Practice Day Looks Like This
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.
The Girls are Learning
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!
A Place She Belongs
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.
Six Months of Progress
As we enter the second half of 2026, we want to pause for a moment to celebrate what your compassion and generosity have already made possible.
Every number below represents a life changed. A child with new opportunities. A young mother with renewed hope. A family taking steps toward self-sufficiency.
None of this happened by chance.
It happened because people like you chose to care.
What Courage Looks Like: Jamira’s Story
When Jamira walked through the doors of our Vocational Center in January, she wasn't just looking to learn tailoring. She was looking for a chance to rebuild her life.
At 19 years old, Jamira is already the mother of two young children, five-year-old Namusobya and two-and-a-half-year-old Akwilifu. She was married at just 15, hoping to build a stable family. Instead, she endured years of domestic violence, believing things might eventually change.
Resty is Beginning Again
Resty is 26 years old and a mother of five children.
Her life has not been easy, to say the least.
When Resty was still in primary school, her father died, leaving her mother to care for seven children alone. Her mother traveled from village to village, selling goods in local markets, just to keep food on the table and to try to pay school fees.
The Future You Make Possible
Tailoring and hairdressing classes are thriving at our Girls' Vocational Center because of supporters like you. Over the past several weeks, our advisor Hilda has been sitting down with each young woman to hear her story, her challenges, and her hopes for the future she is working to build.
This week, we want you to meet Naigaga Mary.
Her story is a powerful reminder of what your support is making possible every single day.
They Passed With Flying Colors
This week was a big one at our Vocational Center.
The girls finishing our two-year tailoring program sat for their final exams, and you could feel the nerves in the room.
And honestly? We couldn't be prouder!.
These young women have worked incredibly hard. Many have faced serious challenges along the way, some even navigating an unplanned pregnancy, taking time away, and then choosing to come back and finish strong.
Cutting a New Path Forward
When you give a girl the chance to learn something new, amazing things happen, especially in rural Uganda.
Busiyi village faces challenges most of us can barely imagine. Extreme poverty isn't an abstract idea here. It means many families eat one meal every other day. It means surviving on about one dollar a day.
So when we opened enrollment for our hairdressing course, the excitement was real, and so were the nerves.