Maureen is a mother of 5 children whose ages range from 3 to 19 years old. She joined our program in September 2013, as part of our second group in our life-skills training program in the Ng'ombe Compound. Maureen lives in the compound, which is home to around 120,000 people living in 2 square miles.

Maureen has a smile that lights up the room. But that smile took a long time to show itself, due to the hardships Maureen carried into our classroom. She faced difficulties at home in her marriage, financial difficulties, and her family would often find themselves without enough food to eat.

Maureen was a quick learner, and she even brought a Jewelry Making skill to our ladies that she shared generously. She graduated, receiving her Diploma in September 2014, and what a happy day that was!

Maureen applied for our first round of microloans soon after. With the funds, she purchased chitenge fabric to make garments for customers nearby. Maureen learned from our classes, and chose to reinvest the profits from her business to see her businesses grow. With hard work and determination, Maureen saved up enough money to open 2 shops in the Ng'ombe Compound: a tailoring stand and a restaurant. These opened in February 2015, and offer customers custom outfits, rice, tea, and other goods.

It doesn't stop there. Maureen has just raised enough money to send her oldest son to university. He will begin his education in the next few months. Maureen even opened a bank account with a local bank to keep saving, depositing her profits, to see her business and family thrive.

For us at Clothed in Hope, this is the dream. We equip women with the skills they need to start and run a small business independent of us. While we love the products they design and make with us, we love even more that they are thriving on their own. Maureen took the skills, knowledge, and opportunity, and now has the pride and confidence of providing for her family and watching them thrive. She's doing it on her own - the best solution for Maureen's family, and for her entire community. This entrepreneur is unstoppable!