Tailoring program provides youth with marketable skills for sustainable employment

(MissionNewswire) The Salesian Institute Youth Projects, located in Cape Town, South Africa, has graduated 15 young men and women in its four-month accredited tailor’s program. The “Stitch Ahead Sewing Program” provides youth with marketable skills for sustainable employment in the textile and manufacturing sectors.

A Salesian noted, “In just four months, these young people combined technical proficiency with creativity, demonstrating that they are ready for both formal and informal employment in the textile sector. The final month of the course focuses on an incubation phase, where students developed their own sample products and pricing strategies — a crucial step in building entrepreneurial thinking alongside technical skill.”

The graduates marked the occasion by showcasing a range of their own original products. Trained in the cut, make, and trim methodology, graduates also received psychosocial support, intervention, and referrals where needed.

The Salesian added, “Beyond their own achievements, the graduates demonstrated a strong sense of citizenship. Despite often coming from challenging circumstances, they produced beanies, feeding cloths and burping cloths for donation to the Christine Revell Children’s Home in Athlone. This is a remarkable act of generosity from youth who know what it means to need support.”

The program was made possible through the generous support of local and international funders, including the Mauerberger Foundation Fund and the Next Foundation from South Africa, as well Don Bosco Mission from Italy, the Van Kesteren Foundation from Switzerland, and Robert Knitt and Associates from Germany.

The Salesian concluded, “To every sponsor, facilitator and supporter who made this graduation possible — thank you. These 15 graduates are proof that investment in people always pays the highest return.”

Since 1910, Salesian Institute Youth Projects has been helping youth who are homeless, unemployed or poor in Cape Town, the second most populous city and legislative capital of South Africa. Salesians provide shelter, education and workforce development services, meeting the basic needs of the youth they serve while helping them break the cycle of poverty.

Poverty is extensive in South Africa with more than half the population and more than 63% of children living below the poverty line, according to UNICEF. A significant percentage of the population struggles to survive on less than $1 a day. The country is plagued by high crime rates and violence against women and girls, and it has been highly affected by the HIV/AIDS crisis.

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Sources:

Atlantic Sun – Transforming lives: 15 graduates celebrate success at Salesian Institute Youth Projects

Salesian Institute Youth Projects – Transforming Lives: 15 Graduates Celebrate Success at Salesian Institute Youth Projects

Salesian Institute Youth Projects

Salesian Institute Youth Projects Facebook

Salesian Missions – South Africa

UNICEF – South Africa