"Solar" sewing mini-workshop opened in Nisur

The sewing mini-workshop powered by solar energy has opened in the high mountain village of Nisur (Bartang Valley, Tajikistan).

In mid-November, employees of the Little Earth environmental organization installed equipment in one of the houses in the remote village of Nisur that would allow local women to provide their villagers with cutting and sewing services and earn extra money.

There are two electric sewing machines and one overlock with a special table in the mini-workshop. A solar system was purchased and installed to ensure the operation of the workshop with an independent power source (there is no electricity in the village). It consists of two panels with a capacity of 200 watts each, three helium batteries with a capacity of 150 amperes*hour each, a charge controller of 30 amperes and a voltage converter with output power of 2000 watts.

The Little Earth also took care of efficient lighting so that women who operate sewing machines work in safe conditions and do not damage their eyesight. For this, three energy-efficient LED tube lamps were installed in the room. Like sewing machines, lighting will work thanks to the energy of the sun.

Odzhieva Lola - one of the participants of the project “Clean energy and women on the roof of the world” and a resident of the village of Nisur became the owner of the sewing mini-workshop. For equipment, she allocated one room in her own house. Lola herself has long been engaged in sewing traditional clothes, carpets and other items.

“I used to use an old manual sewing machine. There was no lighting; I had to work with a kerosene lamp or a small lantern. I have long dreamed of acquiring an automatic sewing machine and did not even imagine that this would ever come true. Now, thanks to the project “Clean energy and women on the roof of the world”, I have got my own sewing mini-workshop,” says Odzhieva Lola.

In the near future, the owner of new equipment plans to purchase the necessary materials for work.

“Initially we will work together with my friend. If the business starts to make a profit, then I can hire another one or two girls to work part time. Now our residents have to go to the administrative center to, for example, buy a wedding outfit. We will do it for them on the spot. It will be both cheaper and more convenient,” adds Lola.

The project provided an opportunity for local women to start up their small business.

“It’s important for us not only to distribute renewable energy sources in mountain communities and demonstrate their benefits - we pay special attention to women by involving them in the natural resources management, building their capacity and supporting initiatives such as this “solar” sewing mini-workshop”, - says Anton Timoshenko, executive director of the Little Earth.

The opening of the mini-sewing workshop was one of the activities realized within the project “Clean energy and women on the roof of the world”. The project is implemented by the Little Earth in the high-mountain villages of the upper Bartang Valley of the Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Region of Tajikistan with the support of the US Forest Service.

Timur Idrisov, Anton Timoshenko, Little Earth