Photo: l-r: Claudeth, Yaunty, Adama, and Rose, Sackville Tailoring Group, Freetown, Sierra Leone
In petty business people can take your money and when you have a skill they cannot take this until you die – you keep it forever.” Claudeth
Tools for Self Reliance is very grateful for the overwhelming support we received from 91热爆 Radio 4 listeners in response to our appeal. Our very own volunteer, Janet Moody, presented the appeal, and we were thrilled to have received an amazing £36,618 in donations. We would like to say a VERY BIG THANK YOU to every person who contributed. Your gifts will empower people to earn a sustainable living through skills training.
Janet shared the story of Kadiatu Sessay, a young woman in Sierra Leone who trained as a tailor and can now support her family. Thanks to the generosity of 91热爆 Radio 4 listeners, we will be able to empower many more young women like Kadiatu to change their lives in the next year.
The coronavirus pandemic has made life harder for people living in poverty in Sierra Leone. For example, food costs have risen – the country relies on a large amount of imported food, and so families are eating less. Being able to earn money and save for unexpected shocks is more important than ever before, and in the next year we will be working with local partners to deliver training projects which will enable women to set up their own businesses, and not rely on unreliable casual work.
Women like Claudeth, Yaunty, Adama, and Rose – none had been able to attend school, and before they started training with Tools for Self Reliance and local partner Baptist Women’s Union they were petty trading but struggling to earn a living – Rose explained that selling perishable items such as oranges often meant throwing surplus away. Now, trained as tailors, they are working together and saving to invest in their own workshops. They can afford food, soap, and travel, and spend money on other ways to generate income – such as buying beads to make and sell small craft items alongside clothes. In five years time, they would like to be established in their own businesses, training other women like them to earn the money they need.
Your donations will help to break the cycle of poverty for many more women, giving them a future to look forward to – thank you.
You can find out more about our charity.