Invisible Sisters

In this materialistic world, there is a tendency to associate success with monetary gains and household names. Within 10 minutes of having small talk with a new acquaintance, one is bound to ask the clichéd question: “So what is it you do?” For pilot-turned-livelihood advocate Aurora “Aimee” Carandang-Gloria, “what she does” cannot be measured in pesos or press releases but on the number of indigent women she is able to help as they strive to earn enough to put food on the table for their families.

In the ‘90s, Aimee was known as the first woman pilot of the Philippines. A The Outstanding Young Men (TOYM) awardee, she was set to devote her life to her career. Life, however, had other plans for her and slowly, Aimee realized that her true calling was in empowering other women to help themselves and their children. Already a seasoned advocate of livelihood and feeding programs, Aimee met Invisible Sisters founder Ann Wizer, an American artist who taught women how to turn used plastic into fashionable bags.

Aimee recounts, “In 2010, I saw an installation by Ann Wizer in the Yuchengco Museum. The beautiful and interesting installation featured a huge tapestry that was made of waste materials. It was then that I realized that waste material can also be made into beautiful art pieces. It was such a coincidence that my brother-in-law knew Ann’s husband Dave. Call it serendipity, but, at that time, Ann and Dave were looking for a program director to run Invisible. After I talked with them, I already felt that this was something I would really love to do.”

Ann Wizer, founded Invisible Sisters in 2008. She initially started it in her backyard but envisioned it to become a social enterprise that worked with urban poor women, producing fashion products from plastic waste (plastic bags, discarded computer wires,  etc.) through handcraft production techniques such as crocheting. The name “Invisible” refers to the use of unseen waste, materials that are kept from landfills and waterways and unseen people, the participation of poor, urban women who are unable to participate in the formal economy — hence “invisible” to the society. She did not want to produce “sympathy products” but products that were of good quality and design.

Aimee says, “In Invisible Sisters, our objectives are about reducing waste and poverty. We would like to remove and reuse as much waste as possible from our surroundings and keep it from landfills or from being burned. We know that this is an enormous task, but by showing that waste materials can be upcycled/recycled to produce beautiful products, we are hopeful that we can inspire people to do their share in keeping the environment clean. The ‘Sisters’ come from urban poor areas of Metro Manila. Most of them are stay-at-home mothers who do not have any earning capacity. As we increase their skill base, these women work independently and are able to earn while working at home. As we venture into well-established local and export markets, the income of the women can be raised considerably in a sustainable way. We have ongoing training to teach women hand skills, particularly crocheting. We also plan to train the women in knitting and weaving. As they continue to learn, the women routinely work at home without disrupting family and home obligations. Since we use only waste materials, any involvement with Invisible raises environmental awareness. Our women now see useless litter as valuable materials. We also educate consumers as the fashion items we make raise environmental awareness.”

Invisible Sisters has been able to tap the artistic skills of fashion and industrial designers in order to further improve the aesthetics of their lines. “We create high quality products that rival new consumer products,” Aimee explains. “To compete in a marketplace flooded with consumer goods, we require the highest standards, superb workmanship and innovation.”

At present, Invisible Sisters has approximately 90 to 110 active workers. From the original sites in Bicutan, Parañaque City, Maricaban, Pasay City, Quezon City, Brgy. Sitio Una and the Centennial Village area in Taguig, Aimee was able to partner up with GKonomics (a livelihood arm of Gawad Kalinga) and in doing so, was able to add to her roster GK Villages in different parts of the metro: four in Taguig,  two in Parañaque City and one in Manila.

It was also through GKonomics that Invisible Sisters was able to establish an office in Brgy. Pinagsama,Taguig City. In the works is a training center and a showroom in Manila made possible through a partnership with De La Salle-College of St. Benilde (DLS-CSB).

“The women we work with are mostly stay-at-home mothers and grandmothers. Approximately 70 of them had some experience with crocheting while the rest had to be taught from scratch. The majority of them are already part of our workforce. Each training site has become a venue for socialization, where the women share their thoughts on family life, politics, entertainment and current events. It’s a fun way for them to spend two to three hours, once or twice a week,” Aimee says.

The challenges of overseeing a widespread workforce are formidable. “Training was my number one priority when I started. Back in 2010, we only had 30 to 50 active women. We had to triple that number in one to two years to be able to get out and do full-scale marketing. Thanks to Accenture and DLS-CSB who funded our trainings, we have almost reached our target. The women also needed to be trained to work according to our work ethic. We needed to produce quality products on schedule.

“Our production system needed so much adjustment. We don’t have a factory where women come in daily to work. Ours is a factory without walls, we cannot check the quality and quantity of the work of the women immediately. Our raw material is also limited so we have to be able to distribute it efficiently. Most of the mothers have told us that the money that they earn from making bags has really helped their families. It provides food on the table, vitamins and school supplies for their children. For the grandmothers, it’s more of being relevant in society as they would often remark, ‘We are still useful in the society. We can still earn a living even tough we’re already old’.” 

For people who wish to start a life in social entrepreneurship, Aimee has this advice: “Maintaining sustainability is a challenging task. Partnership is essential for growth. Be firm and compassionate at the same time. Listen and be flexible to change. Don’t rely on your last design or business plan. Always keep innovating. Working for an NGO is a fulfilling experience. The people you work with are full of positive energy and goodness. I always tell my friends that helping can be quite addicting. There are a lot of people who would want to help but don’t know how to do so. Just engage these potential volunteers and you will be surprised where that takes you. There are many challenges that come with running a livelihood organization, but somehow, they always get resolved. It seems like there is Someone up there guiding you to do the right thing. Keep the faith.”

Invisible Sisters’ products can be found in SM’s Kultura Filipino, ECHOstore, Ayala Museum and at IS GK showroom in Taguig, 3F GK Building, Brgy. Pinagsama Phase 2.

(Those who wish to learn more about Invisible Sisters’ advocacy may reach Aimee at acgloria17@gmail.com or visit www.invisiblesisters.org.)

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