Mary grew up in the northern city of Arusha with her parents and eight siblings. When she was old enough, she started primary school. When she completed these classes, she was excited to start secondary school and continue with her education. Sadly, her parents were so deep in poverty that they had to pull her from school because they could not afford the school fees.
After Mary left school, her life took a very dark turn. She spent three years as a jobless youth living at home with her parents, who did not have any way to help provide for her.
One day, one of Mary’s best friends—who was living in the city of Dar es Salaam – visited her home. She promised Mary that she would be able to find a great job and live a good life in the city. These exciting promises convinced Mary to join her friend in Chanika, a community on the outskirts of Dar es Salaam. When she got there, however, she realized her friend had not told her the whole story about what she was doing for a living: selling her body for sex.
Desperate for money and unsure of where to turn, Mary soon became trapped in sex work herself. It was an extremely dangerous, degrading lifestyle. Often clients did not want to use a condom, which placed her at risk of sexual transmitted diseases and pregnancy. Sometimes clients would rape her. Mary felt trapped, alone, and too embarrassed to return home.
Thankfully, Mary’s became connected with ACHAMA, World Renew’s local partner in Tanzania. Through ACHAMA, she joined a program that trains young women in vocational skills such as tailoring, catering, and cake decorating. This program equips young women, ages 15 to 25 years, who live in Yombo, Mbagala and Chanika in Dar Es Salaam city, with skills they can use to earn an income, so they can leave sex work behind.
Skills development reduces poverty and better equips young people to find decent jobs. It triggers a process of empowerment and self-esteem that benefits everyone.
“I was trained to be a tailor, and now I am using those skills for an income, so I don’t need to go back to selling myself,” said Mary. “I tell the other girls to leave this way of life and learn new skills like I did, because it is so helpful for the future.”
As a way of highlighting the need to train and education young people in vocational skills, the United Nations recently designated July 15 as Youth Skills Day.
“Skills development reduces poverty and better equips young people to find decent jobs. It triggers a process of empowerment and self-esteem that benefits everyone,” said UN Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon.
Will you commemorate Youth Skills Day by giving a gift to World Renew’s programs that equip youth with skills to help them build a strong future and live out the beautiful potential God has given them?
World Renew’s online gift catalog is an easy, powerful way to give. Give the gift of a sewing machine to help entrepreneurs in Bangladesh, India, Nigeria, or Tanzania realize their dream of starting a small business doing sewing and tailoring. In some locations, this gift will reach teens and young adults like Mary, whose new vocational skills will allow them to leave the sex trade. You can also give the gift of vocational training for a young adult in a community where opportunities for education and employment are few.
