By Danielle Givens | Executive Director
We currently have 20 students enrolled in vocational training at each of the schools. With a recent donation of a new sewing machine we are able to support more sewing classes and students. The Enterprise Development program will now operate exclusively in the communities where MDF has closer ties to the local community and therefore can more easily monitor progress. We expect about 1000 enrollees between 2017-2018 and estimate a higher level of post training success as a result of our increased monitoring capacity.
Our vocational training and enterprise development programs have a direct impact not only on the wellbeing of the women who participate in our program but on the wellbeing of their entire family as well. Women who earn income tend to reinvest that income in their families at much higher rates than men do. When women acquire marketable skills and the knowledge base to start and manage a successful business, they are furnished with the means to provide for their families’ needs (in terms of health care or education) on their own.
From Amina*, a project participant in Vocational Training, "I started sewing and doing embroidery work for women in my neighborhood. For five years I continued to sew and stitch, but could not earn enough to maintain livelihood. Then I came to know about Marshall Direct Fund. This came as a ray of hope for me. I was lucky to be selected for 4-days vocational training program which helped in improving my existing skills and here I learnt about decision making, communication and financial skills. The vocational training program plays a very important role in shaping the lives of women like myself and contributes to empowering women and lifting them out of poverty."
*Name changed to protect identity
The Safer World Foundation continues to match every donation made to this project by 50%. Please share this opportunity with friends and family you think might be interested in supporting underserved young women in Pakistan so that they may receive the hand up they need to chose peace and prosperity over violence and despair.
Thank you on behalf of the students, entrepreneurs and MDF staff!
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