Tailor brings his trade from West Africa to Erie
He learned craft as refugee in Guinea
Ansumana Gbembo learned how to make clothes as a refugee in the West African country of Guinea.
He and his family had fled civil war in Sierra Leone, and a United Nations program was available to teach refugees how to become tailors.
Making clothes can be a lucrative trade in Africa, and Mr. Gbembo (the “G” is silent) jumped at the opportunity to learn a skill that could help him support his family.
“People bring diamonds to me, people bring gold,” the 43-year-old Gbembo said recently, dreaming of what could have been.
Control of Sierra Leone’s diamond mines was one of the factors that led to the country’s civil war, which lasted from 1991 to 2002.
Mr. Gbembo now lives in Erie, where talk of gems is usually in reference to a lake, and he has struggled to make a living doing what he loves.
“Here, nobody cares about sewing,” he said.
Mr. Gbembo never intended to come to America, let alone Erie. After several years in Guinea, he and his family, still refugees, were transferred to Gambia. He got sick there and was resettled in Erie to undergo surgery and recover.
That was in 2009. Since then, he has spent the years supporting himself largely by other means and trying to bring his wife and three children to the United States.
But he has not stopped sewing, stitching and hemming in the West African tradition. He has returned to Africa on two separate occasions to see his family and gather authentic African fabrics, which he said are hard to obtain in America.
“I like designing — for people, for myself,” he said. “So I kept it going in my apartment.”
Now a U.S. citizen, he is in the process of passing his skill onto others. Mr. Gbembo said he does not want his trade to be forgotten.
“If I can’t get anywhere on my own utilizing my knowledge, let me teach people so they can help themselves and their families,” he said.
After years of applying for a state grant to fund an apprenticeship program, Mr. Gbembo this year was finally awarded $4,000 from the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts.
He has two students, with whom he works on the weekends. The program will culminate in October with a report to the state detailing the work the group has accomplished.
In June, they will present several African outfits for the World Refugee Day celebration at the Erie Art Museum.
So far, the group has completed a few men’s dashikis — colorful, loose garments that can be worn casually or in a formal setting. Soon they will begin making women’s dresses.
One of the students, Marcie Garcia, whom Mr. Gbembo met when he worked at a local laundromat, said she is enjoying the program.
“It’s not simple, but I like a challenge,” said Ms. Garcia, 40, of Erie.
She said she wants to make clothes for Erie’s immigrant population to make their transition to life in America a little bit easier.
“When they come here ... it’s a big challenge for them,” she said. “Not just the way of life, but the whole system is totally different. If they can feel more comfortable with their clothing, they might feel more comfortable about other things.”
Ms. Garcia hopes the program can be the starting point for a trained workforce.
“If we could bring those types of skills back here, you never know, companies might want to hire or open facilities that do the sewing and selling here,” she said.
Mr. Gbembo’s dream is to have his own business, making and selling clothes and teaching others how to do the same.
But he also wants to set an example for skilled refugees and immigrants in the region, so they are not afraid to contribute to the local culture.
“I am not afraid to tell people this is what I do,” he said.
Mr. Gbembo said he might have returned to Sierra Leone if he had not become a U.S. citizen, which he said he thought would make his life in America easier. His father is head of one of Sierra Leone’s many chiefdoms. Mr. Gbembo would ultimately inherit the position, but for him it would be a betrayal of the loyalty oath he made to America.
“I was eager to become a citizen,” he said.
Mr. Gbembo plans on staying in Erie, too. He said he could look for work elsewhere, but doesn’t want to. This is where he was resettled, and he feels a responsibility to stay here.