The Creators
We have some great people who are of have been part of the Not a Factory journey! Each and everyone with their own interesting story. Some of them previously worked in the clothing industry while others were trained by Naomi to become professional tailors.
The Starter
To get something going you sometimes just need somebody to start! For a while Maarten had been looking for ideas to support refugees in a different way because the emergency aid wasn’t sufficient anymore. And then the idea of Not a Factory was born. A place where people can work, become independent and develop themselves. And so he got started.
You can find out more about Maarten on his website.
The Board
Without a solid foundation you cannot build a great house. That is why Stichting Not a Factory has an awesome board whose members create this foundation and make the development of this project possible. Bart Driessen took the role of chairman, Ingetje Wielenga as our secretary and Deborah Kraaijeveld is the treasurer. Together they advice, check and provide support, while often eating watermelon at meetings.
The Support
Together amazing things are possible, these are some of the people who are helping to make this dream a reality.
Martijn 
Emiel 
Sara 
Thierry 
Mercia 
Michelle
The Collaborators
Naomi
Originally we planned to set up this project all on our own, but then we connected to Naomi and everything changed. They had set up a workshop where people work and get courses. We realised that by collaborating together we could support each other and help more people.
The Asvestas Family
Making a T-shirt requires many steps, knitting the fabric, cutting, printing, sewing. And for some of those steps it’s best to work with the experts instead of doing it all on your own. That is why we were happy when we met George and his family. After generations of working in the clothing industry in Greece they could tell us where to go and how to do it.