Songwe area - Apprenticeship programmes

Moving on, we visited 3 different apprenticeship programmes supported by Save:
Tailoring
Hairdressing
Carpentry
All small scale initiatives, and incorporate training on entrepreneurship. Need to be set in the context of high drop-out rates in secondary education, very limited tertiary education, and - as mentioned earlier - the prevalence of one-man businesses in the economic fabric of the country (as evidenced in the final picture below). All the apprentices we saw have either now started their own businesses or intend to do so at the end of the programme.




Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Blogger's Diary - Preparation

Image
Sorting out clothes and trying hard to be minimalist! Need to display modesty in dress too, so normal holiday gear won't do. Hadn't realised how many of my tops have low necklines - ooops. Biggest issue is not knowing size of plane for internal flights and therefore if a suitcase can go in the hold. This affects the amount of liquids I can take, especially mossie spray. Also, how many pairs of shoes does a girl need for a week long trip? Not sure if my small denomination US$s will be accepted for Visa or currency exchange. May decide to buy more currency, so many dilemmas Which Suitcase, Which Carry-On? Choices, Choices!!!  😔
Read more

Zanzibar - Childrens' Rights

Image
Save the Children is working hard to protect the rights of children. We heard that 67% of boys and 56% of girls are thought to experience some form of physical violence, with the estimated figures for the incidence of sexual violence believed to be well understated. A number of projects have been developed to support the bringing of perpetrators to justice, but of course turning the tide is no easy task. A child friendly court has been set up in accordance with international guidelines; and a One Stop Centre established for the confidential reporting of cases of abuse. We visited these sites, and a Child Rights Centre where young people are encouraged to Speak Out.
Read more

Songwe - Womens' Economic Empowerment Project

Image
This final visit of the day was a truly heart-warming one. Women are being helped to take more control over their lives. Not with cash injections, but with financial training to run their own Savings and Loan Clubs. These people would never get credit anywhere else, but through the support provided they have managed to save, borrow, grow and sell their crops and most importantly reinvest in their households - simple things like being able to buy school uniform for the grandchildren, or pay their bus fares. This way lies longer term growth and sustainability for the whole economy. We met the whole committee, and what a joyful bunch of ladies they were too. At the end they had us all up singing and dancing with them!
Read more