A picturesque place—as colorful as its African fabrics

Through our “Cotton of Kanani” project, we are working to establish a tailoring school to give primarily girls and young women the opportunity to receive a solid education in this craft.

This training program is intended to be open to everyone—regardless of their prior educational background—and is completely free of charge. A well-designed system allows students to enroll in the program at any time of the year. The schedules are structured so that both students and working professionals have the opportunity to complete the program on a flexible basis.

The combination of theory and practice enables participants to go on to work as employees in this field or to take the leap into self-employment—as young entrepreneurs with a promising future.

Lack of access to training programs

In Kanani, a small coastal community that is part of Watamu, a quality education remains out of reach for many. Many families face financial hardship, which often means that not all of a family’s children can attend school. Young people are forced to take on simple, low-paying jobs at an early age to support their families—without any stable prospects for the future. Even those who successfully complete school often don’t know what to do next.

Empowerment through hands-on training

The training program combines theoretical knowledge with practical skills. This gives participants real opportunities to find employment later on or to start their own businesses as young entrepreneurs. The tailoring school not only teaches a trade but also opens up real prospects—built on self-confidence and independence.

A flexible tailoring school

Together with our local project team, we want to open a tailoring school that is open to everyone—regardless of educational background or financial circumstances.“Cotton of Kanani” allows students to join at any time of the year and offers flexible class schedules so that working people can also participate. The program is designed to fit into people’s daily lives, especially those of mothers.

Changes that work

Through its free, vocational training program, Cotton of Kanani addresses several challenges at once: poverty, unemployment, and a lack of prospects among young people. The project not only changes individual lives—it strengthens entire families and fosters sustainable development in the region.