rolls of recycled felt

Important work

According to Moussa, i-did plays an important role for people receiving benefits. "Companies like i-did are essential for getting people back to work. You learn new things, develop yourself, and gain work experience. That led to a permanent position with i-did for me, but most people move on to a job outside of i-did that suits their own desires. Isn't that great?"

Badge holder Moussa

Moussa now works 32 hours a week at i-did in Utrecht, and he loves it. There's even a badge holder in the i-did collection named after him. "I'm happy to be working and earning my own money. I have great colleagues, I cycle to work, and I go home at the end of every workday with a clear head. I'm completely satisfied."

The bag holder named after Moussa

i-did turns textiles into social impact

Every year in the Netherlands more than 200,000 tons of textiles are thrown away, including large quantities of workwear. At the same time, more than 400,000 people are on welfare, including refugees and those for whom access to work is not a given. They have few opportunities to discover and utilize their talents.

At i-did, we connect these two challenges: old textiles are given a second life and processed into products that truly matter. Products made by people who, at i-did, have the opportunity to gain experience and contribute meaningfully to society.

More and more companies are choosing i-did products, which means our social impact and reach are growing every year. this page We share insights, figures and examples of how clothing reuse and social impact come together.