Since 2022, Fondazione Marcegaglia has been supporting the association Idee Migranti Onlus by backing the Motivo Donna project, which aims to create a women-led textile microenterprise. The project provides employment and income opportunities for disadvantaged women in Italy, with a particular focus on communities in the outskirts of Milan.
The project’s objectives are, on one hand, to provide a concrete and long-term employment opportunity to three young women embarking on their first work experience; and on the other, to pilot a replicable social enterprise model capable of triggering virtuous processes of resilience and social growth.
Between 2022 and 2024, the three women, former victims of violence, received specialised training in weaving and sample development, thanks to the expertise of textile designer Livia Crispolti, a Fashion Design and Textile Culture lecturer at the Brera Academy of Fine Arts in Milan. Subsequently, they were integrated into the textile workshop in San Donato Milanese, where they took part in production activities.
Thanks to the support of Fondazione Marcegaglia, Idee Migranti Onlus has been able to provide continuous socio-educational support to the three beneficiaries, assisting them in their work journey and fostering a peaceful and harmonious working environment within the microenterprise. This support has included individual and group counselling sessions, led by a social educator, aimed at promoting the women’s well-being and professional growth.
To achieve full economic sustainability by 2027, the microenterprise will be supported by the Foundation through a philanthropic grant totalling €40,000, entirely sourced from the Robi Fund. This support will ensure the continuity of the socio-educational accompaniment provided to the weavers in vulnerable situations who will join the project in the coming years, and will also cover technical training activities in the textile sector, promoting the autonomy and professional development of the women involved.
