By Agnes Mugechi | Project Leader
The Stitches of Hope Empowerment Program serves vulnerable women in Githurai,Kenya which is a semi-urban area. Women and adolescent girls are particularly vulnerable to poverty because of gender-based violence,harmful cultural attitudes and beliefs around gender roles,norms and female empowerment.
The principal goal of the Stitches of Hope Program is
The program utilizes a volunteer expert dressmaker/ tailor to provide basic technical skills training to the participants. External volunteer trainers and interns from Kenyatta University (KU) help to provide business and financial literacy training.Additionally, we identify community members with the relevant skills to serve as mentors.We also invite program graduates as mentors,to return to our center and offer their stories to teach and inspire new beneficiaries.
We use poverty to identify vulnerable populations and to help us locate and reach women and children without access to basic needs.Because hunger and poverty are correlated,we have partnered with community hospitals currently we work in partnership with the St John’s Hospital and the local area Chief and Church leaders from the community to identify and refer women and children who are malnourished or at risk for malnourishment.We conduct a living conditions assessment of the target participant by visiting their homes to explore their economic potential and the barriers they face.
On the 24th of August 2022, Project Afya had its first ever graduation of the Stitches of Hope Program. The first cohort of beneficiaries graduated. The beneficiaries acquired vocational skills in tailoring and dressmaking a course they have been learning for six months.
They are now ready for the job market. We are requesting for your support to provide them with sewing machines so that they can set their businesses up and running.
Thank you for your continued support.
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