The inspiring story of Bassirou is a product of perseverance and determination . The 26 year old entrepreneur who was once a Libya refugee faced several challenges which he endured till he became one of the founding members of a growing handbag brand in Italy.
Bassirou left Burkina Faso with his wife in 2015 to save their lives from military coup. During his escape journey he passed through Libya, where he was put imprisoned and forced into hard labor. He managed to scale through the tough situation till he got to Italy where he sought asylum in March 20, 2016.
With a prior knowledge of cutting designs with scissors , he decided to learn tailoring with the support of a cooperative body . Bassirou was trained for 15 months where he learnt the art of sewing and manipulating leather materials into beautiful handbags.
He further honed his skills in handbag making and currently got his first job as a founding member of an Italian fashion start-up.
“It is a great opportunity, I had done a bit of sewing and cutting back home but that was with leather. Its wasn’t an easy start but I believe I can make it.” He said
He was taken in by the Lai-momo, a social cooperative that runs the EU-funded leather skills project in Lama Di Reno town, near Bologna.
Keep Going Bassirou! We Celebrate You!