Youth unemployment remains a challenge globally.  According to the International Labor Organization, the youth unemployment rate in Africa remains below the world average estimation in 2022.  Young people in Sierra Leone have faced the consequences of recent setbacks to the global economy.  It is in that regard that Develop Africa Sierra Leone (DASL) organized a girls' mentoring session on designing slippers & headbands with beads.

At the beginning of the training session, the DASL team and the trainer discussed the importance of learning skilled work and entrepreneurship.  Madam Moiyatu K. (the trainer) explained to the girls that she graduated from the Fourah Bay University of Sierra Leone in 2018, but was not able to find a job so she opened Mio-fashion and Designs where she designs and sells African bags, slippers, dresses, and bridal makeups. She added that she has been supporting herself and her family with funds from her business. 

The mentees created three different beads products (beads slippers, elastic beads headbands, and non-elastic bead headbands). Twenty -seven girls attended the mentoring session and the mentees were divided into three groups (Group A, B, C). Each group designed different beads works; group A created bead slippers, group B designed non-elastic beads headbands and group C designed elastic beads headbands. All of the mentees were supervised to create one of the products which they took home.

The mentees were very interested in creating the beads designs; most of them took some of the leftover materials to design more products by themselves at home. All twenty-seven girls were very thankful for the mentoring session and expressed their gratitude to the donors that made the mentoring session possible.

Your support helps make these mentoring sessions possible as well as supporting girls' education.  You are truly making a difference with every dollar you donate.