This is a personal story of one of our Tailor Empowerment participants, who is currently training to become a seamstress as part of our charity program to break the poverty cycle. All names have been changed to protect their privacy.
Angelika reminds me of a tiger mother, always ready to fight to protect her cubs- . and she has a large family to protect. Together she and her husband, 5 children, one granddaughter, and another grandchild on the way, live in a small apartment that they rent from the local government, which they've managed to turn into a cosy home.
They have a very long journey behind them. For years they have been moving from one transition home facility to another, spending 3 to 8 months at a time in different places, depending on where they could find a temporary transition flat. To provide the most stability possible for their children, they kept them in the same school despite all the moves. After years of temporary living situations, and traveling long distances to school, they will finally get a chance to settle through the program at SZERA..
Angelika is determined to create a better future for her and her family, by following through on the Tailor Empowerment (TE) course offered. She has been working in school canteens for the past 4 years. Constantly standing and moving heavy objects around has taken a toll on her health, and her spine is now damaged due to this. Before the TE course she had been unemployed for a while due to her health constraints. Angelika’s husband is also experiencing the toll of many years of heavy physical work, first in factories and now in construction. But as both of them say "we have to do it to provide a better future for our children”.
The Tailor Empowerment program finally offers Angelika work that she could do from home while taking care of her children and grandchildren, without the negative health impacts. It is a great chance for this hard working family to make a change that supports their overall well-being.