Last week, Mother Catherine telephoned us from Bukoba, Tanzania, her voice filled with quiet joy: classes have officially begun at the “Bakhita” Vocational Training Centre.
And then she offered us something even more precious — she opened the doors.
She spoke of classrooms coming back to life, of young women stepping in on their first day with a mixture of hope and apprehension, of workshops once again animated by learning and determination. She spoke of simple yet powerful aspirations: to acquire a skill, to find work, to stand on one’s own feet.
Founded in 1984, the “Bakhita” Centre has, for more than forty years, been a point of reference for young women with limited means. Each year, around one hundred students attend short or annual vocational courses, gaining practical skills that enable them to enter the local job market with confidence and competence.
It is not merely education. It is opportunity. It is dignity restored. It is a future shaped by one’s own hands.
Mother Catherine also shared the stories of those who have already completed their journey at the Centre — young women who have secured employment, who have established small businesses, who now support their families. Stories marked by courage and perseverance, born within those walls yet reaching far beyond them.
For this reason, we have chosen to begin something new.
This article marks the first in a series through which we will accompany you inside the “Bakhita” Centre. In the weeks ahead, we shall introduce you to some of these young women, listening to their voices and discovering their hopes, their struggles, and their determination.
For behind every course lies a story. Behind every workshop, a life transformed.
Today, however, the Centre faces new challenges. Its spaces require renewal, and much of the training equipment — now outdated — must be replaced to ensure that the education offered remains both relevant and of high quality.
If these doors are to remain open, a shared commitment is needed.
You, too, can walk alongside these young women. Through your support, we can help ensure that many more are given the concrete possibility of building a stable and independent professional future.
Will you join us on this journey?
With gratitude for whatever you may feel called to do.
For further information about the project: donatori@fondazionecanossiana.org +39 045 597 653 +39 340 108 2074
