Argentine

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Argentine grew up in a rural village at the heart of the war in Eastern Congo. She is the oldest of eight children, and her mother fought tirelessly to protect Argentine in the face of a perilous childhood.

 

As a young teenager, Argentine moved to the city of Goma and learned to read, write and sew. She also became friends with other girls with disabilities, including Mapendo. She and Mapendo both became proud young seamstresses, looking for ways to support their families in the unstable environment of Eastern Congo. In 2007, they met Dawn and started SHONA Congo, a small sewing group.

 

Argentine has continued sewing through countless obstacles and she is thankful for the many friends who have supported her along the way. 

 

After years in refugees camps, Argentine was sponsored to resettle to Canada in 2018, along with her younger sister, Aline, and her daughter Asante Mungu.  Argentine continues to sew and to sell her work at the local markets in Athabasca. Read more about her amazing story in our book, The Place Between Our Fears

 

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