Day 4: The Beginning

We started our training course pretty strong with 5 days a week of training for 2 hours each day. We were thankful to use space in Elina’s house at her request. Community encourages change, and our CiH women have shown us that in huge ways. Counter to cultural practices, the women showed up early to class and left long after. When we asked Doreen if they were enjoying the format of the program, she responded, “Why else would we stay around so long?” The launch of the class facilitated the launch of beautiful friendships, a group of women to encourage, teach, and care for each other. They’re in it together. True to our model, we began classes with a strong foundation in business practices for the change to truly be community-owned. Profit was introduced as a completely new concept, as were different types of costs. Whether running a roadside tomato stand or selling handmade chitenge dresses, the women now know how to operate a profitable business. Sewing came alongside the business education, as we started out at the basics of threading a needle, went all the way to pattern making, and covered everything in between.