Updates from DfG University
Purity is a vibrant and smiley young woman from Kira Town in Central Uganda – a small city just about an hour east of Kampala.
The major economic activities in Kira are engagement in local transportation, trading, and of course, agriculture. And yet, high rates of unemployment drive many of the youth to nearby Kampala in search of work. Purity has a passion for hands on creativity and socializing with friends and neighbors, making her the perfect candidate for DfG University! Purity participated in the August session of DfG University, which included women from Kenya, Tanzania, Democratic Republic of Congo, and Sierra Leone. Many of these women did not complete high school, and none had gone onto higher education, making this a unique opportunity for them to study and put their real life experience to use as they spent two-weeks learning about business, marketing, finance, women's health, and sewing the DfG Kit.
The expectation after this course is that women will begin selling the DfG Kits in their communities, enabling them to earn an income while also creating sustainable access points to both Kits and basic health education. Yet, within the short timeframe of the program, Purity managed to surpass all expectations before she had even graduated! In the first week of the program the women learned to sew the DfG Kits, and many stayed late into the evening practicing their new skill.
On the first Saturday of the program – the midway point – the women learned marketing strategies out in the community. Sunday was meant to be a day off to relax and refresh for the second and last week. Yet, Purity is not one to stay idle for long. She traveled back to her home town on her day off and began putting her new skills to work! When she returned to class on Monday, we were all shocked to learn that she had already sold 5 DfG Pods (1 shield & two liner combinations) to local women in her community!
This was a first. Selling washable pads is not always an easy task, as many people look at these new products with curiosity and hesitation. Yet, Purity managed to break down these barriers with the skills she had learned and begin making sales before she even finished the program. This is a testament both to the quality of the program and to her tenacity to find opportunity at every turn!
