Hope Tailoring School Skills Training Stories from 2025

Through the Hope Tailoring School in Ssesse, Uganda, WorldHope Corps has helped young women gain practical skills, earn an income, and support their families. Below are some of their stories.

Aguti Sharon

Sharon was born in the hills of Ssesse and never attended school because her father did not believe in educating girls. At 18, she could not write her own name, although she had always wanted to learn a skill. One Sunday, she heard at church that WorldHope Corps was opening a tailoring training centre. The training was free, apart from UGX 60,000 for materials. Her parents agreed to let her join. Learning was difficult because she could not write, but her tutor patiently supported her. After two years, Sharon could mend clothes and make school uniforms and children’s clothing for clients in her village.

“I was given the skill I had always longed for. God bless WorldHope Corps.”

Kanyago Babrah

Babrah completed two years of training at the WorldHope Corps tailoring school.

“Who knew I would become a trained designer like I am today?” she says.

She now works in nearby factories and earns an income from her skills. Although her earnings are still modest, she hopes to buy her own sewing machine and take on additional work.

Akoth Rose

Akoth left school after the COVID-19 lockdown because her mother could no longer afford her education. The lockdown had badly affected the small business that supported the family. Her mother later heard that WorldHope Corps was offering tailoring training for girls. Akoth immediately joined. She is grateful for the patience and support she received, even when she did not have her own materials. Having completed the training, she is now looking for funds to buy a sewing machine and put her skills into practice.

Nakaziba Habiba

Habiba was a young mother with no job or practical skill to help her support herself and her child. After she spoke to her parents about her difficulties, they encouraged her husband to enrol her in affordable skills training. She joined the WorldHope Corps training centre and was welcomed even though she attended with her baby.

“I was taught equally alongside those who did not have babies,” she says.

Habiba completed the training and now hopes to acquire a sewing machine so she can begin working and contribute to her family’s income.

Nakyuha Shakira

Shakira now works at the Industrial Park using the skills she gained from the WorldHope Corps training centre. She makes overalls for her colleagues and feels proud whenever she sees someone wearing clothing she made herself.

“WorldHope Corps will be remembered throughout my life,” she says. “With God, everything is possible.”

Babirye Deborah

After losing her parents, Deborah went to live with her uncle and spent almost five years caring for his children. When the children started school, she regularly passed the tailoring centre and admired girls her age who were receiving training. She asked her uncle to help her enrol, and he agreed after making inquiries. Deborah completed her training and now works in a workshop that makes school uniforms and other garments. She is grateful for the opportunity she received.

Namaganda Aisha

Aisha left school after Senior Four because her family could not afford further education or vocational training. A friend told her about the WorldHope Corps tailoring school. The cost was much lower than that of other training centres, so her parents agreed to support her. Today, Aisha practises using an old sewing machine lent to her by a friend. She makes children’s clothes and sells them through women working in local markets, allowing her to earn a small income.

Namutebi Amina

Amina joined the tailoring programme because she wanted to become financially independent.

“I knew that if I learned tailoring, I could achieve my goal,” she says.

She now uses her skills to provide some of her family’s basic needs. She is grateful that WorldHope Corps brought affordable training to an underserved community that had long needed such an opportunity.

Nakyema Winnie

Winnie grew up in a family that struggled to afford basic clothing. At times, the family depended on clothes distributed by church charity groups. As a child, she wished she could sew clothes for herself and her siblings. She promised herself that she would learn tailoring when she was older. Although she could not afford the available training centres, she later learned about the WorldHope Corps tailoring programme, which gave her the opportunity to pursue the skill she had wanted since childhood.

Nabwire Rose

Rose used to travel to Jinja Central Market to buy children’s clothes for resale, often using borrowed money. A friend suggested that she learn to make the clothes herself. After considering the transport and other expenses involved in travelling to Jinja, Rose enrolled at the WorldHope Corps training centre. She later used her savings to buy a sewing machine. She now makes and sells the clothes she previously bought from Jinja. Her business costs have reduced, and her savings have improved.

Nakakawa Riza

After Senior Four, Riza chose vocational training instead of continuing to high school. She had always loved fashion and design but did not initially realise that tailoring would provide an important foundation for her career. Her parents encouraged her to join the WorldHope Corps training centre. After completing the two-year programme, she continued her studies at another institution. Riza says the foundation she received from WorldHope Corps prepared her well and helped her become one of the strongest students in her current course.

Nakabugo Robinah

At 17, Robinah had never attended school. She once believed that her future depended entirely on marriage and being supported by a husband. After joining the WorldHope Corps training centre, her outlook changed. She gained a practical skill and began thinking seriously about building a career.

“Because of the WorldHope Training Centre, I am now valuable to my family and community. I am grateful for the person I have become.”

Nakimuli Aminah

Aminah first heard about the tailoring school when Madam Justine and Madam Annet approached her and other girls at Ssesse Trading Centre. They explained that a tailoring training centre would soon open and invited the girls to join. Aminah told her elder brother, who asked her to find out whether the fees were affordable. After learning the cost, he agreed to support her.

“It is affordable. At least I can raise that for you,” he told her.

Aminah joined immediately and completed the two-year training programme. She is grateful that WorldHope Corps made tailoring training affordable for young women in her community.

Support Another Hope Scholar

Your support can help another young woman gain practical skills, confidence, and a path towards earning an income. Please donate to the WHC Hope Scholarships Fund:

https://www.paypal.com/donate/?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=N59ZRBREWDTNE&ssrt=1784810652185