Monday 8 March was International Women’s Day – a day of global celebration of the economic, political and social achievements of women past and present. Here at Tools for Self Reliance we continue to work with women’s groups across Africa to help them achieve economic independence.

One such group is based in Freetown, Sierra Leone where 50 tailoring trainees are getting up to a year’s training through our partner the Baptist Women’s Union. The sewing machines used for the training are supplied by Tools for Self Reliance. As well as this, the women also get training in life skills and micro-entrepreneurial skills.

What is crucial is that the support continues after the trainees leave. In Freetown the women are learning to work together so they can set up as fully functioning tailoring cooperatives once trained. They will even get start-up sewing kits provided by Tools for Self Reliance. Finally the girls are also being encouraged to take on some of the responsibility of finding business premises.
Julie Sesay, BWU President says:

I have already started to engage trainees to identify vacant shops or pieces of land so that we contact and negotiate with the owners or the Freetown City Council Management.

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