Give vocational training to a young mother

Summary

This project will provide 25 young mothers in the greater Jinja area of southeastern Uganda with the basic literacy, life and job skills they need to start a small business and earn income to feed themselves and their children. These are young women who did not receive a basic education due to poverty or who were forced to drop out of school due to teenage pregnancy or the inability to buy materials to manage their menstrual periods. The training is designed to let students graduate in one year.

$4,000
total goal

$3,942
remaining

2
donors

0
monthly donors

2
years

Challenge

Although vocational education is shown to promote a successful transition from school to work, foster self-sufficiency, self-esteem, moral character and a positive work ethic, only 11% of learners in Uganda are able to access it. In the Bugosa sub-region of southeastern Uganda, access to vocational skills -- especially among young mothers in rural areas -- is limited due to poverty, illiteracy, social stigma, long distances to training centres, limited family support and lack of childcare.

Solution

This project will teach young mothers the basics of business management, marketing, customer attraction / retention and financial literacy so they can establish their own small businesses upon graduation. CCUg-sponsored group savings meetings of 20-25 members will give students the opportunity to sell the products/services they are learning, including men's & women's clothing, tailoring, fashion design and hair-dressing / hairstyling -- all skills that are in demand in the Bugosa sub-region.

Long-Term Impact

Successful completion of vocational training for 25 out-of-school young mothers will strengthen their economic resilience, establish a culture of saving, and teach them how to set and achieve financial goals to increase their household income. The classes will also promote social networking and solidarity among young mothers, enhancing their social capital and support network, improving their status within the community and reducing their reliance on others as a means of financial support.