CHARLOTTE, N.C. — A Charlotte nonprofit is suddenly selling one of the hottest clothing items in town and is helping to change lives.
BraveWorks works with women facing difficult circumstances and trains them to become successful artisans.
Kidist Tesema came to Charlotte from Ethiopia a decade ago.
"To get a better life," she said.
She didn’t know anyone here, didn’t speak the language and struggled to find work and her place in the community.
"Everything is different this is a big city, big people," Tesema said.
She found BraveWorks, which is a nonprofit that works to empower women who are overcoming trauma and injustice both here in Charlotte and around the globe.
The women they serve are refugees, women coming out of human trafficking, domestic violence, addiction and more. The agency works to turn them into financially stable artisans with a trained craft.
Beth Bell is the executive director.
"We know it’s important to empower these women coming out of such difficult circumstances," Bell said.
The goods they make, like purses, jewelry, clothing, are sold at their Dilworth boutique, but the women get paid whether their work sells or not.
"We don’t want the women to take any risk so we pay for their time and product up front," Bell explained.
And COVID-19 of all things actually turned out to be a game-changer for the organization and the women they support.
Bell can't believe it.
"Gosh everybody in town now and around the country are wearing these fabulous skirts," Bell exclaimed.
But the launch of the high-end skirts that sell for up to $300 almost didn’t happen.
"We launched the skirts in Uganda in February 2020 and then COVID hit and our Uganda artists were shut down."
So Charlotte-based artists, including Tesema, began to sew. Now they can’t keep the skirts in stock.
"It is my passion sewing, before when I came from Ethiopia I don’t know anything about sewing. BraveWorks give me good opportunity to develop my sewing. I'm proud of myself," Tesema said.
Now she actually trains new women in the organization on the sewing machine.
The skirts are selling so well that they’re considering growing the business to include other boutiques across the country.
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