Asrat started her internship at the Kaiserhaus.

For the women's empowerment project at Kaiserhaus in Bern, we were able to recruit Asrat as a participant. Asrat is doing an internship in KoKoTé's studio and also attending various educational programs. The plan is for her to start training as a textile practitioner (EBA) next year.

Asrat is very happy that she has now been able to start on a path towards education in Switzerland. Learn more about Asrat below:

I come from Addis Ababa in Ethiopia. Addis Ababa means "New Flower," and when I think of my homeland, I remember a good childhood and many beautiful moments.

I arrived in Switzerland in July 2019. The first few weeks were not easy, as I lived with eight women in one room in an asylum seekers' accommodation, and the uncertainty about my future overwhelmed me. After five months, I was allowed to move in with a host family. There, I could breathe a sigh of relief and find peace.

My positive asylum decision in February 2024 finally gave me the feeling that I could start anew. I often say: At that moment, I was reborn.

Along my journey, many people supported me and gave me the opportunity to work in various places and gain initial experience in sewing workshops. For this, I am very grateful.

During my time at Mazay Café, I was eventually asked if I was interested in an internship at KoKoTé in the sewing studio at Kaiserhaus. When I first visited the studio, I was overwhelmed. I knew immediately: This is where I want to work.

Sewing brings me great joy. I love working with fabrics and creating something beautiful with my hands. In my free time, I also enjoy being creative. In my childhood, I knitted and crocheted; today, I sew. I also spend a lot of time in the garden, enjoy cooking, and go for walks in the forest. On weekends, I'm often in the mountains with my hiking groups. 

But I am especially proud that I have learned to ride a bicycle and swim in recent years. My next big goal is to start and complete training as a textile practitioner next year, within the framework of the Association Equilibre's women's empowerment project.

I am very happy to be part of the KoKoTé team and to come closer to my dream step by step