WOMEN'S MONTH

Someone Somewhere wouldn't be possible without women. For this reason, during Women's Month, we will share the stories and experiences of Nadine, Dani, and Pam. Three women who, through their leadership and talent, transform each of their areas to impact lives and create change in the world. 

Pam 

Pam works in the Production area, studied textile engineering, and stands out for her ability to find and work with new materials to create sustainable products. She is a woman very aware of current social and environmental issues. For this reason, she decided to organize with her community in Ecatepec, State of Mexico, to clean common areas and generate a change to improve everyone's life collectively. Pam's story is full of passion, commitment, and resilience with the planet and those around her. For this reason, we decided to invite her to this space so that we can learn a little more about her perspective of the world and what we can do for it. 

To learn more about your initiative, could you tell us something about what you do in your community regarding these spaces?

My community has primarily been my family. I used to live with my parents in Ecatepec, in a red zone due to violence. It was only recently that I moved out. This municipality is very unsafe, but where I lived was even more dangerous, as there have been many femicides in this area. There are many vacant lots, and there is one in particular, right next to my parents' house, where nature grows wildly and, unfortunately, it's often used for dumping rubble and trash. Despite being a dangerous area, it is also a green space where children play and is part of the community. So, from the perspective we have here at Someone Somewhere, last year I decided to organize two clean-up days, where I asked for the support of my neighbors, because another problem here is burning trash. This happens because the trash collection service is not provided by the government; it's private, and therefore, we are charged for it, and not everyone can afford it. I didn't like this situation, so I decided to organize the clean-up days in the vacant lot. 

My family and I have carried out a couple of projects. Along with my mother and aunt, who are animal lovers, we carried out some sterilization campaigns, both for our dogs and for some street dogs, as there is also a lot of abandonment in the vacant lot. The dogs already know us, they come to our houses for some water and food, and we have also given several for adoption. The second project was a mural right there within the vacant lot, to raise awareness about both violence and environmental care. Although it seems like just a small effort, we are finally doing something for the community, and of course, it generates an impact.

From SS, we're glad you're making a change. Not everyone does it; it's very valuable. What is your main motivation for creating spaces for environmental awareness in this context?

My main motivation is to raise awareness. In general, in the city, there is more interest in the environment, but this is not the case everywhere. My neighbors, for example, didn't know that burning trash is very harmful due to the chemicals released. Many of us are not aware of all this, which is why ecological education is of utmost importance. My second motivation is my 13-year-old brother, who is super sensitive to the environment and the damage we cause to our planet. I once saw him cry very sadly when he learned that bees were in danger of extinction, and his tears made me cry too. Spending time with him has helped me a lot to understand all these problems. I also know that these changes we make now will not be seen tomorrow or the day after. We all have to do our part, and if we combine them, it will grow much more. And more than anything, what future are we going to leave for the children of today? 

Leveraging your knowledge of the textile industry, regarding clothing consumption, what do you think we can all contribute to caring for the planet?

First, let me clarify that the textile industry is the second most polluting industry in the world. This is a very important issue; now that the pandemic has happened, let's be realistic, we don't need so many clothes. We must bet on a culture of minimalism, where you don't need to consume all the time, and when you do, you are generating a real positive impact. Many people buy from fast fashion stores without knowing all the damage behind it, like what happens in Bangladesh. I can say that at Someone Somewhere, we try to contribute something within our possibilities. Personally, I no longer go to fast fashion stores to buy clothes; now I prefer to go to thrift stores, to second-hand clothes. What is trash for some is gold for others.

How would you describe Someone Somewhere's contributions to creating sustainable clothing? 

Right now, what we try to do is use natural fibers as much as possible, such as cotton, linen, or silk. We use a lot of cotton and want to start with hemp, which is the fiber that comes from cannabis. These fibers do not impact the environment as much. We also seek to work with products of Mexican origin, because it contaminates less. If we brought everything from China, for example, we would have to consider the environmental impact of the airplane, manufacturing, and many other factors. On the other hand, going into a deeper problem of the textile industry, in my opinion, synthetic fibers such as polyester or nylon could be a great tool if we knew how and had the necessary tools to recycle them. If plastic could be recycled, we wouldn't need agave bags, you know? Because we would need to plant agaves, care for agaves, and then, at the end of the day, we would be depleting the land. If we recycled plastic properly, many environmental problems could be solved. For example, there would not be so much plastic in the sea.

Any reflections regarding your context or the environment that you would like to share with us?

I would like us to learn a little more about our actions in general. Everything we do and consume leaves a trace. Not just with clothes, but also with other issues like trash or food. For example, I am a vegetarian, and before I was, I never wondered where the piece of meat I was going to eat came from. Now that I know where it comes from, what happens to that product before I eat it, the fact that animals are treated as products, I see things differently. We must learn to move from empathy and not from selfishness and indifference. We must be kind to other people and, of course, to the planet we live on, because we only have one. There is no planet B that we can go to afterward. 

At Someone Somewhere, we are very grateful to work with Pam. We recognize her vision of the world and share her passion for the fight for the environment. As of today, 76% of our trainees are women.

Pam is wearing our star t-shirt, the Classic Pocket! 
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