Can you remember a moment when someone gave you the chance to invest in yourself which completely changed your future?
It could have been a teacher at school, or an employer who saw great potential in you?
Every time you donate a tool or support a Tools for Self Reliance appeal, you are creating those opportunities for people in Africa who couldn’t go, or finish school, with a chance to transform their future.
Earlier this month your donated tools and sewing machines, that may have been unused for years or destined for the tip, have been given a new lease of life and are now on their way to support trainees in Zambia with their training later in the year.
2903 tools were packed into 59 kits to support 303 people establish their own enterprises and earn sustainable incomes after they completed their training.
As well as the 41 tool and 18 haberdashery kits, the shipment also contained 8 treadles, 1 pillar drill for our partner KIC and 1 set of industrial pipe benders for Village Water.
Thank you for all your donations – to find out more about the tools we need please click here.
The last tool shipment to Zambia supported many people establish their business, including 27 young people in Kabwe, who grasped the opportunity to learn high-quality tailoring, carpentry, bricklaying, or metal fabrication skills – with both hands.
Now economically empowered 21 of the trainees have formed small business groups with fellow participants and 6 have secured employment in the local area.
Delivered by Zambian partner, Chichetekelo Outreach Partners (COP), the 12 month vocational training project equipped 27 young people with trade skills, a toolkit, and business and with life skills. The life skills workshops explored issues that could affect their future success, such as substance misuse, HIV/AIDS, gender roles and gender based violence.
All trainees have felt the positive impact that the training project has had on their lives;
23 trainees have found the biggest change to be that they are now able to pay school fees, buy clothes, and be financially independent. Four people shared that they now feel respected by their communities.
All trainees shared that they feel more confident and with boosted self esteem.
They are all now looking forward to the future and the opportunities that their new enterprises will bring.
Raphael Mubanga – welding and fabrication graduate 
Raphael is 34 years old and married with a two year old son. He lives with his family but doesn’t own his own home.
Before training he relied on family members to meet the costs of daily needs such as food and clothing. Raphael is confident that he will be able to earn a good income from the sale of the products that he has learnt to make. He particularly enjoyed having the opportunity to go on a work based placement, which provided him with valuable knowledge about running a business from the on-the-job experience. He has already seen an increase to the household income with the products he has made and sold.
Thank you for supporting people like Raphael with empowering opportunities to build sustainable livelihoods for their families.
