I want to set up my tailoring shop – Ester Michael
Esther Michael is 18 years old, she comes from Pemba village in Traditional authority Nsakambewa, Dowa district. She is one of the Satellite tailoring training beneficiaries being offered at DAPP Malawi’s Dowa Teachers Training College (TTC).
The Satellite Tailoring is an extension of DAPP Mikolongwe Vocational Schools program to reach out to more youth who are vulnerable and needy in rural areas with vocational and entrepreneurial skills.
When I heard that I was one of the girls who had been selected to go to DAPP Dowa teachers training college to be trained in Tailoring my heart was filled with joy because at that time I was just staying home and helping with the farm activities.
Esther is a second born in a family of five with both parents alive. She said she comes from a poor background and her parents depend on farming but during the past growing season their harvest was poor due to lack of fertilizer.
“When I finish my training here at Dowa Satellite, I am confident I will be able to source money from sewing and be able to support my family. After working with members of my trio (a group of three students) I would like to set up my own tailoring shop through which I can pass on my skills to other young women from my community who have not had the opportunity to benefit from such a training at DAPP,” explained Esther.
Apart from the tailoring theory and practices, the trainees are also introduced to entrepreneurship subjects that prepare them to start small scale businesses after graduating.
Esther Michael said she is enjoying her time at DAPP Dowa TTC because she is learning more than tailoring but other skills like cooking, cleaning the surroundings, grooming, and also how to welcome and interact with people of different races and backgrounds.
DAPP Satellite Trainings aims at equipping youth with technical skills and knowledge for them to become self-reliant in order to be able start up a small scale business .
