Geoffrey Ojok | July 4, 2024
News Brief
In Agak village in Agweng sub-county, north of Kampala, Suzan Apio is busy training 34 young women in her tailoring workshop. Young women receive training at the workshop every Sunday for six months. After the training, participants can become seamstresses for Ms. Apio’s tailoring business. Ms. Apio was trained in tailoring by an organization called Lango Diocese Women Empowerment, which empowers single women to fight poverty by providing training in hairdressing, tailoring, and garment cutting. Ms. Apio is also a member of Oryem Can, a group of women who encourage each other to fight poverty in the area. Krostina Okao is the treasurer of Oryem Can. She says, “Out of the 40 active members, 31 have managed to build houses. We always share our profits every week, but we retain the capital for the group to continue operating.”
It’s a windy morning in Agak village in Agweng sub-county, about 380 kilometres north of Kampala, the capital city of Uganda. Suzan Apio is busy training 34 young women in her tailoring workshop. The workshop is a busy place, filled with different types and brands of sewing machines, 50 plastic chairs, and 30 plastic stools.
Young women receive training at the workshop every Sunday for six months. They buy their own materials and pay a registration fee of 650,000 Ugandan shillings ($174 US). Ms. Apio’s workshop sells student-made clothing at lower prices. After the training, the participants have the opportunity to become seamstresses for Ms. Apio’s tailoring business.
Ms. Apio says she was trained in tailoring by an Anglican organization called Lango Diocese Women Empowerment. The organization empowers single women to fight poverty by providing training in tailoring, hairdressing, and garment cutting.
Ms. Apio says she chose tailoring because women, who are her biggest clients, frequently change their fashions. She adds that, after the training, she was given a free sewing machine to start making a living. She rented a single-room house in Adweng trading centre and started training other women.
Ms. Apio is also a member of Oryem Can, a group of women who encourage each other to fight poverty in the area. The group was formed with support from Lango Diocese Women Empowerment.
Betty Achiro is a single mother who is a member of Oryem Can and lives in the nearby village of Ayami. Ms. Achiro had been struggling to support her two children. But belonging to the group and taking Ms. Apio’s training is helping her earn enough income to do so.
She explains, “I have acquired tailoring skills. As a single mother, my dreams were shuttered and I never expected an achievement of this magnitude in my life.”
Ms. Achiro explains that the women share the proceeds from selling group-tailored products every week. With this income, she bought a sewing machine and built a two-bedroom house.
Joyce Akullo is another member of Oryem Can. Ms. Akullo used to sell food in the Adweng trading centre before joining the group. She says the group has helped her acquire new skills which are helping her earn a better income.
She adds, “I am overwhelmed by what members of our group are achieving. I am glad and optimistic that soon I will open my own workshop, using the skills learned from Oryem Can.”
Krostina Okao is the treasurer of Oryem Can. She says, “Out of the 40 active members, 31 have managed to build houses. We always share our profits every week, but we retain the capital for the group to continue operating.”
She explains that each member receives between 118,800 to 191,600 Ugandan shillings ($31-$50 US) every week, especially when students are returning to school and need clothes.
Dr. Jane Ruth Aceng is a medical doctor, a member of parliament for Lira city, and a gender activist. Dr. Aceng says these kinds of groups are helping equip women with new skills. She says she’s glad that many women now own equipment that helps them earn income and become independent.
Ms. Apio’s life has changed for the better. She is able to pay school fees for her three children and buy food and other necessities. Every three months, she earns between 1,550,000 and 1,800,000 Ugandan shillings ($415 to $480 US) from selling the school uniforms she makes in the workshop.
Ms. Apio never dreamed that she would one day be a trainer and inspiration to others. She smiles with happiness and says: “Life seems to have changed for the better. With the training support I received … it’s encouraging to experience and witness that a better life is always possible.”