Vision
We intervene in the lives of sexual abuse survivors, teen moms, and other vulnerable youth through a holistic and integrated system that brings healing and restores their dignity.
The Problem
Uganda is among the countries with the highest teenage pregnancies in Africa. Nearly 40% of women have given birth before the age of 18. Many of those women are uneducated, leaving them with no hope of breaking the cycle of poverty.
We are committed to helping young mothers and at-risk teens achieve a level of formal or vocational education to enable them to achieve their God-given purpose. Unfortunately, many of these women are so far behind in their education that a return to primary school is no longer a possibility.
The Project
The School of Purpose is a tailored skills training program that incorporates both formal and informal teaching strategies to ensure that no girl is without hope. Courses include culinary arts, catering, tailoring, knitting, urban farming, hairdressing, literacy and numeracy, life skills, and Bible classes.
Girls are selected for one of two course paths. Our Three Month Community Course provides simple skills such as candle making, soap making, wig construction, sandal making, and more. These skills empower women to start Business Clubs where they pool savings to invest in a joint business venture to support their families. Many of these graduates are inspired to return to the formal education system with help from our community workers.
Our Eight Month Vocational Course emphasizes more complex skills such as sewing, salon-based hair care, baking and catering, and more. Before graduation, each of these students enters an internship that will ultimately result in full time employment.
The Results
Since 2017, over 2,000 girls have graduated from the School of Purpose.
In 2022 alone, 862 young women graduated from the skilling program. A number of these girls have decided to start business groups through which they are currently producing products for sale and sharing profits.
- 425 girls have started a total of 17 Business Clubs this year.
- 40% of graduates from our Eight Month Vocational Course found immediate employment.
- 60% of graduates are thriving as they continue their pre-employment internships
Vision
We intervene in the lives of sexual abuse survivors, teen moms, and other vulnerable youth through a holistic and integrated system that brings healing and restores their dignity.
The Problem
Uganda is among the countries with the highest teenage pregnancies in Africa. Nearly 40% of women have given birth before the age of 18. Many of those women are uneducated, leaving them with no hope of breaking the cycle of poverty.
We are committed to helping young mothers and at-risk teens achieve a level of formal or vocational education to enable them to achieve their God-given purpose. Unfortunately, many of these women are so far behind in their education that a return to primary school is no longer a possibility.
The Project
The School of Purpose is a tailored skills training program that incorporates both formal and informal teaching strategies to ensure that no girl is without hope. Courses include culinary arts, catering, tailoring, knitting, urban farming, hairdressing, literacy and numeracy, life skills, and Bible classes.
Girls are selected for one of two course paths. Our Three Month Community Course provides simple skills such as candle making, soap making, wig construction, sandal making, and more. These skills empower women to start Business Clubs where they pool savings to invest in a joint business venture to support their families. Many of these graduates are inspired to return to the formal education system with help from our community workers.
Our Eight Month Vocational Course emphasizes more complex skills such as sewing, salon-based hair care, baking and catering, and more. Before graduation, each of these students enters an internship that will ultimately result in full time employment.
The Results
Since 2017, over 2,000 girls have graduated from the School of Purpose.
In 2022 alone, 862 young women graduated from the skilling program. A number of these girls have decided to start business groups through which they are currently producing products for sale and sharing profits.
- 425 girls have started a total of 17 Business Clubs this year.
- 40% of graduates from our Eight Month Vocational Course found immediate employment.
- 60% of graduates are thriving as they continue their pre-employment internships
A Vision for 2023
Building Success
As the School of Purpose has grown, we have run out of classroom space. We currently have an office space beside our shelter. Many of our offices have been converted to classrooms but this is creating issues for both learners and staff.
In 2023, we plan to provide our eight month intensive training to hundreds of girls at our primary location. In order to do this, we need to build a proper Classroom Block. Not only will this new building allow us to take in more students and provide higher quality training without interruptions, it will also provide a small showroom from which girls can begin to sell their products.
We also intend to build a new bathroom facility for the students. The current restrooms are small, old, and face ongoing maintenance challenges. As more students are joining our program, the facility has become entirely insufficient. Our vision in everything to to make these girls feel like a princess. They are infinitely more valuable than they have ever been told and we want to reinforce this by providing a clean and enjoyable environment.
Furthermore, these new facilities will assist in our application for accreditation with the Directorate of Industrial Training (DIT).
Lyantonde Expansion
In Lyantonde district, professional medical care is often hours away. Proper employment can be similarly hard to find. As in all of Uganda, women often resort to selling themselves for food. But escape is much harder in Lyantonde.
We aim to establish a new School of Purpose location to serve the women of Lyantonde right where they live. This new training center will occupy our existing property in Lyantonde, providing space for an additional 100 women to attend our Eight Month Vocational Course, resuliting in full-time employment for hundreds of young women in the coming years.
2023 Budget
Pigs: An Example
Near the end of the 2022 season, a small group of girls in the Community Skilling Program took the business strategies they learned in the School of Purpose and pooled their resources to purchase a pregnant pig. This blossoming Business Club has learned to raise, breed, and sell pigs! The new piggery will provide for their families and they have offered to teach other Business Clubs what they have learned about this unique business.
The School of Purpose teaches more than just a skill. The Alternativ business curriculum is integrated into each course. Designed specifically for illiterate students, this proven program teaches everything a girl needs to start her own business. From budgeting and saving to market research and marketing, our graduates are well prepared to launch their own enterprise.
