By Alpha Abu
An enterprise named Izelia has been launched at its Bolling Street Kingtom site in Freetown. The business which is managed by a Sierra Leonean Isatu Harrison comprised a textile and garment factory and a training hub for young people in the designing of clothes.
The head of the National Youth Commission Ngolo Katta who deputised for the Minister of Youth Affairs said he was genuinely impressed with work being done at Izelia. Katta told the gathering that Izelia’s provision of skills training and jobs do resonate with the government’s emphasis on human capital development and in tandem with the Mid-Term Development Plans. He commended Harrison for including Creative Ecosystem in her business. He looked forward to greater collaboration between Izelia and the Youth Commission especially in maximising the potentials of young people for their growth and future.
The Director-General of the Local Content Agency said Harrison’s dream was coming true because of her determination to pursue them. He spoke about the growing attention the woman is getting at international level for her outstanding work and said the Local Content Agency will remain supportive of her initiatives and those of other Sierra Leoneans that have invested in the private sector.
Francis Stevens from Innovation SL explained about the courage and burning desire he saw in Harrison’s drive to get her business started. He used the opportunity to appeal to the government to create the enabling environment for people including those from the diaspora who were drawn to investing in the private sector.
Harrison in sharing her experiences recounted the numerous challenges she faced having resolute her mind to relocate her business in her home country after some twenty years in London. She at first struggled at getting the needed structures for her business and was grateful to Francis Stevens of Innovation SL for making the necessary arrangements leading to her securing the property on which to establish her business. She thanked the young people she had trained and were with her throughout and who now have a livelihood to better themselves.
Izelia is a multi-business and skills training entity that started operations in Sierra Leone in 2018. It now boasts of a garments and textile factory with emphasis on natural dye fabrics to showcase the country’s traditional gara designing. Dozens of young people have gained employment at the factory and have acquired skills at the training hub. Over 100 young designers have been introduced to Circular Fashion as well. A greater percentage of the local gara textile used by Izelia come from a Women’s Cooperative it created which is based in Makeni.
Copyright © 2021 Politico Online 15/03/21
