When reaching their destination countries, refugees' first needs will be linked to finding a shelter, papers and food. Next, their most important needs will be housing, language and employment. All those needs are often structured around regulated processes that are not only full of uncertainties, but also take very long. People will wait for weeks, months, sometimes years before receiving their p
apers. It struck us when we visited for the first time a migrants center: people are bored. When combining that with the fact that it is usually difficult for newcomers to effectively connect with the surrounding communities in those centers, it amplified potential psychological stresses, loss of self-esteem and decreasing chances of rapid integration. However, those people have skills and, hence, can produce great stuff. Couldn't we both help those guys getting away from this terrible bore and, at the same time, tap into this unused potential? That's why we decided to launch the Pop Up Factory. The concept is simple: bring machines, materials, coaches, designers, translators and refugees around workshops. Those workshops will have specific themes to leverage pre-defined manual skills that some refugees might have. Sewing, craftmanship, carpentry are typical examples of manual expertise that we'd like to promote. At the end of each session, you'll all be invited to pass by and discover the stories behind the creations. Hope to meet you soon!
