Tailoring school for socially disadvantaged young women in Arusha

Self-determined pursuit of their own desires and earning an independent living through their own efforts - with training at our tailoring school, we help young women to make this a reality.

Project background: Lack of educational opportunities & social barriers

In Tanzania, only around 30% of children complete secondary school. Many parents lack the financial means to enable their children to complete a higher level of schooling or vocational training. As a result, many young adults try to eke out a living as day labourers and are constantly on the lookout for work.

Due to the patriarchal social system, girls in particular are denied an education. As their parents see them as being “lost” to their future husbands one way or another, there is often little willingness to invest in their daughters. As a result, many girls are married off shortly after leaving school. These circumstances make young women vulnerable to the harmful practices of their culture (e.g. forced marriage, domestic violence) and make it almost impossible for society to escape poverty and the dependence of others.

Girl Namayan herding young sheepSolution approach: "Shule ya Ushonaji Engoitoi Epuan"

Based on the challenges described in the project region, we have developed the project “Shule kwa Ushonaji wa Engoitoi Epuan” (translated: Tailoring School of Engoitoi Epuan).

With the project implementation we want to achieve the following goals:

• Economic opportunities:
Tailoring training at a high level and a secure start to self-employment will enable the women to earn a sustainable livelihood.

• Mental health:
Creating a protected environment for young women in which they feel they are in good hands and find a sympathetic ear for their concerns and needs.

• Self-confidence & self-determination:
Empowerment to determine their own future through their own efforts and independently of others and thus realise their own wishes.

Excursus: building a tailoring school: great things have been created!

In April 2022, the association purchased a green plot of land on the outskirts of Arusha. After planning the campus, construction of the 15 buildings began. Implementation took a good two years until the end of 2024, laying the foundations for a successful school opening in January 2025.

The realisation of this major project was only possible thanks to the generous support of various foundations, institutions and private individuals. We are very grateful for the loyalty and trust they have shown us. Thank you very much!

We accept 20-22 students per year on our training programme. The programme lasts a total of 10 months and is divided into two semesters of 5 months each. In the first semester, the students learn the basic craft of tailoring together with three teachers. They are taught how to sew accessories, clothing, leather and embroider with glass beads. In the second semester, the students begin to develop their own projects and sew independently. They do this together with two teachers (designer & main teacher). From the second half of the second semester, the students attend various block courses on the following topics: Economics, Family Planning, Embroidery, Fabric Painting and practical life topics (see table below Training Programme). They will also develop and produce various fabric products together with the teachers and project management, which the association will then offer for sale. The proceeds from the sales will flow back into the tailoring project and enable the students to earn their first small wage to set up their own business.

In addition, each student receives her own sewing machine at the start of her training, which she can take with her after graduation. The association also endeavours to cater to the individual needs of the graduates, to offer them a range of follow-up opportunities and to support them in their future careers.

The organisation carries out regular monitoring to find out how the graduates are doing, where they are living and how they are earning a living.

Our tailoring school is a residential school, as we accept pupils from near and far. All of the pupils come from difficult backgrounds (poverty, forced marriage, orphans, domestic violence, HIV-positive). In order to find the students, we have entered into various collaborations with local organisations. These include the NGO “Pastoral Women's Council”, the Arusha Women and Child Protection Authority, various churches in the project region and various government institutions.

In addition to the lessons, the pupils support the housemother with the daily chores, such as keeping the rooms and surroundings clean and cooking. At weekends, they also maintain a school garden and a field where organic vegetables are grown.

Education is the key to more self-determination and resilience

The successful training of the programme participants also benefits their family members, especially their children. This project also plays a pioneering role in promoting gender equality within society.

The students of our first course with two teachers in front of the classroom in January 2025

Colourful and full of life: fabric and natural leather goods with heart

From autumn 2025, our fabric and natural leather goods will be sewn by the students of our tailoring school. The products sold so far were made by the teachers Mama Suzy, Moses and Daines with their teams.

All products are designed by us and sewn by hand with great care. The raw materials are purchased and processed locally. The natural leather comes from the “Maasai Leather” group, which tans animal skins by hand using a natural process and without any chemical additives. The animal skins come from goats, sheep and cattle that roamed the African steppes in herds during their lifetime. They were killed solely for their meat.