Women in the Suba area in Homa Bay County received a major boost following the launch of a tailoring skills training programme aimed at equipping them with vocational skills.
The programme, launched by a well-wisher, Ms Lilian Ngala, the Patron of the Lilian Ngala Foundation at Kibuye Primary School, seeks to empower women through free tailoring training and certification, enabling them to become financially independent.
Speaking during the launch, Ms Ngala said empowering women through practical skills was a sustainable way of reducing poverty and improving household incomes.
Ngala said the trainees will undergo a three-month tailoring course after which they will receive certificates to enable them to venture into self-employment.
“We believe in empowering women in practical ways. Leadership is not about the title one holds, but about the number of lives one transforms,” she said.
She urged leaders to support empowerment initiatives, adding that while women should be uplifted, men should also be included to ensure a balanced and prosperous community.
Ngala noted that providing people with skills was more beneficial than giving hand-outs.
“Giving people fish is not the solution. They need to learn how to fish so that they can sustain themselves,” she said.
She said the training will initially be conducted at Kibuye Primary School as the foundation looks for a permanent training centre.
According to Ngala, 45 trainees were registered on the first day, a response she described as encouraging and an indication that the community is eager to acquire vocational skills.
She added that the programme currently has three tailoring instructors, with plans to recruit more tutors as the number of trainees increases to ensure quality and sustainable training.
Residents welcomed the initiative, saying it would provide women with an alternative source of income.
One of the beneficiaries, Akinyi Akito, thanked the foundation for donating tailoring machines and introducing the training programme.
She said the skills would enable many women to earn a living and provide for their families.
Another beneficiary said she previously depended on sun-drying and selling omena from Lake Victoria but had now joined the tailoring programme in search of a more reliable source of income.
Lucy Atiemo Ouma said many women in the area relied on omena trading, but declining catches had made the business less profitable.
She expressed optimism that the tailoring programme would improve the economic status of many households by creating new income-generating opportunities.
By Lucy Jotham and Davis Langat
