The idea of mimycri was born on the Greek island Chios where our co-founders Vera and Nora volunteered in 2015/16. At the height of  refugee arrivals, the two worked with  people arriving at the shores to provide them with water, food, clothes, guidance and medical support. 

 

Disembarking passengers sometimes need to wade through water or swim to the shore. Most boats arrive at  night when temperatures can be as low as 5 degrees. After everyone is safe on land, volunteers hand out food, water, and dry clothes. These are very emotional moments, often full of fear due to the long hours of traveling on an overcrowded dinghy, uncertain of what was to come. And sometimes the moments are full of joy—finding land and its safety. 

 

In the moments when people arrive, there is no time to deal with the things they leave behind - clothes, life vests and boats. The priority is to make them feel welcomed, safe, and to attend to any medical needs. The empty boats are often destroyed and remain on the beaches, buried in the sand or stuck between the rocks - a historic relic bearing witness to what has happened and telling the stories of those they carried. 

​

Back in Germany, Vera and Nora wanted to create something that helps to integrate the newcomers into their new homes, that reduces waste by repurposing the materials left behind on the shores, and that raises awareness about the topic of forced migration. 

 

They decided to collect the broken rubber boats, clean them and transform them into something new. The material is a continuation of the story of migration, a symbol of transformation and an example of possibilities. 

 

In this way, our bags tell the story of those who made them, of a more sustainable and inclusive society, and of how a change in perspective can turn challenges into opportunities. 

 

We have come a long way since we have started mimycri. We have launched different campaigns for better migration policies, we have given a second life to countless broken boats, and we welcomed many people to the mimycri team. In 2020, we decided to partner with the organization ANKAA Project and to move our production to Athens, Greece. Since then, we have also expanded to repurposing other discarded materials. All of this has allowed us to reduce more waste, create more training and employment opportunities and tell the stories of the communities affected by forced migration.

​