Girls train in tailoring with Street Girls Aid
Girls in Ghana are gaining financial independence through our project with Street Girls Aid
Large numbers of girls from northern areas of Ghana migrate south to Accra in search of work. Many have no qualifications or vocational skills and end up working in low-income jobs such as street-hawkers and head-porters. These girls often live on the streets or in crowded conditions, making them vulnerable to abuse and sexual exploitation. Many have young children.
In 2021, the Ghanaian government bulldozed hundreds of living situations in Accra to make room for a large commercial building; this left many of the already marginalised and vulnerable young girls with nowhere to sleep.
This is where Street Girls Aid (SGA) makes a difference. They offer vulnerable girls the opportunity to lift themselves out of poverty through tailoring training. Sewing continues to be one of the major sources of income in Ghana due to the demand for made-to-measure clothes, as the average person in Ghana does not buy clothes off the rack due to the price. Through our partnership, SGA are also able to offer girls accommodation, meals, job guidance, sexual health education, literacy and numeracy training and business skills. Without these additional aspects of project design many of the young girls would not be able to attend the training and learn.
The last project delivered by SGA in 2019 trained 15 young women – shortly after which 60% set up their own business and 40% found jobs with existing employers. 75% saw their income double and 25% said their income increased by 100%.
SGA is currently training 20 girls in tailoring. Over the course of 12 months, each of the girls will receive tuition in garment design, cutting and construction methods. They will also take part in a 15 day placement with a sewing master at an established business, giving them some real-world work experience. As their skills progress, trainees will also be allowed to bring private work to the training centre at weekends to earn money before graduating.
The SGA training programme follows a similar syllabus to the government-run training courses that participants may not have the required qualifications or finances to take part in. At the end of the course, each girl will sit a government-accredited exam to help bolster their employment opportunities.
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May 2022
