Projects we are currently
working on
Reducing Plastics-Based Fabrics in Local Fashion Design: A Training-Empowerment-Promotion (TEP) Model
Billions of pounds of plastics are dumped into the ocean every year, so much so that it has been estimated that by 2050, there will be more plastics than fish in the oceans.The fashion industry is one of the biggest culprits in this situation, contributing more than a third of all microplastics in the ocean. These microplastics cause a lot of harm to marine life and some end up in the human body when we consume seafood. Considering the prevalence of plastics-based fabrics in the local fashion industry and its constantly growing share of the fabric market, the problem of microplastics in the ocean will only get worst.
The TEP model addresses the problem by providing sustainable fashion capacity building and economic empowerment for fashion designers and aspiring designers. The project has led to the creation of a nonprofit structure called the Afro-Sustainable Fashion Initiative (Afro-SFI). The initiative has attracted many organisations and designers in a network to promote sustainable fashion across Africa.
Empowering Internally Displaced Women and Girls
Since 2017, Cameroon has been experiencing a crisis in it its English-speaking regions that have seen school attendance greatly affected and many people internally displaced by the violence. For many affected women and girls, they have little or no source of livelihoods, creating precarious living conditions for them. This project seeks to provide free training in tailoring and basic fashion design to equip these populations with skills that can help them generate income. The team at Catharina Natang Fashion collaborates with NGOs and churches to achieve these goals.
Sustainable Fashion Initiative
The SFI is a project designed to draw attention to the role the fashion industry plays in the pollution of the environment. It has four main components;
1. Raising awareness and promoting the use of non-plastic-based fashion.
2. Training fashion consumers on fabric care to prolong use and delay disposal.
3. Developing new designs from fabrics that are being discarded.
4. Promoting environmentally friendly fabric disposal methods.
As part of SIF, Catharina Natang Fashion participated in the British Council Ghana Sustainable Fashion show in Accra in September 2021. During the FIAFFA 10th anniversary show, the business presented the only sustainable collection, drawing attention to the issue among designers. Other activities include sensitization campaigns and collaboration with environmental groups.