From a project to a real story
In our previous article we took you to Bukoba, in north-western Tanzania, to introduce the “Bakhita” Vocational Training Centre: a place where, since 1984, the Canossian Sisters have been offering young women with limited opportunities the concrete tools to build an independent future.
We spoke about numbers, vocational courses, technical training and life skills.
But behind every figure there is a face.
Behind every programme there is a story.
Today we would like to share one of them.
Ivetha’s story: when opportunity meets courage
Ivetha is a former student of the “Bakhita” Centre.
“I left school in Year 4,” she recalls. It was not a choice, but a necessity imposed by circumstances. Yet she never stopped believing in her dream of independence.
When she first heard about the Centre, she realised that it could be the turning point she had been waiting for. She chose the snack-production course — a practical decision that would change her life.
Until then, she had never received any professional training. She did not know the techniques required to produce and sell food products, nor did she have the tools needed to start a small business.
At the “Bakhita” Centre she learnt far more than how to prepare quality snacks. She gained the skills needed to manage work, plan ahead, organise production and trust in her own abilities.
This is where the idea of women’s empowerment becomes real: not assistance, but opportunity. Not dependence, but autonomy.
Today Ivetha is an entrepreneur
Thanks to the training she received, Ivetha now runs her own small business. She produces and sells snacks, organises her work and reinvests in her future.
But the change does not affect her life alone.
“I hope that my commitment will also become a way to support those who are facing difficulties, just as I once did.”
When a woman achieves economic independence, the impact reaches far beyond her own life — it benefits families, communities and future generations. It becomes a virtuous circle that fosters development from the ground up.
A message for many
To young women who today find themselves in the situation she once faced, Ivetha says:
“Nothing is impossible when we set our hearts on doing good. If we do not lose hope, our goals can be achieved. The beginning requires courage and determination, but with proper training and support, fulfilment will come.”
Each year the “Bakhita” Vocational Training Centre welcomes around one hundred young women whose dreams are far greater than the resources available to them.
Stories like Ivetha’s are not isolated cases. They are the tangible result of investing in education, training and women’s potential.
You too can help transform interrupted stories into journeys towards independence.
Thank you, from the bottom of our hearts, for whatever you may choose to do.
For further information about this project:
donatori@fondazionecanossiana.org
