Our 2 sewing trade schools give women the opportunity to earn a living through sewing. The curriculum covers machine sewing of marketable products as well as basic business skills.  Upon graduation, each woman receives a new sewing machine and starter supplies for a sewing business.  A graduate typically earns upward of $50 per month -- a very good sum in Congo -- by starting a business in mending clothes, doing custom garment orders, or producing marketable stock garments.

Most of the women who train with us are mothers of formerly homeless children.  They are only able to welcome the children home if they have the financial means to support them, and their sewing skills can be the answer.  Thus, learning to machine sew ultimately enables children to be reintegrated with their families.

Our sewing schools have been in operation for 8 years.  The $20,000 goal is to cover 12 months of operations.

Support Sewing Trade Schools for Women in Congo

Kimbilio supports homeless children in Lubumbashi, DR Congo. We care for some of the poorest children in the world.

Children find themselves abandoned on the streets of Lubumbashi for many reasons – the consequence of parental death due to HIV or malaria, or their family may be too poor to feed them, or they may be stigmatized as child witches.  On the streets, they are prey to violence, exploitation and addiction. The risk of catching HIV or Covid is high.

Since 2009, Kimbilio has been enabling homeless children to learn to be children again. 
 
At our day center, children come off the streets to get a respite from the challenging conditions in which they live.  The children are offered breakfast and lunch, with the opportunity to wash their clothes, shower, and engage in activities including sports, cooking and crafts. In the case of any health issues, we accompany the sick child to a local health centre or hospital and pay for their full treatment. Malaria, infected wounds, and drug abuse is common.  Our qualified social workers work with the children and whenever possible, pursue reintegration of children with their families.  We support 500+ children per month at our day center.

Kimbilio also operates short-term and long-term homes for boys and for girls.  The short-term homes are for the children with whom a family reintegration process is progressing.  The long-term homes are for those children whose family reintegration is liable to be longer and more difficult.  We have about 40 children in our homes at any given time.  

We also have a primary school for homeless children as well as children in the local community who would not be able to attend school otherwise.  We offer a high standard of education to 170 children at present, and have the physical capacity to double our numbers with additional funding.

In Congo, if we can improve the lives of women, it in turn improves the lives of their children and the situation of the community.  With this in mind, we operate two sewing trade schools for women.  The school teaches machine sewing of marketable garments, as well as basic business skills, and upon graduation gives each woman a sewing machine and supplies to get started in business.  Our graduates are typically earning $50 per month with their new trade -- this represents substantial earnings in Congo!  Many of the women are mothers of our homeless children, and the additional earnings are in part what enables them to bring their children back into their homes. 


Kimbilio

I gave because I've seen 100+ women graduate and succeed at starting their own sewing businesses.  This project is proven to enable women to transform their lives and those of their families.

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Support Sewing Trade Schools for Women in Congo

Kimbilio

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