The Youth and Capacity Development was a two-year emergency program in partnership with Mastercard Foundation under the Covid 19 Recovery and Resilience Program (CRRP). Through the program, Children’s Rights and Violence Prevention Fund (CRVPF) set out to build the capacity of up to 80 community-based organizations led by females and youth to respond to the challenges of COVID- 19 in refugee settlements, refugee host communities and slum communities.

TELL US ABOUT YOURSELF AND WHAT YOU WERE DOING BEFORE JOINING THE PROGRAM
“My name is Joanna, and I am 32 years old. I am a mother of two and a graduate in Business Administration. Before joining the program, I worked as a receptionist at a hospital. However, when the Covid-19 pandemic struck, like many others, my company laid me off. I found myself idle and struggling to make ends meet, including meeting basic needs and paying for mine and my children’s medical bills without a regular salary.”
HOW DID YOU HEAR ABOUT THE PROGRAM?
“I learned about the Youth and Capacity Development program through a community leader who was actively promoting it within our neighborhood. Using a megaphone, he went door-to-door, spreading awareness about the program and encouraging young people to register.”
WHAT HAPPENED AFTER YOU REGISTERED? PLEASE TAKE US THROUGH THE TRAINING PROCESS.
“The first step after registering for the program involved choosing a specific area of vocational training that aligned with personal interests. In my case, I opted for Fashion and Tailoring, a field I had always been interested in but never pursued. My hesitation to enter the fashion and tailoring space before joining the program, stemmed from observing individuals in my community who limited their fashion expertise to basic tasks like mending clothes, which didn’t inspire me to pursue it further.
The training was about six months and focused on the basic principles of fashion and tailoring. In addition, we were provided with valuable entrepreneurship training. This part of the training covered important topics like business management, saving culture, client relations, and strategies for marketing and selling products online. The combination of these skills not only helped to improve my fashion and tailoring skills but also prepared me to run a business after I completed the training.”
WHAT HAPPENED AFTER THE 6 MONTHS TRAINING?
“After I completed the training, my focus was to begin a business using the skills I had learnt. During the tailoring classes, we were organized into groups where we shared personal details, including home addresses. The purpose of these groups was to create a system of mutual accountability for the start-up loans we were about to receive, each amounting to UGX 2,000,000 ($500).
Upon receiving the start-up capital, I rented a workshop space, bought sewing machines and fabrics, and hired someone to help me manage and sell my products.”
ARE YOU CURENTLY USING THE SKILLS YOU ACQUIRED?
“Yes! I am actively applying the skills I acquired during the training. Within a year, I paid back my loan, and now I am fully engaged in running my clothing and crafts business. I have one employee and I am currently training someone else. We sell our products at the workshop and online through social media like we were taught during the entrepreneurship classes.
I expanded my skill set using resources like YouTube tutorials and I now make and sell wedding dresses, mainly using African fabrics.”
WHAT PLANS DO YOU HAVE FOR THE FUTURE?
“In the future, my aspirations include opening a training center where I equip other women with tailoring skills, encouraging them to create amazing clothes. I am also determined to inspire women in my community to improve their sewing skills beyond simple clothing repairs and recognize the potential for more creative work.
Additionally, I plan to write a training book about fashion and tailoring, designed to be easily understood by many people.
Lastly, I plan to open a bridal center where I will sell the wedding gowns I make.”

