DIMA is making plans to start a weaving school. This year DIMA plans to construct a large open shed to use as the classroom, acquire 10 traditional looms and to give 10 young people 3 months of training in literacy and 4 months of training in a traditional weaving style known as téra-tera.
To raise funding for the project, DIMA is launching a crowdfunding campaign on GlobalGiving that will run from June 8 to June 26, 2020. You can find more information here:
https://www.globalgiving.org/projects/start-weaving-school-in-niger/
Téra-tera blankets are given to brides and grooms as wedding gifts in Niger. However, there are very few people now weaving in this style, so one goal of the school is to preserve téra-tera.
After the initial four months of training, DIMA plans to acquire larger, standard production looms and offer the students 1 ½ years of additional training in weaving and business skills.
Then DIMA plans to form a weaving cooperative to continue to train new students and to provide assistance to working weavers.
