Posted by Lorenzo van Sichem
on April 25, 2022
Seeing people blossom at a new employer gives us energy. We regularly contact former participants to ask how they are doing, the meaning of work to them, and how they look back on their time at i-did. This time, the story of Elham, who blossomed.
Name: Elham
Age: 42 years
Currently works at: A dental practice as a dental assistant. Started as a clothing repairer after the period at i-did.
What kind of work do you do there?
“After i-did, I started in a clothing atelier repairing old clothes. Thanks to my time at i-did and my experience sewing clothes, I knew exactly how to do it. However, after a while, I missed the direct contact with people.
That was the reason I went to work in a dental practice as a dental assistant. Now, in addition to the fun and varied work, I can chat with patients in the practice.”
How do you look back on your time at i-did?
“It was a lot of fun. I learned how to work together with other colleagues for the first time. The coaching and guidance from Tina (i-did trainer) was also very valuable. I dared to practice the Dutch language and develop myself further.
It is nice to notice that I have now developed myself to the point where I can perform many different tasks. At i-did, you learn to become independent, you learn something new, discover your talent, and work together. That is important if you have never worked before.”
i-did creates social impact from textiles
Every year, more than 200,000 tons of textiles are thrown away in the Netherlands, including large amounts of workwear. At the same time, there are more than 400,000 people on social assistance, including status holders and people for whom access to work is not a given. They have few opportunities to discover and utilize their talents.
At i-did, we combine these two challenges: old textiles get a second life and are processed into products that really matter. Products that are made by people who get the chance at i-did to gain experience and contribute to society in a meaningful way.
More and more companies choose products from i-did, which makes our social impact and reach grow every year. On this page, we share insights, figures, and examples of how the reuse of clothing and social impact come together.
