A girls’ sewing and knitting school had been running in the CEPV Bible training centre in Lubumbashi for a number of years but the centre leader and his team had the vision to see this work expanded into more of a vocational training centre. He used some of the centre’s profits to build five purpose-built classrooms so that the school could accommodate more girls.
Many of those teenage girls had dropped out of the education system since their families were unable to pay the fees or, more frequently, because they had become pregnant and had babies to look after. In recent years this school has developed into secondary education of a broader nature teaching literacy, maths and French as well as nutrition, hygiene, pregnancy and birth control.
There is a three-year curriculum for 13-18 year-old girls and there are presently over 50 girls being educated. Over half of these girls are successful in completing the education programme.
A key dimension of the programme remains the training of the girls in sewing and knitting skills. This gives the possibility of the establishment of a small cottage industry after graduation. As a result of further development of the school infrastructure, a course in home economics has been added. There is now a fully equipped kitchen and preparation benches to enable the young girls to learn about international and local cuisine. This will be very advantageous as there are openings for cooks and housekeepers in different environments.
While the academic goals are limited, they are nevertheless transformational. A three-year course that equips a girl to read, write, sew and cook gives the basis required for them to raise their own families and to augment the family finances with further employment opportunities.
