By Jennifer Marshall | CCBN General Coordinator
“It seems amazing to say it, but I am not the same woman who walked through these doors a few months ago.” Ruth, 36, is practicing her new hairstyling skills as we chat. Living in Batahola she has known about our Center’s work for years, but never had a chance to take part in any of our courses. “I never had time for myself,” she says. “All of my time and energy went into caring for my family. I have two children that mean the world to me.”
Ruth was one of 433 women who enrolled in the Batahola program this year. Thanks to friends like you, last month she graduated with a certificate in Cosmetology. When we started a new training program on personal goal setting, Ruth jumped at the opportunity. This special six-week course brought together 30 women from our different courses. Psychology interns from the local university worked with the group on mapping out their personal goals, along with the timelines and resources needed to reach them.
“This experience has been amazing for me. It really helped me raise my self-esteem, to recognize that first I am a woman with needs and dreams, and that secondly I am a mother. The activities encouraged me to ask myself what I really want out of life and to create a clear path to achieving it.”
Ruth’s goal is to open her own beauty salon, and she is now better equipped to make that dream a reality. As we wrap up this year, I am grateful for the ways that our Center also continues to grow. The support we have received has helped us create new programs like the goal setting workshop. Gifts to our June campaign made it possible for us to offer a new job readiness course, to organize a first annual Vocational Fair and to help more than 250 women get certified in technical courses. We were also able to respond quickly to emergency situations, like when we had to replace the 10-year-old air conditioner in our computer lab in August.
Thank you for accompanying the women of Batahola on their journey of self-discovery and practical training. To learn more about what we accomplish with help from our Friends of Batahola, visit http://friendsofbatahola.org/ where you can find our most recent Annual Report and sign up for our quarterly newsletter. Gifts to the Friends of Batahola annual appeal will help ensure that more women like Ruth can earn skills and make time to move toward a new future.
Best wishes for a happy new year from our Batahola family to yours!
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