Suba: Women in the Suba area in Homa Bay County received a major boost following the launch of a tailoring skills training programme aimed at equipping them with vocational skills. The programme, launched by a well-wisher, Ms Lilian Ngala, the Patron of the Lilian Ngala Foundation at Kibuye Primary School, seeks to empower women through free tailoring training and certification, enabling them to become financially independent.
According to Kenya News Agency, Ms Ngala emphasized that empowering women through practical skills was a sustainable way of reducing poverty and improving household incomes. The trainees will undergo a three-month tailoring course after which they will receive certificates to enable them to venture into self-employment. Ms Ngala stated, ‘We believe in empowering women in practical ways. Leadership is not about the title one holds, but about the number of lives one transforms.’
Ms Ngala urged leaders to support empowerment initiatives, stressing that while women should be uplifted, men should also be included to ensure a balanced and prosperous community. She noted that providing people with skills was more beneficial than giving hand-outs, saying, ‘Giving people fish is not the solution. They need to learn how to fish so that they can sustain themselves.’
The training will initially be conducted at Kibuye Primary School as the foundation seeks a permanent training centre. On the first day, 45 trainees were registered, an encouraging response indicating community eagerness to acquire vocational skills. The programme currently has three tailoring instructors, with plans to recruit more as the number of trainees increases to ensure quality and sustainable training.
Residents welcomed the initiative, viewing it as an opportunity for women to gain an alternative source of income. Beneficiary Akinyi Akito expressed gratitude to the foundation for donating tailoring machines and introducing the training programme, highlighting how the skills would enable many women to earn a living and support their families. Another participant noted her shift from sun-drying and selling omena from Lake Victoria to joining the tailoring programme in search of a more reliable income source.
Lucy Atiemo Ouma pointed out that many women in the area relied on omena trading, but declining catches had made the business less profitable. She expressed optimism that the tailoring programme would improve the economic status of many households by creating new income-generating opportunities.
