Serve the Needy, a non-profit company, held a graduation ceremony for 20 women from Tafelsig and Montrose Park who completed a sewing training course it ran. Pictured are some of the graduates, who also made their own outfits for the ceremony.
Twenty unemployed women from Tafelsig and Montrose Park graduated from a three-month sewing course run by Serve the Needy, a non-profit company, wearing outfits they made during their training.
Serve the Needy was founded in 2020 during the Covid-19 pandemic by Tafelsig residents Albertus Solomon, Yasmine Kemp, Jamiela Charles and Priscilla Brink. Ms Brink died in 2023.
“We wanted to give the youngsters roaming the streets with nothing to do, and young unmarried and married mothers, something to do with their hands,” said Ms Kemp.
Ms Charles said this was the first batch of women to graduate from their sewing training programme.
"I am proud of each one of them for making it this far,“ she said.
Certified sewing instructor Fadwa Rajab said that while the graduates had experienced many hiccups along the way, they had proven themselves as competent seamstresses.
“I always told them that they get to determine their own destination. They worked hard and made mistakes but also fixed them. In the end, they succeeded and I am very proud of them.”
Mr Solomon said the women were now qualified machinists with the Fibre Processing and Manufacturing Sector Education and Training Authority (FP&M Seta) and could apply for jobs.
“They can also use the skill to make clothes for themselves and their families. Some of our graduates did just that. And we are proud of them,” he said.
Ashley White, 33, a wife and mother of three from Montrose Park, said the training had given her renewed hope to start over in life.
“I was on drugs for 19 years, and I am clean for one year. This training was very encouraging and motivating to me because I was on drugs for so long and always wanted to do something positive with my life.
“I first tried my hand at doing early childhood development work, but that wasn’t for me. Then I got into this programme, and it was so nice. I am proud of myself and have already made clothing for my children, husband and father.”
Ms White added that she is hoping to continue her training or find a clothing machinist job to gain more experience.
Another graduate, Farahnaaz Enus, 24, said that just four days before her special day, the Tafelsig wendy house she shared with her 6-month-old baby and a 2-year-old, her mother, her 14-year-old brother, her 21-year-old sister and her niece had been destroyed in an early morning fire. She had lost all her belongings along with the dress she had made for her graduation.
“It happened just before 4am. I was woken by a popping sound. When I lifted my head, I just smelled fire and called out to my mother.
“I got up to go to the toilet, and when I looked out the window, I saw that the wendy house that was next to ours was halfway consumed by the fire, and it was spreading to our side.
“I rushed to wake up my brother and two kids. I tried to turn back to grab my baby’s bottle and nappies, but the fire had spread to our side by then, and it was too late to save anything. We lost everything.
“My mom’s friend who lives in Eastridge has been kind enough to take us in.”
Ms Enus said she was grateful for the training as she had learnt a new skill.
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