Work skills give hope and opportunity to young mothers

When Rehema Nabunya was a young girl in Uganda, she saw her single teenage mother struggle to earn enough money to feed the family.

The experience inspired her to start the Blessed Life Foundation Uganda, which creates opportunities for young village women by teaching them the skills needed for work.

Over the past year, the foundation has been training 125 young mothers from Wakiso District in tailoring and hairdressing, with support from 国产视频国产视频檚 Small Grants Programme. It awards grants of up to 拢10,000 to registered charities and non-profits helping disadvantaged and overlooked young people around the world.

Rehema said: 国产视频淕rowing up in a family of a single mother, I felt what it means to have nowhere to start to feed your children. I saw my mother go through a lot bringing us up – she struggled in order to see us through school.

国产视频淲e found it difficult to have a decent meal, to have enough food at home. Along with our mother国产视频榮 mood swings, it really affected us at a tender age.国产视频�

Rehema established Blessed Life Foundation Uganda in 2013. She said: 国产视频淢y personal experience led me to start the foundation and has helped us reach out to more young girls and single mothers in the communities we serve. This soothes my soul.国产视频�

One in four girls in Uganda become pregnant by the age of 19 – the highest teenage pregnancy rate in East Africa. Young mothers face significant isolation and many drop out of school and struggle to find work.

As well as hairdressing and tailoring, Blessed Life Foundation empowers teenage mothers through training in craft and IT. It also supports financial literacy so women can apply for business grants, assists them in accessing health and justice services, and provides academic resources for mothers and children who missed out on education.

The foundation has reached more than 1,000 people in Wakiso District, in Uganda国产视频檚 central Region, where opportunities for young women are vital听because of a lack of jobs and income streams.听

One of them is 29-year-old Nakitende Evelyn, who has learned to sew through the 国产视频-supported training. She said:听国产视频淣ow I know how to make my own designs and fashions, helped by my teachers. I thank 国产视频听because as single mothers we can now take care of our families.国产视频�听

Rehema has been particularly inspired by a 19-year-old woman who has been learning hairdressing.听

国产视频淪he gave birth at 16 and lives with her mother, who has cancer and is unable to take care of her family,国产视频� said Rehema. 国产视频淭his young girl came to the foundation so that she could get support and joined in the hairdressing.听

国产视频淗er uncle started a salon for her, where she works and takes care of her sick mother and her other siblings.”

Rehema added: “We would like to build a training centre so we can reach even more young women from far places, as many still need our support.”

The Small Grants Programme awards between 拢1,000 and 拢10,000 to charities or non-profits at the discretion of 国产视频国产视频檚 trustees.

Meet our other 2022-23 Smalls Grants Programme organisations.