Last week I took you inside our tailoring classes. This week, let's head over to hairdressing!

Every week, 20 girls show up to learn from Madam Olivia, our hairdressing instructor.

And when I say “show up,” I mean it!

Some of the girls are young mothers, so they bring their children with them, get them settled into our little nursery playroom, and then head to class.

While we're enjoying these warm summer days, the girls at our Vocational Center in Buwudha Village are hard at work!

Since January, they've been learning tailoring, and I thought this week I'd give you a little peek inside their classes and show you what your support is making possible.

On Mondays and Tuesdays, Madam Sharifa, our tailoring instructor, focuses on lessons and theory. Then on Wednesdays and Thursdays, it's time to practice what they've learned. When the girls return on Monday, she reviews the previous week's lessons before moving on to something new.

And they are learning so much!

When Gift left school, she believed her future had already been decided.

At just 15 years old, she had dropped out in Primary Four. School had always been difficult. She struggled to keep up in class, walked a long distance every day, fetched water before leaving home, and often arrived late. Instead of encouragement, she faced punishment and criticism.

Eventually, she stopped going altogether.

Her mother assumed she would stay home, work where she could, and one day marry. It seemed like the only path available.