Self-financing of the Girl Training Centre - Sewing machines (Autofinancement du Centre de Formation - Machine à coudres)

Background

The Foyer Gertrude Kosecka, in Kimwenza, is home of marginalised girls who could not finish their formal school education, in particular single mothers and illiterate girls from nearby Kinshasa and villages. It provides basic education (mathematics and French), a literacy course and one on life education (pastoral). Its main activity centre on a three-year sewing course.

Objective

Improve the sewing skills of the girls in the boarding school.

Activities

The small number of sewing machines in the boarding school makes it difficult for students to follow the lessons. It happens that sometimes there are four or five girls on one sewing machine.

Purchase of sewing machines and related materials: 10 hand-sewing machines, 8 pedal-sewing machines, 1 semi-industrial sewing machine, 2 industrial stitching machines, 2 overcasting machines, 2 electric sewing machines, 1 embroidery machine, and 1 snap button machine.
Training and maintenance of sewing machines: 4 teachers to follow the training of 65 students (including practical maintenance of the machines).
Electrification of the training room: increase the electricity power for the number of new sewing machines.

Results

The last year students achieved good marks at the national final professional exam.
Graduate students whose parents could buy them a sewing machine, make clothes for sale at home.
Graduates have been hired in local workshops.
The improvement of course resources has attracted new students to the school.
Receiving new material for their training, students have felt valued and increased their self-esteem when often they felt marginalised. They are very grateful to the congregation.

Sustainability

The school fee can be a burden for some parents whose daughters are eventually forced to drop the course. The school, in 2016, requested a MHSF (Mother House Solidarity Fund) grant for the setting up of a container-bar to sell soft drinks and some snacks. The income that the sales generate cover 15 students fees, limiting dropouts. The very same students take over the bar when the employee is not in. Student have also installed a sewing machine to keep on with their sewing tasks.