DREAMS provides a life changing opportunity to Nakyanzi Irene from Madudu Brenda (Not real names) is 22 years old from Kicuculo village, Kakenzi Parish, Maduddu Sub County. She is a single mother of three (3) children living with her biological parents. Upon receiving the news about DREAMS program in 2021 during a church service, got amazed and thought this meant “Dreaming” (Ebilooto). But got interested in joining the program. Her dream before joining the DREAMS program was to get married. However, she changed her mind and admired to get skills in tailoring and information on how she can keep herself safe from HIV. She received all her DREAMS Package where she was trained in financial literacy and tailoring. In October 2022, she immediately used the tailoring skills acquired to start a small enterprise of tailoring with a borrowed tailoring machine. With the proceedings got from tailoring, she was able to save and buy her own tailoring machine. Currently, she is able to earn between 10,000/= to 70,000/= on a daily basis. From the money that she receives, she is able to pay school fees for her children, buy them clothes and above all provide all the basic necessities for my children. She plans to buy land to build her own house to stop renting, taking her children to good schools, mobilize AGYW to join DREAMS, train more AGYW in tailoring for those who have the passion for the job. Irene Nakyanzi in her business during the interview in Kicuculo Madudu sub county As told by; Nakyanzi Irene Telephone: 0703732674

Nakyanzi Irene

House Holder Tailoring Lady

I am Kitone (MUG/MUB/14/1868CA) aged 20 years old who dropped out in S.4 due to lack of school fees from Nalyankanja LCI. I joined DREAMS in November 2021 upon receiving information from the Chairperson. I admired to be part of the DREAMS project after being contacted and assessed by the social worker. I was attached to In God we Trust Group Kirumbi where I received stepping stones and financial literacy sessions where I gained different skills on how I can fight the spread of new HIV VIRUS in adolescent girls. During market assessment, I selected Liquid soap making and Tailoring. This is because I had passion in tailoring since I had earlier on made an attempt to train at SENA FOUNDATION from kibuuli Kampala, but failed to get a certificate due to school fess challenges. I trained in tailoring and gained more skills that I used to replace the Artisan who had withdrawn from training. Using my first as an Artisan, I hired a room, bought some Bitengi and other materials, I kept my salary for 3 months totaling to 900,000/= and I used the money to buy 2 sawing machines each at 450000. I hired someone to be monitoring my business during working hours until I go back home. I have a plan of scaling up my business by buying more sewing machines and establish a strong Sanyuka kitone training AGYW during a tailoring Class.

Kitone (MUG/MUB/14/1868CA) h

2. Tailoring skills restores Kitone’s hopes

I dropped out of school after my Primary Leaving Examination due to lack of school fees to take me to the secondary level. So I had to be home just doing house work because mum did not have money so she decided to take on my fellow brothers and sisters who are in the lower classes and I stayed home as mummy is looking for money to take me to the technical for some skills like tailoring. Hadijjah as she is try to make a hand bag at the safe space. So it was then when the chairperson LC1 came looking for girls who are out of school and we convened in one place. so there came a man called Jorum from NIFAED who told us about the DREAMS project as one of the projects aims at fighting against the spread of HIV and that it doesn’t stop there it also gives some skills like liquid soap making, basketry, book making, hair dressing and also hearing one of my most wanted skills and that’s tailoring. He screened me and to come back gave us ID numbers, trained in stepping stones and financial a gentleman to train us in financial literacy. In stepping stones I learnt how to protect myself from HIV and also all the possible preventive measures like using a condom and always testing first before having unprotected sex. In financial literacy I learnt how to plan, budget and spend my money and also how to save since am in a saving group of KIRUMI WOMEN’S ASSOCIATION that am able to save at least 500/= every Saturday and am able to have some money for to boost my liquid soap business and sell to the residents of Kirumi and Ndeeba. I also got a chance of getting the skill of Liquid soap making and my group got start-up of Liquid soap making. Currently we are engaged in liquid soap making as a business with ready market. Luckily I thank God that I was able to move to the safe space for tailoring since it was part of my dreams and I had got a golden chance. On reaching the safe space the social worker welcomed me and indeed he gave me chance to join the tailoring class and since then up to date I have been learning tailoring and as of today am a perfect tailor that can at least make different designs of clothes and hope as of now am good to start my own tailoring shop that’s if mummy at least gets money to buy me a machine. I am really so grateful and thankful to the Almighty Lord for this great chance that he granted to me because without this I could be somewhere else could be having children because men in the village had started sweet talking to me but DREAMS has really empowered me that I can now even report these guys to mum and further steps are taken. I also thank the Almighty Lord that I now have the skills that can at least take me to another level in my life whereby I can be able to earn something at the moment.

NASSALI HADIJAH MUG/MUB/01/1035CY 16

1. A school Drop Out Regains hope in Tailoring and liquid soap making skills