My couchsurfing host Susann told me about "Mode macht Mut", Fashion gives Courage. I went there. A big shop with a workshop in the back. Woman with different backgrounds, a lot of them from different countries, are sewing and embroidering cloths and make objects out of textile. They are sold in the shop. The cloths and cloth items they are using are donated. All women have different skills. Some of them have learned old techniques in the country where they were born. They work there to share their knowledge, learn the German language, make connections with new people, be part of society, make beautiful things so they can be proud of what they have learned.
I wasn't planning to talk about my own project there, I was mainly curious about what they were doing, but there was no way around it. I almost spent two hours there, talking to everybody, enjoying the nice atmosphere.
It is a great way of integrating people into a new community. Not asking them to learn completely new things they might not be interested in or good at, but trying to find out what they are good at, what special things they know that for them might not even seem to be out of the ordinary. Give them the opportunity to make things, to feel they are being appreciated, even admired.
The lady in charge asked me If I would be interested in exhibiting my suits there. I would love to! Spend some time in Bamberg, work in the workshop with the people there, maybe even include some people I met on the road.
We exchanged cards. Her name wasn't on it, just the website of the social project Mode macht Mut is part of, www.soziale-betriebe-der-laufer-muehle.de. In the middle of all the conversations I forgot to ask for her name. But I found it on Facebook. It is Wunder. Miracle.
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