#KSAC: Scovia's Apprenticeship
As you can imagine, a vocational training school (VTC) is no ordinary school. The campus is full of young adults high on zeal, pursuing a skill that they can make a living out of.
Scovia is no different.
Scovia met Maureen (our Livelihoods Officer) and I outside the schools main gate; she's taking us on a tour of the campus, including the hairdressing and cosmetic department where she studies.
Scovia is an aspirational twenty-one year old. She has two children, which she leaves at home with her sister to allow her to study each day.
“My auntie took care of me when my parents died, paying for my school fees until I was 16 but because of low income she couldn’t afford anymore. I started helping a friend sell eggs to earn some money to help support my family but I wasn’t able to earn enough to support my family.”
“It was communicated to us by Hope For Life that there will be a chance of an apprenticeship, with the purpose of empowering people with skills that they can use in order to get themselves out of hardships. When I had such an opportunity, I was filled with joy, since I was among the people given the opportunity to do a hairdressing apprenticeship and am very grateful that right now I have learnt a lot.”
Scovia continues walking around the school where she has passed the first year of a two year course, showing us the classrooms where she has her lectures, and then onto the practical rooms. The rooms are full of first year students. Along the right of the room there are 8 or 9 women sitting under the overhead hairdryers, on the left a few students having their hair washed in basins. Spread out everywhere in-between were students practicing their newly learnt skills on each other.
“Most women have their hair weaved in Uganda. A weave is synthetic hair that we use to sew into our previously short, braided hair. This way clients can change their hairstyle or colour every six weeks, even three times a week if they choose.”
As we leave the VTC I think back to meeting and chatting with Scovia's lecturers. It was clear that their teaching style helped to foster the student's original excitement about the subject, developing it into enthusiasm and finally passion.
The next day, Scovia invites us to the Hope for Life Livelihoods building to watch as she puts in a weave for one of her clients.
“I really am thankful to my sponsor for paying my school fees so that I can carry on my studies. I’ve always enjoyed hairdressing and have wanted to learn how to do it professionally since I was a young girl.
When I pass my course, my goal is to open up a small saloon by my home so I can work and look after my children at the same time.”
We need your help to kick-start more careers in Katanga. You can provide the materials, training and loans to give people like Scovia a chance to be self-sustaining. If you are able to regularly donate to Kick-start a Career please fill in the form below. If not, that's okay, you can still improve lives in Katanga by giving a one-off donation by clicking on the donate button below or by sharing this blog post with as many people as possible!