Become who you are - We Did It !

Promotion through training
Friday 12 June 2020 02:00
Sister Sylvie Toison
We did it

This beautiful Cameroonian project was born thanks to you! Sister Sylvie explains to us the steps taken to get there.

From July to September 2019: Preparatory meetings

The purpose of these meetings with all the young people was to reflect with them on their future. They were meetings of sharing, of listening which took place in 5 meetings, one every 15 days. Each young person was able to express their difficulties, their limits, their expectations and how they wanted to get out of it for a better future. We helped them to discover their own values, often buried in themselves, the gifts they had. They were able to express their wishes, their dreams, the job they would like to do in order to build their future on a good foundation. These meetings seemed important to me for a good orientation.

From October to December 2019: 3 months of apprenticeship training

Each young person, depending on the orientation he or she had chosen, was welcomed by a trainer. This was the case for 12 young future seamstresses, 1 future tailor, 1 electrician and 2 masons. 2 young people were helped to set up their small business. They were followed and advised for 3 months.

From January to April 2020: 3 months of Advanced Internship followed by 1 month of Specialization Internship.

These young people continued their training after a favourable evaluation by the trainers.

At the end of these courses, all the young apprentices took an evaluation test which consisted of carrying out work in their discipline: the top of a suit for the seamstresses, a shirt for the tailor, church renovation work for the mason, training in account books for the shopkeepers.

May 2020: Receipt of funds from the Rosalie Project and purchase of toolboxes and sewing machines.

Depending on the results of the work, the candidates received a toolbox for some, a sewing machine for others in order to start their professional career with a basic tool. The shopkeepers received a small bonus worth 50 € to encourage them.

From October 2020: Literacy or refresher courses

For 10 young people with academic difficulties who had not mastered writing or reading, literacy or refresher courses had been implemented at the beginning of the project. These courses will continue for several more months.

It is planned to offer the beneficiaries the opportunity to learn a little about management, invoicing and how to write an estimate.

Sister Sylvie completes :

We had some small disappointments. In the beginning, a formator took advantage of a young man, making him do housework. When we realized this, we found another formator for him. It was the young tailor who received the highest mark in the final evaluation.

One young man in electrical training became discouraged and abandoned his training, as did the second young mason.

We also encountered difficulties in acquiring sewing machines. Because of the Coronavirus, the supply of materials and machines has slowed down a lot. With the interruption of imports, prices have increased.

The great majority of the young people were very motivated and gave themselves wholeheartedly to their training. Their joy can be seen in the pictures.

Beneficiaries

Young people are the first benificiaries of the project 12 young female seamstresses 1 young man tailor 1 young man mason 2 young male shopkeepers 2 young people in school: 1 in BEPC and 1 in probationary (1st year, Bac blanc) Three of them are now engaged and want to start a home.

All of them can now financially support their families, which average 7 to 8 people.

Finally, the districts of Moutourwa where the young people come from: Roum, Bongolori, Sodecoton and Badjava will be able to benefit from this entrepreneurial dynamism.

3 beneficiaries testify:

« This machine is a great gift for me. It will allow me to work and earn money to enable my family to wash our clothes and wash us, to have the means to solve our difficulties. Now I can sew my clothes myself and I don't need to go and buy them, and I can let my creativity speak and so create beautiful designs to sell. As soon as I have enough money, thanks to her I will be able to finance the studies of my brothers and sisters. In the last few months I have learned how to manage my money and thus save money, which helps me to get out of the misery in which we have been living for a long time. This sewing machine has brought me so much that I could not list everything. A huge thank you for your generosity. »

Jacques Likamata, Tailleur« Dear donors, dear supervisors, it is a great joy for me to tell you how happy and grateful I am for these 7 months of training. I was able to learn many sewing techniques, how to use a sewing machine and how to sew clothes. I wanted to thank you and tell you that it is a great chance that you are giving me to take my life back in my hands. We, the girls of Moutourwa thank you, may God bless you in all your activities. »

« My sincere thanks for giving me such a precious gift that I did not expect. I'd like you to know that I'm truly grateful. I will make good use of this gift and keep it in good condition. May the good Lord bless you, protect you, long life, health and happiness. »

Assanor Minkor, Mason

We can also take the concrete case of the young mason who is currently restoring the church and who has an impact on the whole Christian community. The stones of the wall forming the heart of the building threatened to fall before he could repair it.  He himself has a family of 6 children. He is proud to be able to provide for them.These young people can and want to take charge of their own lives. On a human level, they have evolved a lot. Young people who were unemployed a few months ago, they are now full of hope for the future; they have learned to live in community, to help each other; they are proud of what they achieve with their hands, they have learned a trade.

When they received their sewing machine or their toolbox, their joy was beautiful to see. They have found their place in society and can now claim to be building a family.

They realize themselves and take charge of their lives. They have become masters of their lives through a trade that they have chosen and that they love. They have become actors of their promotion and they are proud of it.

Ten of them could neither read nor write! What a pleasure to discover their joy and pride in knowing how to decipher and understand a text, in knowing how to write, in being able to start communicating in writing.

Development (and promotion), said Paul VI, passes through education. We verify this once again!

Thank you for giving them the opportunity to fulfil themselves.

All are very grateful and give thanks to God.