Gjergji will create 130 fair jobs in the Cerrik region by establishing a social enterprise that produces garments. His business will employ vulnerable women from urban and suburban areas in difficult social and economic conditions with low skills and education. Gjergji will offer good working conditions that are uncommon in the garment industry such as: higher salaries for employees, a healthy working environment, state of the art machinery and training opportunities for employees. This will ultimately empower marginalized women in the region (like the woman pictured above) to uplift their family’s living conditions.
Gjergji believes that:
“The concept of a business that operates with the one goal to create profits for its owners, it’s out fashioned. Building a business that will contribute to a community in need, providing employment for vulnerable women, giving them the opportunity to work and provide revenues for their families, help them integrate economically and socially for a better society, that is my personal goal.”
The garment factory will be located in Cerrik, a small municipality in Albania with rampant unemployment. The loan will enable Gjergji to provide employment for more than 130 women in the Cerrik region by equipping his factory with industrial machines to produce work wear and t-shirts for international brands. He will be working closely with Yunus Social Business (which is now selecting more experienced businesses than in the past to post on Kiva) to set up his company and maximize the social impact on the community.
Gjergii has vast experience and an international network in the garment industry having supported over 20 garment factories in Albania in setting up and scaling their operations. He has been a leading spokesperson for the Garment Industry in Albania, advocating for improvement of the working conditions and fair salaries for employees in the sector. There are currently two international companies that are interested to start working with him as a partner, whenever the company is ready and operational.