Zapateria, a shoemaking hub in Marikina, and I Can Make Shoes, from London, see opportunities in the industry to empower women through shoemaking. Supported by a collaboration grant from the British Council, the hubs developed a Creators’ Kit for Complete Beginners, containing materials, tools and guidelines to start making sandals as a home-based business. Using the toolkit, the hubs held a workshop, ‘We Can Make Shoes’ last December 2019 at the Department of Trade and Industry–National Capital Region Office (DTIN–CRO).
Ten young women from Barangay Tumana learned how to make simple sandals during the workshop led by the two collaborating hubs, encouraging them to learn a new creative skill that would allow them to start a livelihood for themselves and their communities.