The Compagnons Bâtisseurs (CB) of Saint-Martin have concluded their workshop professional remobilization around textile upcycling by a discount of micro-certification badgesThis meeting also marked an important step for the association with the announcement of a new organization between Saint-Martin and Guadeloupe.
A week to learn about textile reuse trades
From August 17 to 25, twelve participants have completed training dedicated to textile upcycling, supported by the third place of Quartier d'OrléansThe objective was to to promote re-engagement towards employment while raising awareness of the issues surrounding the textile reuseAt the end of the week, each participant received... digital badges attesting to acquired skills“The badge allows you to recognize a specific skill and easily integrate it into a digital CV,” explains Capucine Bouvier-Muller, of the Odalicéa organization, which supported this micro-certification process. Training facilitator Claudy Carabin recalls the challenge of to condense the basics of a skill into one week which usually requires five years of learning. Beyond the sewingThe workshop also aimed to changing the way we view used clothing and fighting textile waste.
The participants' testimonies reflect this evolution. Some had never used a sewing machine, others are discovering the recycling potential of jeans today, or are already imagining a professional projectThis action is also part of a a larger project to create a recycling center textile and an incubator designed to support future activities in this sector, with a dozen positions envisaged in the long term.
A joint management structure for Saint-Martin and Guadeloupe
This event was also an opportunity to to acknowledge the departure of Maé Bridier, director of the Compagnons Bâtisseurs de Saint-Martin for the past five yearsStarting August 25th, the association is implementing a new governance.
Virginie Bessoles, director of Compagnons Bâtisseurs in Guadeloupe, will oversee both territories, while Reginald Bazile becomes territorial coordinator in Saint-Martin. The idea is to maintain local management within the territory while pooling certain functions and fundraising efforts across both branches. “Actions will remain stable in Saint-Martin. The aim is to provide more opportunities and visibility to the territory through joint management,” emphasizes Virginie Bessoles, who anticipates a monthly presence on Saint-MartinThe two associations, however, retain their legal and financial autonomy. This organization still needs to be co-created. “We mustn’t arrive with a pre-packaged scenario,” says the director who initiated the movement in Guadeloupe, who hopes to observe over the next six months how responsibilities can be distributed and adjusted depending on the specific characteristics of the territory. An initial assessment is planned at the end of this period.
Leaving this association, which she has largely contributed to developing in Saint-Martin despite still limited resourcesMaé Bridier confided leaving “the most intense and beautiful project” of his volunteer careerhoping that the current team “will find the necessary energy to continue offering these wonderful initiatives and all the beauty inherent in the projects of the Compagnons Bâtisseurs,” whose work addresses essential needs in the region. _Vx
