The training course run by Fashion with Heart Creations here at the Jacobs Well unit is underway!  In fact, we’re now nearly halfway through the six month course, which covers cutting, stitching and fashion design.

We started with five trainees who all live fairly close to the unit.  And… we still have five trainees, which is amazing!  In previous training batches, whether it be here at Jacobs Well or run in conjunction with a partner NGO, there has always been a percentage of drop-outs who either lose interest, get married and have to stay home, or start working elsewhere midway through the course.  We’ve worked really hard to update the training curriculum and make it practical and engaging for the students, and a combination of this and a little bit of bonding magic between the ladies has seen the whole class very keen to stay for the duration.

The women on the course are all new to tailoring and are learning fast.  They have come together wonderfully as a group and are thoroughly enjoying each others’ company and the opportunity to be out of the house, learning something new and not thinking about household chores!  From a variety of religious backgrounds, they have already shared mini celebratory lunches for both Eid and Ganesh Chaturthi amongst the group.

We are thrilled to see the trainees hitting their stride and starting to get creative with their work.  There’s a lot more to cover in the next few months but the skills they are picking up will last them a lifetime.  Due to family commitments, several of the trainees are planning to set up small tailoring businesses from home, but we’re very keen that those who want to stick around will join the Jacobs Well tailoring team next year!