Kelly is one of 46 people to enrol for the eight-month training programme in 2026

Kelly is looking forward to starting a new chapter in her life as she embarks on sewing skills training in Harare, Zimbabwe, provided by Streams of Hope with support from Blythswood. As a young person growing up in difficult circumstances, her opportunities have been restricted by poverty.

When her parents split up, she had already started school. To escape domestic violence, her mum left Harare and returned to village life, taking the younger children with her. Kelly remained in the city with her father’s family, but when he left for South Africa and didn’t stay in touch, she found herself without support.

She tried to raise money for school fees by working in people’s gardens but it was not enough. “I didn’t even have enough to eat,” she says.

Someone with a sewing shop in Harare’s central business district told Kelly about the free sewing skills training programme. “Kelly wasted no time in approaching us,” says Streams of Hope director, Stephen Damuputirai. “She too would like to be able to start her own business and to be able to support her mother and younger sisters.”