FROM SECOND-HAND CLOTHES TO A GROWING COMMUNITY OF WOMEN DESIGNERS: BASMA’S JOURNEY WITH MYA PROGRAMME 

“What if old clothes could become opportunities, creativity, and a source of income for young women?”   

For Basma Tawakol, founder of “Dayra” and “Men Qomash”, sustainability was never only about fashion. It was always about people, community, and creating something meaningful from what others overlook.  

Her journey started years ago while volunteering in community initiatives during university. At the time, she noticed huge amounts of donated clothes going unused. Some items could not be distributed, others were damaged, and many eventually became waste.  

Instead of seeing trash, Basma saw potential.  

She started collecting and reselling second-hand clothes, using part of the revenue to support people in need. What began as a small community idea slowly evolved into “Dayra”, a platform focused on second-hand fashion and sustainability, before later growing into “Men Qomash”; an initiative that trains young designers to transform fabric scraps and old clothes into creative fashion products and wearable art.  

“When I found piles of damaged clothes that couldn’t be sold or donated, I thought: why not turn them into something beautiful instead of throwing them away?” Basma says.  

But for her, the real goal was never only creating products.  

It was about creating opportunities.  

Through the MYA Transformative Youth (TY) Programme by the Anna Lindh Foundation, Basma was able to fulfill her vision and expand her initiative beyond Cairo to Alexandria, reaching more young women interested in sustainable fashion, creativity, and upcycling. 

More than 200 young people applied to join her training cycle. 
20 young women were selected. 

And for over five months, they trained, experimented, created, connected, collaborated, and learned together.  

Some participants already knew sewing. Others simply had ideas and passion but did not know where to begin. Together, they learned how to transform old fabrics into products that felt modern, creative, and valuable.  

“We wanted people to wear recycled fashion without even realising it came from old clothes,” Basma explains. “We wanted it to feel authentic, modern, creative and beautiful.”  

But beyond the training itself, what impacted Basma the most was seeing the participants become a real community that shares the same mission; to reach more young designers.   

The designers themselves asked to organise a one-day open workshop that was held at Anna Lindh Foundation for the public. They invited over 40 new participants, shared what they learned, and introduced young people to sustainability, creativity, and upcycling.   

“The transformative moment for me was seeing the women become friends, collaborate, create together, and support each other,” Basma says. “Some were strong in sewing, others in design, and together they created something much bigger.”  

Basma also highlighted how MYA supported her growth as a leader and social entrepreneur by helping her expand and reach new cities, connect with like-minded changemakers across the region, and become part of a wider Euro-Mediterranean community.   

“Honestly, what made MYA programme different was feeling that someone was genuinely following up with you and supporting you throughout the process,” she says.  

Today, “Men Qomash” continues to grow across different cities in Egypt, reaching more designers and creatives who believe in sustainability, community impact, and giving new life to forgotten materials. Many of the trained designers are still collaborating with “Men Qomash”, producing and selling their own products, while the initiative keeps expanding to reach more talents across Egypt.  

And Basma’s message to young people thinking about applying to MYA?  

“If you have an idea that can create impact in your community, start. Even small ideas can grow into something much bigger than you imagined. Join MYA because it’s a transformative holistic programme.”