Choosing to Create Change

Creating Change is not easy.  For Sandra, it certainly hasn't been - but she has been fortunate.  She has met Miriam Enyaga - Destiny Women’s Co-Founder and has had the opportunity to turn her life around

Sandra, loves to sew and work with fabric.  She is working toward a Diploma in Interior and Fashion Design. She is changing her circumstances - borrowing sewing machines and creating beautiful handmade totes and purses, which Amilia's Light will be selling to help her earn money for daily living.  

Sandra dreams big. She hopes to one day have own her studio, and if given a leg up - she just might.  Sandra is smart, sweet and fun to be with. She is also dedicated and hard-working.  It’s not easy, and during our short time together she diligently redesigned samples - until she got them right.  Her philosophy is to create products of stellar quality and to create a customer following, so that one day, she will have that studio.  

We hope to help Sandra continue to make those changes by raising funds for Destiny Women's Empowerment Project.  This program will give Sandra the opportunity to participate in a group savings and loan program, get business training, work with a mentor, and work together with other girls, and continue to create changes that will illuminate her world with a path to make those dreams to come true. 

The Empowerment Process - a path to make dreams come true.

“Investing in women’s economic empowerment sets a direct path towards gender equality, poverty eradication and inclusive economic growth. Women make enormous contributions to economies, whether in businesses, on farms, as entrepreneurs or employees, or by doing unpaid care work at home.”  
United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and Empowerment of Women (See more at: http://www.unwomen.org/en/about-us/about-un-women#sthash.7mNmWlMp.dpuf)

Destiny Women has worked with over 50 girls, and they are each in various stages in their journeys.  Some are in university - studying law, psychology, social work, communications, education. Some have gone into retail and trade- working in retail, some of the younger ones are still in school. 

These girls have been fortunate to know Miriam, co-founder, and to have been brought into the fold of loving care by Destiny Women.  They have had an opportunity to bond, form a sisterhood and turn their lives around. Though they are healing from the trauma of abuse, some are still struggling. Many of the girls found themselves involved in trafficking because of the lack of employment opportunities. Full time employment will allow the girls to gain empowerment and stabilization.

Destiny Women and Amilia’s Light are partnering to provide an opportunity for these young women, by creating an Empowerment Program. The program has been informally started; many of the girls have been earning money by handcrafting paper- beaded jewelry, sewing and hair styling.  Amilia’s Light retails the jewelry, which helps the girls earn extra money as well as supplements Destiny Women’s programs. We are expanding the retail program here in Medfield, MA, adding totes and purses, which have been handmade with colorful African cottons.  In doing so, we are enabling a few more girls to have the opportunity to earn a little extra.

But this is not enough.  The girls who are not pursuing formal education, or those that have received certificates in the trades need full time work. We are carefully planning a multi-phase program, which will include a one-stop center for the girls to run businesses. The program will include business development training, mentoring, as well as fellowship in a clean and safe haven to work.  

Phase one will start in a rented facility, where the girls can manage their own retail shops.   We will start with what has already been successful - jewelry, tailoring, and a hair saloon. As other girls move through their training, and begin to find their passion, more businesses will be added.  Possibilities include food carts/ restaurant, egg distribution/ retail, laundry, day care, spa and car washing (very popular, since the roads are so dusty!)

The program, will also provide a place for the girls who are graduating with University degrees to work as mentors, social workers, and in business development. Together, with their sisters who are running retail businesses, they can support each other as well as the new girls who will come through the Destiny Women Rehabilitation Program.

Amilia’s Light Annual Garden Party  Fundraiser- May 30 is dedicated to raise funds to spearhead the realization of the program - which is planned to open by December of this year. We hope you will considering partnering with us to make this a reality.