As lockdowns end, and life gets back to normal, we are on our way to establishing new training facilities at our headquarters in Kabale, Uganda. Over the next year, we will be establishing training facilities for hairdressing, tailoring, and we will set up a crafts shop to sell handmade goods from rural co-ops who do not have the means to sell their products.
While the crafts shop will focus on selling goods from groups that were started by our organization, the hair salon and the tailoring shop will be open to anyone. The hair salon will be set up for men and women in order to serve a wider customer base. We will charge a training fee, but will subsidize fees for those who are unable to afford the full tuition. The tuition will be less than formal trade schools as we will be working specifically with extremely low-income individuals. The tailoring shop will operate similarly to the salon. We will charge a tuition fee, but will work with individuals who cannot afford the full cost. By charging tuition, we hope that individuals will be more invested in their education. These fees also offset our costs so we do not rely solely on donations to operate. The costs to set up our training center are much higher than anticipated. The salon will cost around $3,500 to set up, the tailoring shop will cost around $1,500, and the crafts shop will cost around $600. Once they are operational, they will generate income in order to pay for itself. However, we are reliant on donations in order to begin setup.
In addition to setting up our own training center, we have partnered with an established trade school to train women in other districts who would not be able to train at our headquarters because of distance. This trade school had offered a lower tuition for 19 students. These women are a part of the Ikumba Women's Group. The women will pay for their own supplies and for their lunches, but Margaret & Emma is currently fundraising to help pay for the remainder of their tuition. These women have chosen between tailoring and hair dressing. It will cost $150 per person to train in a three month course. This investment in their future will give them the skills to earn a consistent income, and will allow them to support their families.
This year, our operational costs are around $800 per month. This includes rent, staff salaries, internet and phone, and other miscellaneous costs. We are so grateful that we have been able to continue our work through the generosity of our benefactors. Thank you for your continued support.
If you would like to donate to our work, please visit the "Donate" page on our website at www.margaretandemma.org.
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