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Meet Kissa.
She is a young lady from Dowa district who is a participant in the Skill Up project that we are implementing with funding from the Bauer Charity through WHH. Kissa enrolled in Welding and Fabrication at There is Hope Vocational Training School in January 2023.
Kissa has joined her fellow graduates from There is Hope Vocational Training School to enroll in supplementary courses that include life skills, digital literacy, and entrepreneurship, which are some of the components of the Skill Up project.
Before enrolling in the Skill Up project, Kissa had low self-esteem pertaining to the after-training life. “I wasn’t ready for the job market mentally, as I had doubts emanating from the fact that I acquired skills training in what is a male-dominated trade.” After attending the training, she says that she is very well prepared for the job market. “I have also acquired knowledge as to how I can start my business, how to source resources, how I can establish business partnerships, and how I can write business proposals. She says I have learned all this through the Skill Up project.
Through the life skills course, Kissa has learned about personal development. “I know what is required for one to improve their talents, potential, employability, and even wealth.” She has acquired all this knowledge from Skill Up’s three supplementary courses.
Kissa has also learned intercultural communication. She understands that she will be working with or doing business with people from diverse cultures; therefore, interpersonal communication will be integral. “I have learned how to co-exist in the workplace. Oh! Yes, I have fellow students from other countries like the DRC, but formally learning how to interact with diverse people is something I needed.”
Kissa has also been inebriated with digital literacy skills. Most people in Dowa district do not own smartphones, and the numbers are very low for women, especially girls. And for the few that own smartphones, fewer know how to make the best use of them. The case is now different for Kissa. “I have learned how to use a smartphone and a laptop. Right now, I know how to advertise my business on social media and how to search for a job on Google.”
The Skill Up project will involve 185 young adults from Dzaleka Refugee Camp and the surrounding communities in Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET), which is offered by There is Hope. Some of these young adults will receive start-ups to roll out their social businesses. Most young adults in Dowa district are unemployed and lack skills training. The few that have skills training do not have capital to start their businesses. The Skill Up project aims to fill this gap, among other factors.