Project Launch: 12-14-23

Banda community in Nyamasheke District is a very remote and isolated community down the Nyungwe rainforest. Due to the isolated nature of this community, there are high levels of poverty and very limited income generation opportunities. The situation becomes even more challenging for women and girls due to added vulnerabilities that they face in the community.

In 2022, over 121 teen mothers in this community came together and formed a peer-support group so as to provide the needed mental health and psycho-social support to each other due to the challenges that they face related to their early pregnancy.

They are currently seeking another $5,000 grant from World connect to diversify into fashion design so that they can create more jobs for more teen mothers. 20 sewing machines will be purchased with this grant that will be used to train 60 teen mothers in a period of 12 months (30 mothers trained every 6 months). This fashion design training will be coupled with training in mental health and healing, community-reintegration, and stigma reduction, as well as sexual and reproductive health sessions to minimize subsequent unwanted pregnancies provided by local community health workers.

Upon graduation from the 6 months fashion design training, these mothers will be able to take sewing jobs from the community, earning income to support their young families.